--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Trying to change the outer is like seeing…" description: "\"Trying to change the outer is like seeing your unclean or unshaven face in the mirror and trying to shave or clean the mirror.\" — Joe Vitale" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51f/joe-vitale-9700_clean_trying-to-change-the-outer-is-like-seein_1467504.png" --- # Trying to change the outer is like seeing your unclean or… ![“Trying to change the outer is like seeing your unclean or unshaven face in the mirror and trying to shave or clean the mirror.” quote by Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51f/joe-vitale-9700_clean_trying-to-change-the-outer-is-like-seein_1467504.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51f/joe-vitale-9700_clean_trying-to-change-the-outer-is-like-seein_1467504.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51f/joe-vitale-9700_clean_trying-to-change-the-outer-is-like-seein_1467504.png) > “Trying to change the outer is like seeing your unclean or unshaven face in the mirror and trying to shave or clean the mirror.” [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Changing external appearances mirrors trying to fix the mirror itself, which is futile; true change must be internal. **In simple terms:** External changes reflect internal work. Key Takeaway Focus on inner growth. Themes self-improvement perception authenticity Mood reflective thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal development - relationships - mental health Key Concepts psychology self-awareness Questions to Reflect On - What internal habits could you cultivate? - How does self-awareness affect external perception? A Different Perspective Changing outward looks without inner work is ineffective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror/) [Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirrors/) [Trying to change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-to-change/) ## Related quotes > [You cannot change the outer event, so you must change the inner experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/you-cannot-change-the-outer-event-so-you-must-change-the-inner/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“He walked to the bathroom and looked into the mirror, trying to see himself through her eyes. It was time to change his style,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine/he-walked-to-the-bathroom-and-looked-into-the-mirror-trying-to-see/) [Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine/) > [Don't stare into a mirror when you are trying to solve a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/don-t-stare-into-a-mirror-when-you-are-trying-to-solve-a-problem/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“I stared at the reflection in the mirror, trying to recognize the person looking back at me. It had been weeks since I started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-erlange-elisme/i-stared-at-the-reflection-in-the-mirror-trying-to-recognize-the/) Dr. Erlange Elisme > [As a New Yorker, or wherever I am, I just want to know I can get our of the house in five minutes if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/as-a-new-yorker-or-wherever-i-am-i-just-want-to-know-i-can-get-our-of/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [I regard everything with irony, including the face I see in the mirror when I wake up in the morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-peckinpah/i-regard-everything-with-irony-including-the-face-i-see-in-the-mirror/) [Sam Peckinpah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-peckinpah/) > [“She stared at her face in the mirror, feeling everything around her slipping away. The face stared back, and she wondered who was looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-derouen/she-stared-at-her-face-in-the-mirror-feeling-everything-around-her/) [Joe DeRouen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-derouen/) > [Live for the face you see in the mirror every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonam-arora-luthra/live-for-the-face-you-see-in-the-mirror-every-day/) [Sonam Arora Luthra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonam-arora-luthra/) > [“Time is like a barber, it shears you first and then shows you your own face in the mirror. 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I'd focus on those gigantic zits and just wail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-beatriz/i-literally-used-to-stare-at-my-face-in-the-mirror-with-hate-and/) [Stephanie Beatriz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-beatriz/) > [How do you make a girl know she's beautiful? What is the system for that, what do you show her, how do you give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-tea/how-do-you-make-a-girl-know-she-s-beautiful-what-is-the-system-for/) [Michelle Tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-tea/) > [“...then I closed the mirror and stared at myself. I wondered, as I wondered so often when I was that age, who I was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/then-i-closed-the-mirror-and-stared-at-myself-i-wondered-as-i/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I'm sorry, but I can't imagine being an American icon! It would be pretty difficult to look at your face in the mirror and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/i-m-sorry-but-i-can-t-imagine-being-an-american-icon-it-would-be/) [Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/) ## More by Joe Vitale > [Ask yourself what you would do even if you were never paid. That’s a clue to what you should be doing and of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/ask-yourself-what-you-would-do-even-if-you-were-never-paid-that-s-a/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [The clearer you are, the faster you manifest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/the-clearer-you-are-the-faster-you-manifest/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [What can you do right now to begin to turn your life around? The very first thing is to start making a list of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/what-can-you-do-right-now-to-begin-to-turn-your-life-around-the-very/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [When it comes to making more money, most people look at the world and see the same opportunities they've seen before: typically, a job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/when-it-comes-to-making-more-money-most-people-look-at-the-world-and/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [If you don't go for your dreams, who will?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/if-you-don-t-go-for-your-dreams-who-will/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [If you expect miracles in your life, then release any attachment to the outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/if-you-expect-miracles-in-your-life-then-release-any-attachment-to/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [When you resist doing what you know needs done, it is difficult. Find a mental way to enjoy it, and just do it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/when-you-resist-doing-what-you-know-needs-done-it-is-difficult-find-a/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [What are you thinking about? What you focus on right now will tend to come into your life a little later. Here's your reminder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/what-are-you-thinking-about-what-you-focus-on-right-now-will-tend-to/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [The universe will start to rearrange itself to make it happen for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/the-universe-will-start-to-rearrange-itself-to-make-it-happen-for-you/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [Inspiration gives you a desire. Decision makes it an intention. Action makes it real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/inspiration-gives-you-a-desire-decision-makes-it-an-intention-action/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [What are you grateful for right now? Gratitude can shift your energy, raise your vibration, and make all your next moments even better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/what-are-you-grateful-for-right-now-gratitude-can-shift-your-energy/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [You can have, be or do, anything you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/you-can-have-be-or-do-anything-you-want/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [Leave your excuses behind, and you will begin to attract wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/leave-your-excuses-behind-and-you-will-begin-to-attract-wealth/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [Your hate is an intense energy which will attract more of the same energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/your-hate-is-an-intense-energy-which-will-attract-more-of-the-same/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [Start each day off on the right foot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/start-each-day-off-on-the-right-foot/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) [Explore all 69 Joe Vitale quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) ## More Clean quotes > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Whenever we touch nature we get clean. People who have got dirty through too much civilization take a walk in the woods, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/whenever-we-touch-nature-we-get-clean-people-who-have-got-dirty/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [We cannot go back in time and change the past, but we can repent. The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/we-cannot-go-back-in-time-and-change-the-past-but-we-can-repent-the/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [ I walked all around it \[the Guggenheim Bilbao\] and couldn't find one clear, clean shot. To make things worse, the weather was lousy. Nothing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-polidori/i-walked-all-around-it-the-guggenheim-bilbao-and-couldn-t-find-one/) [Robert Polidori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-polidori/) > [There's nothing harder than making a mellow, clean record. It's really scary. I can see why people would never want to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-segall/there-s-nothing-harder-than-making-a-mellow-clean-record-it-s-really/) [Ty Segall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-segall/) > [How arrogant - how very far from humility - would be the self-satisfied, smug assurance that God, a tidy-up-after-us God will come and clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/how-arrogant-how-very-far-from-humility-would-be-the-self-satisfied/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [There is one, and only one solution, and we have almost no time to try it. We must turn all our resources to repairing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/there-is-one-and-only-one-solution-and-we-have-almost-no-time-to-try/) [Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/) > [The sugar maple is remarkable for its clean ankle. The groves of these trees looked like vast forest sheds, their branches stoppingshort at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-sugar-maple-is-remarkable-for-its-clean-ankle-the-groves-of-these/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [America should be leading the world in green and clean solutions, and human rights. We shouldn't be leading the world in wars and incarceration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/america-should-be-leading-the-world-in-green-and-clean-solutions-and/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [At 62, I remain clean and sober and my ponytail remains erect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/at-62-i-remain-clean-and-sober-and-my-ponytail-remains-erect/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [Water is a cure-all. Water is everything. You can't get better without drinking lots of water, and you can't drink water unless it's clean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/water-is-a-cure-all-water-is-everything-you-can-t-get-better-without/) [Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/) > [The worthiness of any cause is not measured by its clean record, but by its readiness to see the blots when they are pointed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldo-leopold/the-worthiness-of-any-cause-is-not-measured-by-its-clean-record-but/) [Aldo Leopold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldo-leopold/) > [I like to always wash the slate clean, and reinvigorate my spirit to be connected to the characters that I am doing. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giancarlo-esposito/i-like-to-always-wash-the-slate-clean-and-reinvigorate-my-spirit-to/) [Giancarlo Esposito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giancarlo-esposito/) > [There's a whole journalistic-industrial complex dedicated to keeping newsprint, TV screens and radio waves clean of destabilizing scoops damaging to corporations or the state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/there-s-a-whole-journalistic-industrial-complex-dedicated-to-keeping/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [Night fell clean and cold in Dublin, and wind moaned beyond my room as if a million pipes played the air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-cornwell/night-fell-clean-and-cold-in-dublin-and-wind-moaned-beyond-my-room-as/) [Patricia Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-cornwell/) Browse all 2,503 Clean quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Trying to change the outer is like seeing your unclean or unshaven face in the mirror and trying to shave or clean the mirror.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Vitale" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/trying-to-change-the-outer-is-like-seeing-your-unclean-or-unshaven/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clean" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/trying-to-change-the-outer-is-like-seeing-your-unclean-or-unshaven/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51f/joe-vitale-9700_clean_trying-to-change-the-outer-is-like-seein_1467504.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51f/joe-vitale-9700_clean_trying-to-change-the-outer-is-like-seein_1467504.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51f/joe-vitale-9700_clean_trying-to-change-the-outer-is-like-seein_1467504.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Trying to change the outer is like seeing your unclean or unshaven face in the mirror and trying to shave or…” — Joe Vitale", "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": "Joe Vitale", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Trying to change the outer is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/trying-to-change-the-outer-is-like-seeing-your-unclean-or-unshaven/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/trying-to-change-the-outer-is-like-seeing-your-unclean-or-unshaven/#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 } } ] } ```