---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first step in finding the sane inside…"
description: "\"“The first step in finding the sane inside the crazy is to believe it’s there.”\" — Mark Goulston"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/mark-goulston-4177_crazy_the-first-step-in-finding-the-sane-insid_2936844.png"
---

#  The first step in finding the sane inside the crazy is to…

![“The first step in finding the sane inside the crazy is to believe it’s there.” quote by Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/mark-goulston-4177_crazy_the-first-step-in-finding-the-sane-insid_2936844.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/mark-goulston-4177_crazy_the-first-step-in-finding-the-sane-insid_2936844.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/mark-goulston-4177_crazy_the-first-step-in-finding-the-sane-insid_2936844.png)

> ““The first step in finding the sane inside the crazy is to believe it’s there.””

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

## About This Quote

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

Finding sanity within chaos begins by first believing it exists.

**In simple terms:** Believe sanity exists to discover it.

Key Takeaway

Accept the possibility of inner calm.

Themes

mental health self‑awareness psychology inner peace

Mood

hopeful encouraging

Type

psychological self‑help

When to use this quote

- therapy sessions
- self‑help practice
- coaching
- personal development

Key Concepts

cognitive reframing mindfulness

Questions to Reflect On

- How does belief shape mental health?
- What steps help you recognize inner stability?

A Different Perspective

Denial can prevent progress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Crazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy/) [Crazy Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy-believe-557893/) [Finding Sane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-sane-4358119/) [First step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/) [Inside Crazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inside-crazy-1199748/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Sane Inside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sane-inside-1258157/)

## Related quotes

> [“Hey listen to me, stay sane inside insanity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/columbia-rhps/hey-listen-to-me-stay-sane-inside-insanity/)

[Columbia RHPS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/columbia-rhps/)

> [I take inspiration from everything around me, also relationships and friends. And the inside of my crazy head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-goulding/i-take-inspiration-from-everything-around-me-also-relationships-and/)

[Ellie Goulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-goulding/)

> [“A mind is totally big enough to get lost inside - to go crazy if you're left with too much time and too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/a-mind-is-totally-big-enough-to-get-lost-inside-to-go-crazy-if-you-re/)

[Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/)

> [There are some things only intellectuals are crazy enough to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/there-are-some-things-only-intellectuals-are-crazy-enough-to-believe/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“We're all crazy, I believe, just in different ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-michaelides/we-re-all-crazy-i-believe-just-in-different-ways/)

[Alex Michaelides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-michaelides/)

> [“I know it's crazy to believe in silly things, but it's not that easy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kodaline/i-know-it-s-crazy-to-believe-in-silly-things-but-it-s-not-that-easy/)

[Kodaline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kodaline/)

> [Dont tell me you love me unless you raly mean it cause I might do something crazy and believe it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-tell-me-you-love-me-unless-you-raly-mean-it-cause-i-might-do/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Why shouldn't you think it's crazy to believe in a green deer? All your life you have been taught to believe in only what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-patchen/why-shouldn-t-you-think-it-s-crazy-to-believe-in-a-green-deer-all/)

[Kenneth Patchen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-patchen/)

> [“God, I never know how much to tell you people. If you don’t believe me, you’ll think I’m crazy. If you do believe me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/god-i-never-know-how-much-to-tell-you-people-if-you-don-t-believe-me/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“A lot of days I’m fine, but there are days where I’m convinced this is all crazy and I’m crazy and I can’t believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-a-hogarth/a-lot-of-days-i-m-fine-but-there-are-days-where-i-m-convinced-this-is/)

[M.C.A. Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-a-hogarth/)

> [“people say i’m crazy but i believe that you just have to live with the things the juxtaposition in what you don’t see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-lewis/people-say-i-m-crazy-but-i-believe-that-you-just-have-to-live-with/)

[Erica Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-lewis/)

> [Call me crazy, but I still believe in you grownups!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/call-me-crazy-but-i-still-believe-in-you-grownups/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I expect Custer was crazy enough to believe he would win, being the type of man who carries the whole world within his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-berger/i-expect-custer-was-crazy-enough-to-believe-he-would-win-being-the/)

[Thomas Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-berger/)

> [I'm crazy enough to believe that maybe I'll never lose a fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-jones/i-m-crazy-enough-to-believe-that-maybe-i-ll-never-lose-a-fight/)

[Jon Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-jones/)

> [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/)

[David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/)

## More by Mark Goulston

> [The most influential people strive for genuine buy-in and commitment - they don't rely on compliance techniques that only secure short-term persuasion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/the-most-influential-people-strive-for-genuine-buy-in-and-commitment/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [When you know you haven't been connecting with, persuading, or getting through to someone, consciously pause before meeting them and say to yourself, 'During…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/when-you-know-you-haven-t-been-connecting-with-persuading-or-getting/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [Too often, founders make decisions before determining whether they are the right thing to do. These decisions often create chaos in their companies where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/too-often-founders-make-decisions-before-determining-whether-they-are/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [If fun puts a smile on your face, beauty and elegance put a smile in your heart and take your breath away. It's longer-lasting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/if-fun-puts-a-smile-on-your-face-beauty-and-elegance-put-a-smile-in/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [The crux is this: you can't be sincerely empathic towards and angry at someone at the same moment. In other words, you can't walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/the-crux-is-this-you-can-t-be-sincerely-empathic-towards-and-angry-at/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [As a general rule, when your child, or anyone in the work force, doesn't know what he/she wants to do, they should instead always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/as-a-general-rule-when-your-child-or-anyone-in-the-work-force-doesn-t/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [People act on what they want more often than what they need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/people-act-on-what-they-want-more-often-than-what-they-need/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [Presence is in the eye and ear and gut of the beholder. When you are totally present in a conversation or in a meeting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/presence-is-in-the-eye-and-ear-and-gut-of-the-beholder-when-you-are/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [When you're trying to persuade people, more often than not, they feel you're being pushy. When you focus on influencing them, they're much less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/when-you-re-trying-to-persuade-people-more-often-than-not-they-feel/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [One of the reasons it is so difficult to break a connection to something or someone you have imprinted on is that after you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/one-of-the-reasons-it-is-so-difficult-to-break-a-connection-to/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [Gen X entrepreneurs are frequently smart, tough, tenacious, and self-made. That said, to succeed in their companies, they often have sacrificed being emotionally involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/gen-x-entrepreneurs-are-frequently-smart-tough-tenacious-and-self/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [In my life, I think I have had more than two hundred significant breakthroughs that exponentially accelerated my life forward. However, each and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/in-my-life-i-think-i-have-had-more-than-two-hundred-significant/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [Happy couples resist the temptation to go to bed at different times. They go to bed at the same time, even if one partner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/happy-couples-resist-the-temptation-to-go-to-bed-at-different-times/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [You can't create more jobs for an economy where the vast majority of people are hesitant and even afraid to spend and buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/you-can-t-create-more-jobs-for-an-economy-where-the-vast-majority-of/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

> [President Reagan preached 'trickle down economics' but naively did not reckon on the fact that the wealthy would only care about getting more for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/president-reagan-preached-trickle-down-economics-but-naively-did-not/)

[Mark Goulston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

[Explore all 115 Mark Goulston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/)

## More Crazy quotes

> [Im wild Im crazy, I'm wild, Im crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dot-dot-curve/im-wild-im-crazy-i-m-wild-im-crazy/)

[Dot Dot Curve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dot-dot-curve/)

> [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

> [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/)

[Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/)

> [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [I didn't understand Southland Tales script at all! Is there a single word to describe it? Cacophony? It's celebrity meets pornography meets politics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-grant/i-didn-t-understand-southland-tales-script-at-all-is-there-a-single/)

[Beth Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-grant/)

> [What I do miss that I don't get anymore? You're going to think I'm crazy, but you want the truth, so here it is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mandrell/what-i-do-miss-that-i-don-t-get-anymore-you-re-going-to-think-i-m/)

[Barbara Mandrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mandrell/)

> [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [You’re crazy,” said her best friend, Angela, as the bell rang to signal five minutes before the first class on the first day back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/you-re-crazy-said-her-best-friend-angela-as-the-bell-rang-to-signal/)

[Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/)

> [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/)

[Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/)

> [Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-aunt-and-uncle-will-be-proud-though-won-t-they-said-hermione-as/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/)

[Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/)

> [In the middle of a play, I go crazy and don't realize what I'm doing. I'll snap back to reality and I realize, 'Hey,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-bosworth/in-the-middle-of-a-play-i-go-crazy-and-don-t-realize-what-i-m-doing-i/)

[Brian Bosworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-bosworth/)

> [ That's probably why my face was looking so crazy when I was crying \[in "Hardball"\] because it was some real. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-b-jordan/that-s-probably-why-my-face-was-looking-so-crazy-when-i-was-crying-in/)

[Michael B. Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-b-jordan/)

> [I'm always writing. I'm an obsessive. It's not because I'm a disciplined person. It's because I'm crazy about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-m-always-writing-i-m-an-obsessive-it-s-not-because-i-m-a/)

[Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/)

[Browse all 9,039 Crazy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The first step in finding the sane inside the crazy is to believe it’s there.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mark Goulston"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/the-first-step-in-finding-the-sane-inside-the-crazy-is-to-believe-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Crazy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/the-first-step-in-finding-the-sane-inside-the-crazy-is-to-believe-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/mark-goulston-4177_crazy_the-first-step-in-finding-the-sane-insid_2936844.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/mark-goulston-4177_crazy_the-first-step-in-finding-the-sane-insid_2936844.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/mark-goulston-4177_crazy_the-first-step-in-finding-the-sane-insid_2936844.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The first step in finding the sane inside the crazy is to believe it’s there.” — Mark Goulston",
                "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": "Mark Goulston",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goulston/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The first step in finding the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/the-first-step-in-finding-the-sane-inside-the-crazy-is-to-believe-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goulston/the-first-step-in-finding-the-sane-inside-the-crazy-is-to-believe-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
