--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We always think our negative emotions are…" description: "\"“We always think our negative emotions are produced by the fault of other people or by the fault of circumstances. We always think that. Our negative e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/p-d-ouspensky-9110_negative-emotions_we-always-think-our-negative-emotions-ar_1744153.png" --- # We always think our negative emotions are produced by the… ![“We always think our negative emotions are produced by the fault of other people or by the fault of circumstances. We always think that. Our negative emotions are in ourselves and are produced by ourselves. There is absolutely not a single unavoidable reason why somebody else’s action or some…” quote by P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/p-d-ouspensky-9110_negative-emotions_we-always-think-our-negative-emotions-ar_1744153.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/p-d-ouspensky-9110_negative-emotions_we-always-think-our-negative-emotions-ar_1744153.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/p-d-ouspensky-9110_negative-emotions_we-always-think-our-negative-emotions-ar_1744153.png) > ““We always think our negative emotions are produced by the fault of other people or by the fault of circumstances. We always think that. Our negative emotions are in ourselves and are produced by ourselves. There is absolutely not a single unavoidable reason why somebody else’s action or some circumstance should produce a negative emotion in me. It is only my weakness. No negative emotion can be produced by external causes if we do not want it. We have negative emotions because we permit them, justify them, explain them by external causes, and in this way we do not struggle with them.”” [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Negative emotions arise from our own acceptance of external blame, not from external events themselves. **In simple terms:** We create our own negativity by blaming others. Key Takeaway Take responsibility for your feelings. Themes personal responsibility emotional awareness self‑control Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - stressful work - relationship conflict - personal setbacks - mental health challenges Key Concepts psychology philosophy mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What internal belief fuels your negative reaction? - How could you reframe external events to reduce distress? A Different Perspective It can be hard to recognize internal triggers when external pressures are intense. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Negative emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative-emotions/) ## Related quotes > [“Q. But it seems to me there are circumstances that simply induce one to have negative emotions! A. This is one of the worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/q-but-it-seems-to-me-there-are-circumstances-that-simply-induce-one/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [“There is practically no negative emotion which you cannot enjoy, and that is the most difficult thing to realize. Really some people get all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/there-is-practically-no-negative-emotion-which-you-cannot-enjoy-and/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [“Do you know how much women loathe it when guys think every show of negative emotion is tied to our menstrual cycle, like we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/do-you-know-how-much-women-loathe-it-when-guys-think-every-show-of/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [Anytime you feel negative emotion, stop and say: 'Something is important here, otherwise I would not be feeling this negative emotion. What is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/anytime-you-feel-negative-emotion-stop-and-say-something-is-important/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [My philosophy is to "kill the monster while it's little." The best time to handle a "negative" emotion is when you first begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/my-philosophy-is-to-kill-the-monster-while-it-s-little-the-best-time/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Emotions are our spontaneous response to life. We have these emotions, but if the emotion is a negative emotion, then I have a choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/emotions-are-our-spontaneous-response-to-life-we-have-these-emotions/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [“So-called negative emotion is an indicator of fighting against the current or struggling against your Flow. Certain aspects of our lives are filled with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-mcstravick/so-called-negative-emotion-is-an-indicator-of-fighting-against-the/) Summer McStravick > [Understand that all emotions serve you. Those you once thought of as negative emotions are merely calls to action. For example, if you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/understand-that-all-emotions-serve-you-those-you-once-thought-of-as/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [The remnants of pain left behind by every strong negative emotion that is not fully faced, accepted, and then let go of join together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-remnants-of-pain-left-behind-by-every-strong-negative-emotion/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [If you intend to be of assistance, your eye is not upon the trouble but upon the assistance, and that is quite different. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/if-you-intend-to-be-of-assistance-your-eye-is-not-upon-the-trouble/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Discouragement is a negative emotion with more than one trick up its dark sleeve. It tricks you into mentally or emotionally dwelling in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/discouragement-is-a-negative-emotion-with-more-than-one-trick-up-its/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [Illness or pain is just an extension of negative emotion. When you are no longer feeling any resistance to it, it's a non-issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/illness-or-pain-is-just-an-extension-of-negative-emotion-when-you-are/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Negative emotion is your indicator of resistance, while positive emotion is your indicator of allowance. And they are on the same meter: allowance; resistance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/negative-emotion-is-your-indicator-of-resistance-while-positive/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [We would never move forward in the face of negative emotion. There are many people who would teach you otherwise. They say, you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/we-would-never-move-forward-in-the-face-of-negative-emotion-there-are/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [You see, I think negative emotions are always trumped by positive emotions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/you-see-i-think-negative-emotions-are-always-trumped-by-positive/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) ## More by P.D. Ouspensky > [Art is the communication of ecstasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/art-is-the-communication-of-ecstasy/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [I had come to the conclusion a long time ago that there was no escape from the labyrinth of contradictions in which we live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/i-had-come-to-the-conclusion-a-long-time-ago-that-there-was-no-escape/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [It is only when we realize that life is taking us nowhere that it begins to have meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/it-is-only-when-we-realize-that-life-is-taking-us-nowhere-that-it/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [To remember oneself means the same thing as to be aware of oneself - I am. It is not a function, not thinking, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/to-remember-oneself-means-the-same-thing-as-to-be-aware-of-oneself-i/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [In all living nature (and perhaps also in that which we consider as dead) love is the motive force which drives the creative activity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/in-all-living-nature-and-perhaps-also-in-that-which-we-consider-as/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [Begin with the possible: begin with one step. There is always a limit you cannot do more than you can do. If you try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/begin-with-the-possible-begin-with-one-step-there-is-always-a-limit/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [“Suddenly I began to find a strange meaning in old fairy-tales; woods, rivers, mountains, became living beings; mysterious life filled the night; with new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/suddenly-i-began-to-find-a-strange-meaning-in-old-fairy-tales-woods/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [The greatest barrier to consciousness is the belief that one is already conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/the-greatest-barrier-to-consciousness-is-the-belief-that-one-is/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [Ideas by themselves cannot produce change of being; your effort must go in the right direction, and one must correspond to the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/ideas-by-themselves-cannot-produce-change-of-being-your-effort-must/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [Desire is when you do what you want, will is when you can do what you do not want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/desire-is-when-you-do-what-you-want-will-is-when-you-can-do-what-you/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [Divide in yourself the mechanical from the conscious, see how little there is of the conscious, how seldom it works, and how strong is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/divide-in-yourself-the-mechanical-from-the-conscious-see-how-little/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [“The most important factor in every function is: ‘Is it under our control or not?’ So when imagination is under our control we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/the-most-important-factor-in-every-function-is-is-it-under-our/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [Love is the eternally burning fire in which humanity & all the world are being purified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/love-is-the-eternally-burning-fire-in-which-humanity-all-the-world/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [a man can be given only what he can use; and he can use only that for which he has sacrificed something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/a-man-can-be-given-only-what-he-can-use-and-he-can-use-only-that-for/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) > [If a man gives way to all his desires, or panders to them, there will be no inner struggle in him, no 'friction,' no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/if-a-man-gives-way-to-all-his-desires-or-panders-to-them-there-will/) [P.D. Ouspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) [Explore all 73 P.D. Ouspensky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/) ## More Negative emotions quotes > [“The privacy issue was reignited in early 2014, when the Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook had conducted a massive social-science experiment on nearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-taplin/the-privacy-issue-was-reignited-in-early-2014-when-the-wall-street/) [Jonathan Taplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-taplin/) > [“Shame is the deepest of the “negative emotions,” a feeling we will do almost anything to avoid. Unfortunately, our abiding fear of shame impairs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/shame-is-the-deepest-of-the-negative-emotions-a-feeling-we-will-do/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [“real difficulty comes when we are doing something that we don’t want to be doing. For example, if we must work when we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahima-baldwin-dancy/real-difficulty-comes-when-we-are-doing-something-that-we-don-t-want/) Rahima Baldwin Dancy > [You must not let your negative emotions distract you from achieving your goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-clark/you-must-not-let-your-negative-emotions-distract-you-from-achieving/) [Clay Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-clark/) > [Look closer at the stress in your own life and you can identify that negative emotions are always built on counterfactual statements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/look-closer-at-the-stress-in-your-own-life-and-you-can-identify-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“To the Dalai Lama, suffering and adversity are the necessary conditions for developing patience and tolerance. These qualities are vital if we want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-chan/to-the-dalai-lama-suffering-and-adversity-are-the-necessary/) Victor Chan > [The beautiful thing about music is that even so-called negative emotions like anger, sadness, frustration, when they come through the filter of music, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiromi/the-beautiful-thing-about-music-is-that-even-so-called-negative/) [Hiromi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiromi/) > [The practice of gratitude is incompatible with negative emotions and may actually diminish or deter such feelings as anger, bitterness, and greed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonja-lyubomirsky/the-practice-of-gratitude-is-incompatible-with-negative-emotions-and/) [Sonja Lyubomirsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonja-lyubomirsky/) > [ “People who tend to \[suppress their negative emotions\] regularly,” concludes Grob, “might start to see the world in a more negative light.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/people-who-tend-to-suppress-their-negative-emotions-regularly/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [One can overcome the forces of negative emotions, like anger and hatred, by cultivating their counter-forces, like love and compassion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/one-can-overcome-the-forces-of-negative-emotions-like-anger-and/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [You know, the standard state for people is 'mildly pleasant.' Negative emotions are quite rare, and extremely positive emotions are rare. But people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/you-know-the-standard-state-for-people-is-mildly-pleasant-negative/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“Grief helps you come to grips with the loss of a loved one. Guilt helps you make better moral decisions or bring you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/grief-helps-you-come-to-grips-with-the-loss-of-a-loved-one-guilt/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind at the same time. One or the other must dominate. It is your responsibility to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/positive-and-negative-emotions-cannot-occupy-the-mind-at-the-same/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [It's not a matter of how much you know or can define, or how many millions of mantras or thousands of prostrations you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/it-s-not-a-matter-of-how-much-you-know-or-can-define-or-how-many/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [“To get to our passion and purpose we must be willing to shine the light of awareness on the shadow parts of ourselves. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-lipsenthal/to-get-to-our-passion-and-purpose-we-must-be-willing-to-shine-the/) [Lee Lipsenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-lipsenthal/) [Browse all 224 Negative emotions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative-emotions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We always think our negative emotions are produced by the fault of other people or by the fault of circumstances. We always think that. Our negative emotions are in ourselves and are produced by ourselves. There is absolutely not a single unavoidable reason why somebody else’s action or some circumstance should produce a negative emotion in me. It is only my weakness. No negative emotion can be produced by external causes if we do not want it. We have negative emotions because we permit them, justify them, explain them by external causes, and in this way we do not struggle with them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "P.D. Ouspensky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/we-always-think-our-negative-emotions-are-produced-by-the-fault-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Negative emotions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/we-always-think-our-negative-emotions-are-produced-by-the-fault-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/p-d-ouspensky-9110_negative-emotions_we-always-think-our-negative-emotions-ar_1744153.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/p-d-ouspensky-9110_negative-emotions_we-always-think-our-negative-emotions-ar_1744153.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/p-d-ouspensky-9110_negative-emotions_we-always-think-our-negative-emotions-ar_1744153.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We always think our negative emotions are produced by the fault of other people or by the fault of…” — P.D. Ouspensky", "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": "P.D. Ouspensky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-ouspensky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We always think our negative emotions...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/we-always-think-our-negative-emotions-are-produced-by-the-fault-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-ouspensky/we-always-think-our-negative-emotions-are-produced-by-the-fault-of/#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 } } ] } ```