--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We believe that we can change the things…" description: "\"“We believe that we can change the things around us in accordance with our desires—we believe it because otherwise we can see no favourable outcome. We..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/marcel-proust-114_change-the-situation_we-believe-that-we-can-change-the-things_2975325.jpg" --- # We believe that we can change the things around us in… ![“We believe that we can change the things around us in accordance with our desires—we believe it because otherwise we can see no favourable outcome. We do not think of the outcome which generally comes to pass and is also favourable: we do not succeed in changing things in accordance with our…” quote by Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/marcel-proust-114_change-the-situation_we-believe-that-we-can-change-the-things_2975325.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/marcel-proust-114_change-the-situation_we-believe-that-we-can-change-the-things_2975325.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/924/marcel-proust-114_change-the-situation_we-believe-that-we-can-change-the-things_2975325.jpg) > ““We believe that we can change the things around us in accordance with our desires—we believe it because otherwise we can see no favourable outcome. We do not think of the outcome which generally comes to pass and is also favourable: we do not succeed in changing things in accordance with our desires, but gradually our desires change. The situation that we hoped to change because it was intolerable becomes unimportant to us. We have failed to surmount the obstacle, as we were absolutely determined to do, but life has taken us round it, led us beyond it, and then if we turn round to gaze into the distance of the past, we can barely see it, so imperceptible has it become.”” [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our desires shape how we perceive obstacles; when we cannot change circumstances, our goals adapt, making the original problem seem insignificant. **In simple terms:** Desires shift when we can’t control outcomes. Key Takeaway Accept that change may come from within, not external success. Themes adaptation perception resilience desire acceptance Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career setbacks - personal relationships - health challenges - financial crises Key Concepts psychology philosophy cognitive dissonance Questions to Reflect On - How do you notice your desires evolving? - When have you found a problem becoming less urgent over time? A Different Perspective It may overlook the value of persistent effort to reshape reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change The Situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-the-situation/) [Changing Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-things/) ## Related quotes > [“We believe that we can change the things around us in accordance with our desires—we believe it because otherwise we can see no favourable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/we-believe-that-we-can-change-the-things-around-us-in-accordance-with/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [We do not succeed in changing things according to our desire, but gradually our desire changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/we-do-not-succeed-in-changing-things-according-to-our-desire-but-2/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [We do not succeed in changing things according to our desire, but gradually our desire changes. The situation that we hoped to change because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/we-do-not-succeed-in-changing-things-according-to-our-desire-but/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“Only mavericks live in accordance with their desires, and even they don’t often get away with it. They are usually labeled as troublemakers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/only-mavericks-live-in-accordance-with-their-desires-and-even-they/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [ Despite his persecutions, Mr. \[Upton\] Sinclair reveals himself in Money Writes! to be an enviable man. Always the thing he desires to believe is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/despite-his-persecutions-mr-upton-sinclair-reveals-himself-in-money/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [“You must believe so strong and without a doubt that you can and will fulfill your dreams and gain your desires. You must in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-o-brien/you-must-believe-so-strong-and-without-a-doubt-that-you-can-and-will/) [Alan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-o-brien/) > [The only time a woman can really succeed in changing a man is when he is a baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-wood/the-only-time-a-woman-can-really-succeed-in-changing-a-man-is-when-he/) [Natalie Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-wood/) > [We believe we can change things according to our wishes because that's the only happy solution we can see. We don't think of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/we-believe-we-can-change-things-according-to-our-wishes-because-that/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“Each one of us has a deep longing in our heart. We may yearn for a marriage partner, a child, or the restoration of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-neal-matthews/each-one-of-us-has-a-deep-longing-in-our-heart-we-may-yearn-for-a/) [Dianne Neal Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-neal-matthews/) > [“On occasion, it occurs to adults that they are allowed to do all the things that being a child prevented them from doing. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/on-occasion-it-occurs-to-adults-that-they-are-allowed-to-do-all-the-2/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) > [“Our desires consume our time. But when we prioritize our time to help people in great need, our desires change drastically. When we choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-shinabarger/our-desires-consume-our-time-but-when-we-prioritize-our-time-to-help/) [Jeff Shinabarger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-shinabarger/) > [You can love more than one person in your life, but things will be different. There'll be a different dynamic. Needs and desires change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-annis/you-can-love-more-than-one-person-in-your-life-but-things-will-be/) [Francesca Annis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-annis/) > [I recognize thart even you, yourself, will change. Your ideals will change, your tastes will change, your desires will change. Your whole understandings of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/i-recognize-thart-even-you-yourself-will-change-your-ideals-will/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [God desires to change us from the inside out. Renewing our minds, starving our self-destructive tendencies, and teaching us to form new habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/god-desires-to-change-us-from-the-inside-out-renewing-our-minds/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [God doesnt try to change the situation because hes trying to change you not only you but god is trying to change your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-johnson/god-doesnt-try-to-change-the-situation-because-hes-trying-to-change/) [Natalya Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-johnson/) ## More by Marcel Proust > [“machinery' of life at Versailles; and was able, too, to persuade herself that her silence, a shade of good humour or of arrogance on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/machinery-of-life-at-versailles-and-was-able-too-to-persuade-herself/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [ “For her \[Françoise\], wealth was like a necessary condition without which virtue would lack both merit and charm. She made so little distinction between… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/for-her-fran-oise-wealth-was-like-a-necessary-condition-without-which/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Knowing does not always allow us to prevent, but at least the things that we know, we hold them, if not in our hands,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/knowing-does-not-always-allow-us-to-prevent-but-at-least-the-things/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Death is in truth an illness from which we recover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/death-is-in-truth-an-illness-from-which-we-recover/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [The bonds that unite another person to our self exist only in our mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/the-bonds-that-unite-another-person-to-our-self-exist-only-in-our-mind/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [...a writer's works, like the water in an artesian well, mount to a height which is in proportion to the depth to which suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/a-writer-s-works-like-the-water-in-an-artesian-well-mount-to-a-height/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“Then from those profound slumbers we awake in a dawn, not knowing who we are, being nobody, newly born, ready for anything, the brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/then-from-those-profound-slumbers-we-awake-in-a-dawn-not-knowing-who/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“Art extracted from the most familiar reality does indeed exist and its domain is perhaps the largest of any.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/art-extracted-from-the-most-familiar-reality-does-indeed-exist-and/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [I find very reasonable the Celtic belief that the souls of our dearly departed are trapped in some inferior being, in an animal, aplant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/i-find-very-reasonable-the-celtic-belief-that-the-souls-of-our-dearly/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“When you heard anyone in the middle of a talk which was being deliberately kept off the Affair announce furtively some piece of political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/when-you-heard-anyone-in-the-middle-of-a-talk-which-was-being/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“We betroth ourselves by proxy, and then feel obliged to marry the intermediary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/we-betroth-ourselves-by-proxy-and-then-feel-obliged-to-marry-the/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“But the old lady on the contrary, far from justifying her daughter’s fears, felt every time someone of her own age “disappeared” that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/but-the-old-lady-on-the-contrary-far-from-justifying-her-daughter-s/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Often it is just lack of imagination that keeps a man from suffering very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/often-it-is-just-lack-of-imagination-that-keeps-a-man-from-suffering/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“When we are nice to others, we generally lose all claim to their respect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/when-we-are-nice-to-others-we-generally-lose-all-claim-to-their/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“Nobility is often no more than the inner aspect which our egotistical feelings assume when we have not yet named and classified them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/nobility-is-often-no-more-than-the-inner-aspect-which-our-egotistical/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) [Explore all 1,113 Marcel Proust quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) ## More Change The Situation quotes > [God doesnt try to change the situation because hes trying to change you not only you but god is trying to change your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-johnson/god-doesnt-try-to-change-the-situation-because-hes-trying-to-change/) [Natalya Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-johnson/) > [“When you can't change the situation just make your to change that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payal-sharma/when-you-can-t-change-the-situation-just-make-your-to-change-that/) Payal Sharma > [“I don't think I can stand it much longer,” he warned her. “Something will have to give way. And I fear it will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/i-don-t-think-i-can-stand-it-much-longer-he-warned-her-something-will/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [Some times Prayers doesnt change the situation, but it changes our attitude towards situation, & gives us the hopes which changes our entire Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/some-times-prayers-doesnt-change-the-situation-but-it-changes-our/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [An intellectual's weapon is writing, but sometimes people react as if it were a firearm. A writer can do a lot to change the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-benedetti/an-intellectual-s-weapon-is-writing-but-sometimes-people-react-as-if/) [Mario Benedetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-benedetti/) > [Charity that does not change the situation of the poor isn't enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/charity-that-does-not-change-the-situation-of-the-poor-isn-t-enough/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [You can change yourself and you can change the situation but you absolutely cannot change other people. Only they can do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-trollope/you-can-change-yourself-and-you-can-change-the-situation-but-you/) [Joanna Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-trollope/) > [Listen to the women. Women say exactly what they want. Who has concrete plans - not macroeconomics but kitchen table economics. Who will change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celinda-lake/listen-to-the-women-women-say-exactly-what-they-want-who-has-concrete/) [Celinda Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celinda-lake/) > [If you're in a domestic situation where the man is violent, patriarchy and male domination - even though you understand it intersectionally - you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/if-you-re-in-a-domestic-situation-where-the-man-is-violent-patriarchy/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [The priority must be the unification of the world titles to straighten things out. But we should not wait that long anymore to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-karpov/the-priority-must-be-the-unification-of-the-world-titles-to/) [Anatoly Karpov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-karpov/) > [If you judge yourself for feeling lonely, it makes it even more difficult to take steps to change the situation. Then you may judge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumar-anupam/if-you-judge-yourself-for-feeling-lonely-it-makes-it-even-more/) [Kumar Anupam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumar-anupam/) > [I always have thought that part of being involved with life is the same thing as just wanting to kick it with your friends,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/i-always-have-thought-that-part-of-being-involved-with-life-is-the/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [Don't use your words to describe the situation. Use your words to change the situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/don-t-use-your-words-to-describe-the-situation-use-your-words-to/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [To complain is always nonacceptance of what is. It invariably carries an unconscious negative charge. 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