---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I now believe that bêtes noires usually…"
description: "\"I now believe that bêtes noires usually attack because we're thwarting our own destinies. Calming the beast turns us toward our best lives.\" — Martha Beck"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/martha-beck-961_beast_i-now-believe-that-b-tes-noires-usually_901746.png"
---

#  I now believe that bêtes noires usually attack because…

![“I now believe that bêtes noires usually attack because we're thwarting our own destinies. Calming the beast turns us toward our best lives.” quote by Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/martha-beck-961_beast_i-now-believe-that-b-tes-noires-usually_901746.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/martha-beck-961_beast_i-now-believe-that-b-tes-noires-usually_901746.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/martha-beck-961_beast_i-now-believe-that-b-tes-noires-usually_901746.png)

> “I now believe that bêtes noires usually attack because we're thwarting our own destinies. Calming the beast turns us toward our best lives.”

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

## About This Quote

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

We often create inner obstacles by resisting our own path; calming these inner conflicts lets us align with our true potential.

**In simple terms:** Resisting destiny creates inner beasts; calming them helps us thrive.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and soothe inner resistance.

Themes

self-awareness inner conflict personal growth

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

motivational inspirational

When to use this quote

- career decisions
- relationship challenges
- creative blocks
- health habits

Key Concepts

psychology self-acceptance

Questions to Reflect On

- What inner ' are you resisting?
- How can you calm your inner beast?

A Different Perspective

Inner resistance may be a symptom of deeper issues needing professional help.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beast/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Calming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calming/) [Destinies Calming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destinies-calming-1249101/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Noires Usually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noires-usually-1249102/) [Thwarting Destinies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thwarting-destinies-1249103/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Usually Attack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usually-attack-1249100/)

## Related quotes

> [When adults first become conscious of something new, they usually either attack or try to escape from it ... Attack includes such mild forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ian-beardmore-beveridge/when-adults-first-become-conscious-of-something-new-they-usually/)

[William Ian Beardmore Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ian-beardmore-beveridge/)

> [Something about being surrounded by water has a really calming effect on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-leo-butz/something-about-being-surrounded-by-water-has-a-really-calming-effect/)

[Norbert Leo Butz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-leo-butz/)

> [There's a lot of different things, but I think love gives us peace one way or another, and a calming effect on our soul,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-bruno/there-s-a-lot-of-different-things-but-i-think-love-gives-us-peace-one/)

[Aaron Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-bruno/)

> [The mental suffering you create is always some form of non-acceptance, some form of unconscious resistance to what is. On the level of thought,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-mental-suffering-you-create-is-always-some-form-of-non-acceptance/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [You can handle anything if you think you can. Just keep your cool and your sense of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smiley-blanton/you-can-handle-anything-if-you-think-you-can-just-keep-your-cool-and/)

[Smiley Blanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smiley-blanton/)

> [Meditation is not passive sitting in silence. It is sitting in awareness, free from distraction, and realizing the clear understanding that arises from concentration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/meditation-is-not-passive-sitting-in-silence-it-is-sitting-in/)

[Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/)

> [In the midst of the storm, your life boat appears. A psalm, a hymn, a word... calming the fiercest winds of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-midst-of-the-storm-your-life-boat-appears-a-psalm-a-hymn-a/)

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

> [Meditation is like light: when meditation comes, politics disappears. So you cannot be meditative and political. That is impossible: you are asking for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/meditation-is-like-light-when-meditation-comes-politics-disappears-so/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [“I sometimes forget how calming the ocean can be,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joann-bassett/i-sometimes-forget-how-calming-the-ocean-can-be/)

[JoAnn Bassett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joann-bassett/)

> [Being a perfectionist, I didn't want to settle for just getting by, so I enrolled in a vocal training program. I then learned that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-stoner/being-a-perfectionist-i-didn-t-want-to-settle-for-just-getting-by-so/)

[Alyson Stoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-stoner/)

> [Every single empire in its official discourse has said that it is not like all the others, that its circumstances are special, that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/every-single-empire-in-its-official-discourse-has-said-that-it-is-not/)

[Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/)

> [“Quiet descended on her, calm, content, as her needle, drawing the silk smoothly to its gentle pause, collected the green folds together and attached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/quiet-descended-on-her-calm-content-as-her-needle-drawing-the-silk/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> ['Landfill' by Daughter has calming, rich tones that are only improved upon by the gorgeous voice of Daughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lovett/landfill-by-daughter-has-calming-rich-tones-that-are-only-improved/)

[Ben Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lovett/)

> [There's nothing more calming in difficult moments that knowing there's some one fighting with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/there-s-nothing-more-calming-in-difficult-moments-that-knowing-there/)

[Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/)

> [I commend Sri Chinmoy for his faith and serenity, and I hope he will continue to exert his calming and constructive influence on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mulroney/i-commend-sri-chinmoy-for-his-faith-and-serenity-and-i-hope-he-will/)

[Brian Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mulroney/)

## More by Martha Beck

> [Imagine what you'd do if it absolutely didn't matter what people thought of you. Got it? Good. Never go back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/imagine-what-you-d-do-if-it-absolutely-didn-t-matter-what-people/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [In one century, we've added 28 years to our average life span - a change so rapid that our brains couldn't possibly have evolved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/in-one-century-we-ve-added-28-years-to-our-average-life-span-a-change/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [If I tell a man he needs to quit his soul-sucking job, he has to go home and fight with his wife or fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/if-i-tell-a-man-he-needs-to-quit-his-soul-sucking-job-he-has-to-go/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [I was learning to track rhinoceroses in Africa and tracked right up on an animal that really I thought was going to kill me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/i-was-learning-to-track-rhinoceroses-in-africa-and-tracked-right-up/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [There has never been, and never will be, anyone who sees, thinks, or responds exactly the way you do. Whether you’re revolutionizing physics or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/there-has-never-been-and-never-will-be-anyone-who-sees-thinks-or/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [Loneliness is proof that your innate search for connection is intact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/loneliness-is-proof-that-your-innate-search-for-connection-is-intact/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [Most of my clients don't realize that the way they look and the way they think about their looks are two separate issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/most-of-my-clients-don-t-realize-that-the-way-they-look-and-the-way/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [The power to bring me out of solitude - or to push me back into it - had never belonged to another person. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/the-power-to-bring-me-out-of-solitude-or-to-push-me-back-into-it-had/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [Learning to quit while you're not ahead, when the dull ooze of depression tells you things are not going to get any better, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/learning-to-quit-while-you-re-not-ahead-when-the-dull-ooze-of/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [The important thing is to tell yourself a life story in which you, the hero, are primarily a problem solver rather than a helpless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/the-important-thing-is-to-tell-yourself-a-life-story-in-which-you-the/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [A joyful life isn’t about others; it’s about the brightness that is associated with being alive. Your path to it is through anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/a-joyful-life-isn-t-about-others-it-s-about-the-brightness-that-is/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [Fear is the raw material from which courage is manufactured. Without it, we wouldn't even know what it means to be brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/fear-is-the-raw-material-from-which-courage-is-manufactured-without/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [Many people think passion is a fuzzy feeling that makes taking action effortless. In fact, it's the gritty courage and tenacity to forge onward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/many-people-think-passion-is-a-fuzzy-feeling-that-makes-taking-action/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [Angels come in many shapes and sizes, and most of them are not invisible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/angels-come-in-many-shapes-and-sizes-and-most-of-them-are-not/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [Truth itself is something you live, not something you think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/truth-itself-is-something-you-live-not-something-you-think/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

[Explore all 318 Martha Beck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

## More Beast quotes

> [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/)

[Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/)

> [“Once upon a time, there was a naïve and innocent girl who thought she could tame the beast and live happily ever after. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-na-ve-and-innocent-girl-who-thought-she/)

[Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/)

> [Is man no more than this? Consider him well. Thou ow'st the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/is-man-no-more-than-this-consider-him-well-thou-ow-st-the-worm-no/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [In giving us dominion over the animal kingdom God has signified His will that we subdue the beast within ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lancaster-spalding/in-giving-us-dominion-over-the-animal-kingdom-god-has-signified-his/)

[John Lancaster Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lancaster-spalding/)

> [ No visiting angel, or explorer from another planet, could have guessed that this bland orb \[Earth\] teemed with vermin, with world-mastering, self-torturing, incipiently angelic… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olaf-stapledon/no-visiting-angel-or-explorer-from-another-planet-could-have-guessed/)

[Olaf Stapledon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olaf-stapledon/)

> [As a beast of toil an ox is fixed capital. If he is eaten, he no longer functions as an instrument of labour, nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/as-a-beast-of-toil-an-ox-is-fixed-capital-if-he-is-eaten-he-no-longer/)

[Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/)

> [« He squeezed his hands into fists. I picked up a grapefruit-sized rock and handed it to him. It went flying. Home run, Beast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/he-squeezed-his-hands-into-fists-i-picked-up-a-grapefruit-sized-rock/)

[Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/)

> [Was man made stupid to see his own stupidity? Is God by definition indifferent, beyond us all? Is the eternal truth man's fighting soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-eberhart/was-man-made-stupid-to-see-his-own-stupidity-is-god-by-definition/)

[Richard Eberhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-eberhart/)

> [When a man is treated like a beast, he says, 'After all, I'm human.' When he behaves like a beast, he says 'After all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/when-a-man-is-treated-like-a-beast-he-says-after-all-i-m-human-when/)

[Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/)

> [The American people are incredibly generous and even playful when you open yourself up and feed the media beast until it goes away satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/the-american-people-are-incredibly-generous-and-even-playful-when-you/)

[Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/)

> [Wherever I am, I see the yoke on women in some form or another. On some it sits easy for they are but beasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-may-alcott/wherever-i-am-i-see-the-yoke-on-women-in-some-form-or-another-on-some/)

[Abby May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-may-alcott/)

> [“He's a beast. A monster. And he looks like he wants to devour me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-darhower/he-s-a-beast-a-monster-and-he-looks-like-he-wants-to-devour-me/)

[J.M. Darhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-darhower/)

> [ Antichrist is the pope and the Turk \[Muslim\] together. A beast full of life must have a body and soul. The spirit or soul… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/antichrist-is-the-pope-and-the-turk-muslim-together-a-beast-full-of/)

[Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/)

> [My hero among heroes is my grandmother, she's the epitome of strength and I try to mock that strength all the time. She's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeriel-miranda/my-hero-among-heroes-is-my-grandmother-she-s-the-epitome-of-strength/)

[Aeriel Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeriel-miranda/)

> [You've heard tales of beauty and the beast. How a fair maid falls in love with a monster and sees the beauty of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-maitland/you-ve-heard-tales-of-beauty-and-the-beast-how-a-fair-maid-falls-in/)

[Karen Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-maitland/)

[Browse all 1,640 Beast quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beast/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I now believe that bêtes noires usually attack because we're thwarting our own destinies. Calming the beast turns us toward our best lives.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Martha Beck"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/i-now-believe-that-b-tes-noires-usually-attack-because-we-re/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Beast"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/i-now-believe-that-b-tes-noires-usually-attack-because-we-re/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/martha-beck-961_beast_i-now-believe-that-b-tes-noires-usually_901746.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/martha-beck-961_beast_i-now-believe-that-b-tes-noires-usually_901746.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/martha-beck-961_beast_i-now-believe-that-b-tes-noires-usually_901746.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I now believe that bêtes noires usually attack because we're thwarting our own destinies. Calming the beast…” — Martha Beck",
                "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": "Martha Beck",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I now believe that bêtes noires...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/i-now-believe-that-b-tes-noires-usually-attack-because-we-re/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/i-now-believe-that-b-tes-noires-usually-attack-because-we-re/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
