---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I used to think that. But then I…"
description: "\"“I used to think that. But then I realized, believe it or not, it’s actually beautiful to some people. It must be, because enough people live here, and..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/562/jennifer-niven-2493_beauty_i-used-to-think-that-but-then-i-realized_722068.jpg"
---

#  I used to think that. But then I realized, believe it or…

![“I used to think that. But then I realized, believe it or not, it’s actually beautiful to some people. It must be, because enough people live here, and they can’t all think it’s ugly.’ He smiles out at the ugly trees and the ugly farmland and the ugly kids as if he can see Oz. As if he can really…” quote by Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/562/jennifer-niven-2493_beauty_i-used-to-think-that-but-then-i-realized_722068.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/562/jennifer-niven-2493_beauty_i-used-to-think-that-but-then-i-realized_722068.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/562/jennifer-niven-2493_beauty_i-used-to-think-that-but-then-i-realized_722068.jpg)

> ““I used to think that. But then I realized, believe it or not, it’s actually beautiful to some people. It must be, because enough people live here, and they can’t all think it’s ugly.’ He smiles out at the ugly trees and the ugly farmland and the ugly kids as if he can see Oz. As if he can really, truly see the beauty that’s there. In that moment I wish I could see it through his eyes. I wish he had glasses to give me.””

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Seeing beauty in a bleak world requires a shift in perspective, often imagined as seeing through another’s eyes.

**In simple terms:** Changing viewpoint reveals hidden beauty.

Key Takeaway

Practice empathy to discover unseen positives.

Themes

perception beauty empathy mental health hope

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- daily stress
- mental health challenges
- creative projects

Key Concepts

cognitive reframing subjective reality optimism

Questions to Reflect On

- What would you notice if you saw the world through someone else’s eyes?
- How can you cultivate a habit of noticing beauty?

A Different Perspective

Seeing beauty may be fleeting without personal effort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/)

## Related quotes

> [The fact is that 'The Wizard Of Oz' has never really worked in the theatre. The film has one or two holes where, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lloyd-webber/the-fact-is-that-the-wizard-of-oz-has-never-really-worked-in-the/)

[Andrew Lloyd Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lloyd-webber/)

> [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/)

[Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/)

> [Time can but make her beauty over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/time-can-but-make-her-beauty-over-again/)

[William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/)

> [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/)

Tumblr

> [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/)

[Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/)

> [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/)

[Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/)

> [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/)

[Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/)

> [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [“We've all met people who are beautiful on the outside, however, when they open their mouths to speak, they have nothing of substance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/we-ve-all-met-people-who-are-beautiful-on-the-outside-however-when/)

[Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/)

> [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/)

[Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/)

> [To fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain, to swing on the spiral of our divinity, and still be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tool/to-fathom-the-power-to-witness-the-beauty-to-bathe-in-the-fountain-to/)

[Tool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tool/)

> [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/)

[John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/)

> [How could anybody confuse truth with beauty, I thought as I looked at him. Truth came with sunken eyes, bony or scarred, decayed. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/how-could-anybody-confuse-truth-with-beauty-i-thought-as-i-looked-at/)

[Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/)

> [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/)

[Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

## More by Jennifer Niven

> [The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it's the small things that count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/the-problem-with-people-is-they-forget-that-most-of-the-time-it-s-the/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [“I am disappearing, maybe I'm already gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/i-am-disappearing-maybe-i-m-already-gone/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [“Sometimes, Ultraviolet, things feel true to us even if they’re not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/sometimes-ultraviolet-things-feel-true-to-us-even-if-they-re-not/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [“Stars on the sky, stars on the ground. It's hard to tell where the sky ends and the earth begins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/stars-on-the-sky-stars-on-the-ground-it-s-hard-to-tell-where-the-sky/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [“Who cares for Algebra? Who delights in solving math? I only want to live my life Along the creative path.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/who-cares-for-algebra-who-delights-in-solving-math-i-only-want-to/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [Sorry wastes time. You have to live your life like you'll never be sorry. It's easier just to do the right thing from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/sorry-wastes-time-you-have-to-live-your-life-like-you-ll-never-be/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [“I expect some fast reply, something flirty and flip, but instead he doesn't look up, just reaches for my hand and keeps reading. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/i-expect-some-fast-reply-something-flirty-and-flip-but-instead-he/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [“You shouldn't spend all your time worrying about the love that leaves, because then you might overlook the love that was always there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/you-shouldn-t-spend-all-your-time-worrying-about-the-love-that-leaves/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [“There's more to you than meets the eye”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/there-s-more-to-you-than-meets-the-eye/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [“Maybe it isn't the room that's different. Maybe it's me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/maybe-it-isn-t-the-room-that-s-different-maybe-it-s-me/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [“You’re probably better at math than I am, because pretty much everyone’s better at math than I am, but it’s okay, I’m fine with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/you-re-probably-better-at-math-than-i-am-because-pretty-much-everyone/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [“lovely is a lovey word that should be used more often”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/lovely-is-a-lovey-word-that-should-be-used-more-often/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [Since I stopped writing, I read more than ever. Other people's words, not my own - my words are gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/since-i-stopped-writing-i-read-more-than-ever-other-people-s-words/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [“It's my experience that people are a lot more sympathetic if they can see you hurting, and for the millionth time in my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/it-s-my-experience-that-people-are-a-lot-more-sympathetic-if-they-can/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [“Be careful with that heart of yours”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/be-careful-with-that-heart-of-yours/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

[Explore all 162 Jennifer Niven quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

## More Beauty quotes

> [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/)

[Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

> [How could anybody confuse truth with beauty, I thought as I looked at him. Truth came with sunken eyes, bony or scarred, decayed. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/how-could-anybody-confuse-truth-with-beauty-i-thought-as-i-looked-at/)

[Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/)

> [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/)

[John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/)

> [To fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain, to swing on the spiral of our divinity, and still be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tool/to-fathom-the-power-to-witness-the-beauty-to-bathe-in-the-fountain-to/)

[Tool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tool/)

> [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/)

[Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/)

> [“We've all met people who are beautiful on the outside, however, when they open their mouths to speak, they have nothing of substance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/we-ve-all-met-people-who-are-beautiful-on-the-outside-however-when/)

[Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/)

> [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/)

[Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/)

> [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/)

[Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/)

> [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/)

[Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/)

> [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/)

Tumblr

> [Time can but make her beauty over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/time-can-but-make-her-beauty-over-again/)

[William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/)

> [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/)

[Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/)

> [“What about you? What do you do?” I needed to ask questions, draw him out. I needed to find out all the information I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-avery-ellison/what-about-you-what-do-you-do-i-needed-to-ask-questions-draw-him-out/)

[Kate Avery Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-avery-ellison/)

[Browse all 24,662 Beauty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I used to think that. But then I realized, believe it or not, it’s actually beautiful to some people. It must be, because enough people live here, and they can’t all think it’s ugly.’ He smiles out at the ugly trees and the ugly farmland and the ugly kids as if he can see Oz. As if he can really, truly see the beauty that’s there. In that moment I wish I could see it through his eyes. I wish he had glasses to give me.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jennifer Niven"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/i-used-to-think-that-but-then-i-realized-believe-it-or-not-it-s/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Beauty"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/i-used-to-think-that-but-then-i-realized-believe-it-or-not-it-s/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/562/jennifer-niven-2493_beauty_i-used-to-think-that-but-then-i-realized_722068.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/562/jennifer-niven-2493_beauty_i-used-to-think-that-but-then-i-realized_722068.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/562/jennifer-niven-2493_beauty_i-used-to-think-that-but-then-i-realized_722068.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I used to think that. But then I realized, believe it or not, it’s actually beautiful to some people. It…” — Jennifer Niven",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jennifer Niven",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I used to think that. But...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/i-used-to-think-that-but-then-i-realized-believe-it-or-not-it-s/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/i-used-to-think-that-but-then-i-realized-believe-it-or-not-it-s/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
