--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The whole universe is change and life…" description: "\"The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it - either gratefully better than or bitterly worse than something else that you alo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/marcus-aurelius-139_change_the-whole-universe-is-change-and-life-it_361836.jpg" --- # The whole universe is change and life itself is but what… ![“The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it - either gratefully better than or bitterly worse than something else that you alone choose.” quote by Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/marcus-aurelius-139_change_the-whole-universe-is-change-and-life-it_361836.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/marcus-aurelius-139_change_the-whole-universe-is-change-and-life-it_361836.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/marcus-aurelius-139_change_the-whole-universe-is-change-and-life-it_361836.jpg) > “The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it - either gratefully better than or bitterly worse than something else that you alone choose.” [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life and reality are fluid; our perception determines whether we view them as positive or negative, based on personal choice. **In simple terms:** Change is constant; perception shapes experience. Key Takeaway Choose a grateful outlook. Themes philosophy perception choice resilience Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - stress management - relationship conflicts - career setbacks Key Concepts Stoicism subjective reality mindset Questions to Reflect On - How does your mindset affect your daily experience? - What choices can you make to reframe a negative situation? A Different Perspective A purely positive view may ignore legitimate hardships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-life/) [Gratefully Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratefully-better-3320808/) [Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-itself/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-change-401634/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-universe-is-change-our-life-is-what-our-thoughts-make-it/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [The universe is change; life is your perception of it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-universe-is-change-life-is-your-perception-of-it/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [The universe is in change, life is an opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-universe-is-in-change-life-is-an-opinion/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-whole-universe-is-change-and-life-itself-is-but-what-you-deem-it-2/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Keep constantly in mind in how many things you yourself have witnessed changes already. The universe is change, life is understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/keep-constantly-in-mind-in-how-many-things-you-yourself-have/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“The universe is change, and life mere opinion”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-universe-is-change-and-life-mere-opinion/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Power is what is required to change the universe - to change yourself into what you might like to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/power-is-what-is-required-to-change-the-universe-to-change-yourself/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Any particle in this universe can change in relation to any other particle; but take the whole universe as one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/any-particle-in-this-universe-can-change-in-relation-to-any-other/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“We only know the universe from the point of view of beings with five senses. Suppose we obtain another sense, the whole universe must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/we-only-know-the-universe-from-the-point-of-view-of-beings-with-five/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“There are those who like things just they are and will stop at nothing to keep them that way, and those who understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-wander-bonanno/there-are-those-who-like-things-just-they-are-and-will-stop-at/) [Margaret Wander Bonanno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-wander-bonanno/) > [Human mind can grasp everything in the universe; but it cannot change everything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/human-mind-can-grasp-everything-in-the-universe-but-it-cannot-change/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/the-universe-is-change-our-life-is-what-our-thoughts-make-it-marcus/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [ Appealing to his \[Einstein's\] way of expressing himself in theological terms, I said: If God had wanted to put everything into the universe from… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/appealing-to-his-einstein-s-way-of-expressing-himself-in-theological/) [Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/) > [In thirteen years, every aspect of the universe can change - ask a thirteen-year-old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-thirteen-years-every-aspect-of-the-universe-can-change-ask-a/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [“The great unanswered question is whether there exists some undiscovered organizing principle which complements the known laws of Nature and dictates the overall evolution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-barrow/the-great-unanswered-question-is-whether-there-exists-some/) [John D. Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-barrow/) ## More by Marcus Aurelius > [A man should be upright, not kept upright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/a-man-should-be-upright-not-kept-upright/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Everything is mere opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/everything-is-mere-opinion/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [If any man has done wrong, the harm is his own. But perhaps he has not done wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/if-any-man-has-done-wrong-the-harm-is-his-own-but-perhaps-he-has-not/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Pray look upon the plants and birds, the ants, spiders, and bees, and you will see them all exerting their nature, and busy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/pray-look-upon-the-plants-and-birds-the-ants-spiders-and-bees-and-you/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“We should remark the grace and fascination that there is even in the incidentals of Nature's processes.. When a loaf of bread,. for instance,.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/we-should-remark-the-grace-and-fascination-that-there-is-even-in-the/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [My true Self is free. I cannot be contained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/my-true-self-is-free-i-cannot-be-contained/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-best-revenge-is-to-be-unlike-him-who-performed-the-injury/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Nothing befalls any man which he is not fitted to endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/nothing-befalls-any-man-which-he-is-not-fitted-to-endure/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Adorn thyself with simplicity and with indifference towards the things which lie between virtue and vice. Love mankind. Follow God. The poet says that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/adorn-thyself-with-simplicity-and-with-indifference-towards-the/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Let it be your constant method to look into the design of people's actions, and see what they would be at, as often as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/let-it-be-your-constant-method-to-look-into-the-design-of-people-s/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“Our life is a warfare, and a mere pilgrimage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/our-life-is-a-warfare-and-a-mere-pilgrimage/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“If therefore it be a thing external that causes thy grief, know, that it is not that properly that doth cause it, but thine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/if-therefore-it-be-a-thing-external-that-causes-thy-grief-know-that/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Frightened of change? But what can exist without it? What's closer to nature's heart? Can you take a hot bath and leave the firewood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/frightened-of-change-but-what-can-exist-without-it-what-s-closer-to/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [We are too much accustomed to attribute to a single cause that which is the product of several, and the majority of our controversies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/we-are-too-much-accustomed-to-attribute-to-a-single-cause-that-which/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself, "I have to go to work - as a human being. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/at-dawn-when-you-have-trouble-getting-out-of-bed-tell-yourself-i-have/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) [Explore all 1,138 Marcus Aurelius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it - either gratefully better than or bitterly worse than something else that you alone choose.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marcus Aurelius" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-whole-universe-is-change-and-life-itself-is-but-what-you-deem-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-whole-universe-is-change-and-life-itself-is-but-what-you-deem-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/marcus-aurelius-139_change_the-whole-universe-is-change-and-life-it_361836.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/marcus-aurelius-139_change_the-whole-universe-is-change-and-life-it_361836.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/marcus-aurelius-139_change_the-whole-universe-is-change-and-life-it_361836.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it - either gratefully better than or…” — Marcus Aurelius", "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": "Marcus Aurelius", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The whole universe is change and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-whole-universe-is-change-and-life-itself-is-but-what-you-deem-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-whole-universe-is-change-and-life-itself-is-but-what-you-deem-it/#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 } } ] } ```