--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our minds are not our friends when they…" description: "\"Our minds are not our friends when they realize we have work to do - they're our enemies.\" — Melvin Van Peebles" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a04/melvin-van-peebles-8573_enemies_our-minds-are-not-our-friends-when-they_2938170.jpg" --- # Our minds are not our friends when they realize we have… ![“Our minds are not our friends when they realize we have work to do - they're our enemies.” quote by Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a04/melvin-van-peebles-8573_enemies_our-minds-are-not-our-friends-when-they_2938170.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a04/melvin-van-peebles-8573_enemies_our-minds-are-not-our-friends-when-they_2938170.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a04/melvin-van-peebles-8573_enemies_our-minds-are-not-our-friends-when-they_2938170.jpg) > “Our minds are not our friends when they realize we have work to do - they're our enemies.” [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our minds can become adversarial when faced with work, turning thoughts into obstacles **In simple terms:** Mind can be an enemy during work Key Takeaway Recognize and manage self‑sabotage Themes psychology productivity self‑criticism Mood introspective serious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - project planning - exam preparation - creative writing Key Concepts cognitive bias mental health Questions to Reflect On - How do you calm a hostile mind? - When does self‑criticism help? A Different Perspective Mindfulness may not fully eliminate internal conflict ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Open your minds, my friends. We all fear what we do not understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/open-your-minds-my-friends-we-all-fear-what-we-do-not-understand/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [I am very professional; I can work with my enemies, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hina-khan/i-am-very-professional-i-can-work-with-my-enemies-too/) [Hina Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hina-khan/) > [There is nothing that deceives us more than our own judgment when used to give an opinion on our own works. It is sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/there-is-nothing-that-deceives-us-more-than-our-own-judgment-when/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Sometimes you believe you have true friends...and then you realize they just use you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/sometimes-you-believe-you-have-true-friends-and-then-you-realize-they/) Author Name > [“Sometimes the world does seem like it’s going nuts. Then, you go to a party like this one, with your friends, and you realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sandford/sometimes-the-world-does-seem-like-it-s-going-nuts-then-you-go-to-a/) [John Sandford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sandford/) > [The older I get, the less true friends I realize I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-older-i-get-the-less-true-friends-i-realize-i-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have a lot of friends, but now I realize only a few of them are really true to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-a-lot-of-friends-but-now-i-realize-only-a-few-of-them-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let yourself shines to everyone, let your good action be a mirror of who you are. That way your friends will realize that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-quimada/let-yourself-shines-to-everyone-let-your-good-action-be-a-mirror-of/) [Nathaniel Quimada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-quimada/) > [Just when I'm about to part with my friends is when I realize that I had the best group of friends ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-when-i-m-about-to-part-with-my-friends-is-when-i-realize-that-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“they're fucking up minds they do not own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carroll/they-re-fucking-up-minds-they-do-not-own/) [jim carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carroll/) > [“You can not have empty or neutral mind, as long as you work the mind will contain dreams, if you stop working it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/you-can-not-have-empty-or-neutral-mind-as-long-as-you-work-the-mind/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [People who are right most of the time are people who change their minds often](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/people-who-are-right-most-of-the-time-are-people-who-change-their/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [What bothers me about TV is that it tends to take our minds off our minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/what-bothers-me-about-tv-is-that-it-tends-to-take-our-minds-off-our/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [What I love most about Her Majesty is that she has kept hats alive in people's minds for more than 60 years. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/what-i-love-most-about-her-majesty-is-that-she-has-kept-hats-alive-in/) [Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/) > [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. Where you are is nothing and nobody”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/eyes-will-not-see-you-minds-will-not-hold-you-where-you-are-is/) [neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More by Melvin Van Peebles > [I went to a number of schools when I was a kid on the south side of Chicago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/i-went-to-a-number-of-schools-when-i-was-a-kid-on-the-south-side-of/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [Music or sound in a film is a character as important as another character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/music-or-sound-in-a-film-is-a-character-as-important-as-another/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [I'm not a normal director. You can't look at me that way. What's kept me alive is my technical skill at doing other things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/i-m-not-a-normal-director-you-can-t-look-at-me-that-way-what-s-kept/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [Don't ask me something if you don't want to know. Because I will tell you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/don-t-ask-me-something-if-you-don-t-want-to-know-because-i-will-tell/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [I was a trader for a company. That's different from the brokers who we sort of disdain as sort of just errand boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/i-was-a-trader-for-a-company-that-s-different-from-the-brokers-who-we/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [I'm pretty much a loner. That's not good, bad, or indifferent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/i-m-pretty-much-a-loner-that-s-not-good-bad-or-indifferent/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [After 'Don't Play Us Cheap,' I got very busy with theater and Wall Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/after-don-t-play-us-cheap-i-got-very-busy-with-theater-and-wall-street/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [The studios didn't really take independent films seriously, till 'Sweetback' was such a financial success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/the-studios-didn-t-really-take-independent-films-seriously-till/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [Over time, you accumulate a lot of life material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/over-time-you-accumulate-a-lot-of-life-material/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [I intend to stay dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/i-intend-to-stay-dangerous/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [Whitey is uptight about offending blacks without really knowing what offends blacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/whitey-is-uptight-about-offending-blacks-without-really-knowing-what/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [I said to my kids, 'Learn the business of America if you want to be an artist in America. The rest of that stuff,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/i-said-to-my-kids-learn-the-business-of-america-if-you-want-to-be-an/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [If you give people something they want, they'll come and see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/if-you-give-people-something-they-want-they-ll-come-and-see-it/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [I do what I want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/i-do-what-i-want-to-do/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [Music - some people just don't know that part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/music-some-people-just-don-t-know-that-part-of-me/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) [Explore all 79 Melvin Van Peebles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) ## More Enemies quotes > [“Never let your Enemies become your Advocates.” by A. K. Hasan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-hasan/never-let-your-enemies-become-your-advocates-by-a-k-hasan/) A.K. Hasan > [I don't see why we and the Chinese should have to be enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-don-t-see-why-we-and-the-chinese-should-have-to-be-enemies/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [“If it takes night to make day, pain to know pleasure, black to make white, then doesn't it stand to reason that the depth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snyder/if-it-takes-night-to-make-day-pain-to-know-pleasure-black-to-make/) Michael Snyder > [“Enemies Teach. Friends Preach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapan-ghosh/enemies-teach-friends-preach/) [Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/) > [Your greatest weapon is your enemies mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddha/your-greatest-weapon-is-your-enemies-mind/) [Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddha/) > [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Sometimes even paranoids have enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delmore-schwartz/sometimes-even-paranoids-have-enemies/) [Delmore Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delmore-schwartz/) > [When a husband brings his wife flowers for no reason, there's a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-mcgee/when-a-husband-brings-his-wife-flowers-for-no-reason-there-s-a-reason/) Molly McGee > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“Anyone who is portraying Israel as a friend is a servant of Israel. I warn some sides against turning enemies into friends and friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sayed-hassan-nasrallah/anyone-who-is-portraying-israel-as-a-friend-is-a-servant-of-israel-i/) [Sayed Hassan Nasrallah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sayed-hassan-nasrallah/) > [No accurate thinker will judge another person by that which the other person's enemies say about him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/no-accurate-thinker-will-judge-another-person-by-that-which-the-other/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Whoever will not love his enemies cannot know the Lord and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot-know-the-lord-and-the/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [I play basketball hard-nosed and if you're not on my team, during that 48 minutes we're enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-barnes/i-play-basketball-hard-nosed-and-if-you-re-not-on-my-team-during-that/) [Matt Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-barnes/) > [“Enemies are people who's story you haven't heard, or who's face you haven't seen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irene-butter/enemies-are-people-who-s-story-you-haven-t-heard-or-who-s-face-you/) Irene Butter > [A sweet thing, perspective - a chance to see your enemies so small.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/a-sweet-thing-perspective-a-chance-to-see-your-enemies-so-small/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) [Browse all 1,888 Enemies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our minds are not our friends when they realize we have work to do - they're our enemies.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Melvin Van Peebles" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/our-minds-are-not-our-friends-when-they-realize-we-have-work-to-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enemies" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/our-minds-are-not-our-friends-when-they-realize-we-have-work-to-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a04/melvin-van-peebles-8573_enemies_our-minds-are-not-our-friends-when-they_2938170.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a04/melvin-van-peebles-8573_enemies_our-minds-are-not-our-friends-when-they_2938170.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a04/melvin-van-peebles-8573_enemies_our-minds-are-not-our-friends-when-they_2938170.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our minds are not our friends when they realize we have work to do - they're our enemies.” — Melvin Van Peebles", "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": "Melvin Van Peebles", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our minds are not our friends...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/our-minds-are-not-our-friends-when-they-realize-we-have-work-to-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/our-minds-are-not-our-friends-when-they-realize-we-have-work-to-do/#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 } } ] } ```