---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is how we perceive ourselves that…"
description: "\"“It is how we perceive ourselves that matters. True courage isn’t about being brave. True beauty isn’t about being beautiful. True courage is about bei..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/070/r-k-ryals-25903_beauty_it-is-how-we-perceive-ourselves-that-mat_2897223.jpg"
---

#  It is how we perceive ourselves that matters. True courage…

![“It is how we perceive ourselves that matters. True courage isn’t about being brave. True beauty isn’t about being beautiful. True courage is about being real. True beauty is about being happy.” quote by R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/070/r-k-ryals-25903_beauty_it-is-how-we-perceive-ourselves-that-mat_2897223.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/070/r-k-ryals-25903_beauty_it-is-how-we-perceive-ourselves-that-mat_2897223.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/070/r-k-ryals-25903_beauty_it-is-how-we-perceive-ourselves-that-mat_2897223.jpg)

> ““It is how we perceive ourselves that matters. True courage isn’t about being brave. True beauty isn’t about being beautiful. True courage is about being real. True beauty is about being happy.””

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

## About This Quote

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

Self-perception shapes courage and beauty; authenticity and happiness define true bravery and attractiveness.

**In simple terms:** Being real and happy is true courage and beauty.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate authenticity and joy.

Themes

self‑image authenticity courage beauty happiness

Mood

encouraging optimistic inspirational

Type

motivational self‑help philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal development
- coaching
- mindfulness
- creative expression

Key Concepts

psychology philosophy well‑being

Questions to Reflect On

- What does being “real” mean to you?
- How can happiness be cultivated authentically?

A Different Perspective

May oversimplify complex emotions and social factors.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Beauty Isn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty-isn/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courage Isn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-isn-574427/) [Courage Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-real-3030362/) [Real true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-true/) [True beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-beauty/) [True courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-courage/)

## Related quotes

> [To me, true beauty isn't something that will wash off in the shower at the end of the day. It's something that's still there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/to-me-true-beauty-isn-t-something-that-will-wash-off-in-the-shower-at/)

[Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/)

> [Modesty is true beauty 'cause true beauty isn't flaunted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/modesty-is-true-beauty-cause-true-beauty-isn-t-flaunted/)

[Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/)

> [True beauty isn't measure on the outside but it can be measure during darkness sets in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/migzylou/true-beauty-isn-t-measure-on-the-outside-but-it-can-be-measure-during/)

[Migzylou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/migzylou/)

> [True beauty isn't in the face, though it is the place we all seem to look, but in the heart the place that means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/true-beauty-isn-t-in-the-face-though-it-is-the-place-we-all-seem-to/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [I personally believe that beauty isn't really in the eye of the beholder. I think beauty is within ourselves. What others see when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/i-personally-believe-that-beauty-isn-t-really-in-the-eye-of-the/)

[Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/)

> [Do you think courage means being fearless? Or daring? Courage, real courage, is taking three steps when it terrifies you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/do-you-think-courage-means-being-fearless-or-daring-courage-real/)

[Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/)

> [I many times encountered courage, real courage. Undeniable courage. I've heard it said that that was the highest quality of the human animal. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothea-lange/i-many-times-encountered-courage-real-courage-undeniable-courage-i-ve/)

[Dorothea Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothea-lange/)

> [“I do not wish to treat friendships daintily, but with the roughest courage. When they are real, they are not glass threads or frost-work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-do-not-wish-to-treat-friendships-daintily-but-with-the-roughest/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Dont let your pride get in the way of how you truly feel it takes courage to be a real man or woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-heredia-gonzalez/dont-let-your-pride-get-in-the-way-of-how-you-truly-feel-it-takes/)

[Eva Heredia Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-heredia-gonzalez/)

> [While President Bush likes to project an image of strength and courage, the real truth is that in the presence of his large financial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/while-president-bush-likes-to-project-an-image-of-strength-and/)

[Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/)

> [“Cowgirl Courage isn't the lack of fear, but the courage to take action in the face of fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-h-lee/cowgirl-courage-isn-t-the-lack-of-fear-but-the-courage-to-take-action/)

[J.H. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-h-lee/)

> [“Courage isn't just about being brave. It's about overcoming fear and daring to do what is right for your fellow man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-help/courage-isn-t-just-about-being-brave-it-s-about-overcoming-fear-and/)

[The Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-help/)

> [The best heroes in the world are the reluctant ones. Courage isn't fearlessness - it's acting in the face of fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-gerritsen/the-best-heroes-in-the-world-are-the-reluctant-ones-courage-isn-t/)

[Tess Gerritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-gerritsen/)

> [Courage isn't absenct of fear, it is the awareness that something else is important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/courage-isn-t-absenct-of-fear-it-is-the-awareness-that-something-else/)

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

> [Courage isn't inside; it's external. It comes from someone else telling you they believe in you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/courage-isn-t-inside-it-s-external-it-comes-from-someone-else-telling/)

[Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/)

## More by R.K. Ryals

> [“There's only so much I can do aside from locking him in his room or super gluing a condom to his penis”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/there-s-only-so-much-i-can-do-aside-from-locking-him-in-his-room-or/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“I wasn't just tied to the beast, we were somehow part of the same person. The freakishly opposite sides of the same f\*ing coin."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/i-wasn-t-just-tied-to-the-beast-we-were-somehow-part-of-the-same/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“Hope is our way of capturing the world. Our way of holding onto every day to get to the next. I am hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/hope-is-our-way-of-capturing-the-world-our-way-of-holding-onto-every/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“I look down at Emma, at the back of her neck, at the way she reaches up to rub bloody tears from her cheeks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/i-look-down-at-emma-at-the-back-of-her-neck-at-the-way-she-reaches-up/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“Pain doesn’t go away, but it does a lot to change you. My”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/pain-doesn-t-go-away-but-it-does-a-lot-to-change-you-my/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“Love isn’t about happy endings where knowing every day from here on out will be full of sunshine and rainbows. Love is about obstacles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/love-isn-t-about-happy-endings-where-knowing-every-day-from-here-on/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“I look into the eyes of the world, and what do I see? I see the eyes of the world looking back at me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/i-look-into-the-eyes-of-the-world-and-what-do-i-see-i-see-the-eyes-of/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“Tell me,” I whispered, “if you were in love would you want it to be perfect love? Would you want it to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/tell-me-i-whispered-if-you-were-in-love-would-you-want-it-to-be/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“I stared at the night's first stars, as if their twilight-dimmed glow would reveal something to me, give me answers to the universe I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/i-stared-at-the-night-s-first-stars-as-if-their-twilight-dimmed-glow/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“Life isn't about getting what we want. It's about turning the crappy cards we're dealt into a winning hand,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/life-isn-t-about-getting-what-we-want-it-s-about-turning-the-crappy/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“There’s nothing wrong with emotional scars. Sometimes those are deeper than physical ones.” I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-emotional-scars-sometimes-those-are-deeper/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“Bravery is being afraid of something and facing it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/bravery-is-being-afraid-of-something-and-facing-it-anyway/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“Sometimes it takes stepping away from everything to see the things that are wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/sometimes-it-takes-stepping-away-from-everything-to-see-the-things/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“It was time for me to spread my broken wings, to let in the fear and the possibility of heartache. My heart knew what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/it-was-time-for-me-to-spread-my-broken-wings-to-let-in-the-fear-and/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

> [“Sometimes we lose our way and just need someone to help us find our way back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/sometimes-we-lose-our-way-and-just-need-someone-to-help-us-find-our/)

[R.K. Ryals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

[Explore all 22 R.K. Ryals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/)

## More Beauty quotes

> [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/)

[Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

> [How could anybody confuse truth with beauty, I thought as I looked at him. Truth came with sunken eyes, bony or scarred, decayed. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/how-could-anybody-confuse-truth-with-beauty-i-thought-as-i-looked-at/)

[Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/)

> [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/)

[John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/)

> [To fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain, to swing on the spiral of our divinity, and still be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tool/to-fathom-the-power-to-witness-the-beauty-to-bathe-in-the-fountain-to/)

[Tool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tool/)

> [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/)

[Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/)

> [“We've all met people who are beautiful on the outside, however, when they open their mouths to speak, they have nothing of substance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/we-ve-all-met-people-who-are-beautiful-on-the-outside-however-when/)

[Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/)

> [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/)

[Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/)

> [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/)

[Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/)

> [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/)

[Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/)

> [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/)

[Tumblr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tumblr/)

> [Time can but make her beauty over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/time-can-but-make-her-beauty-over-again/)

[William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/)

> [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/)

[Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/)

> [“What about you? What do you do?” I needed to ask questions, draw him out. I needed to find out all the information I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-avery-ellison/what-about-you-what-do-you-do-i-needed-to-ask-questions-draw-him-out/)

[Kate Avery Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-avery-ellison/)

[Browse all 24,662 Beauty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It is how we perceive ourselves that matters. True courage isn’t about being brave. True beauty isn’t about being beautiful. True courage is about being real. True beauty is about being happy.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "R.K. Ryals"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/it-is-how-we-perceive-ourselves-that-matters-true-courage-isn-t-about/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Beauty"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/it-is-how-we-perceive-ourselves-that-matters-true-courage-isn-t-about/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/070/r-k-ryals-25903_beauty_it-is-how-we-perceive-ourselves-that-mat_2897223.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/070/r-k-ryals-25903_beauty_it-is-how-we-perceive-ourselves-that-mat_2897223.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/070/r-k-ryals-25903_beauty_it-is-how-we-perceive-ourselves-that-mat_2897223.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is how we perceive ourselves that matters. True courage isn’t about being brave. True beauty isn’t about…” — R.K. Ryals",
                "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": "R.K. Ryals",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-ryals/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It is how we perceive ourselves...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/it-is-how-we-perceive-ourselves-that-matters-true-courage-isn-t-about/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-ryals/it-is-how-we-perceive-ourselves-that-matters-true-courage-isn-t-about/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
