---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most people believe the mind to be a…"
description: "\"Most people believe the mind to be a mirror, more or less accurately reflecting the world outside them, not realizing on the contrary that the mind is ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/rabindranath-tagore-383_believe_most-people-believe-the-mind-to-be-a-mir_2729165.png"
---

#  Most people believe the mind to be a mirror, more or less…

![“Most people believe the mind to be a mirror, more or less accurately reflecting the world outside them, not realizing on the contrary that the mind is itself the principal element of creation.” quote by Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/rabindranath-tagore-383_believe_most-people-believe-the-mind-to-be-a-mir_2729165.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/rabindranath-tagore-383_believe_most-people-believe-the-mind-to-be-a-mir_2729165.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/rabindranath-tagore-383_believe_most-people-believe-the-mind-to-be-a-mir_2729165.png)

> “Most people believe the mind to be a mirror, more or less accurately reflecting the world outside them, not realizing on the contrary that the mind is itself the principal element of creation.”

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

## About This Quote

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

The mind is not a passive reflector but an active creator of reality.

**In simple terms:** The mind creates reality.

Key Takeaway

Recognize your mental power.

Themes

creativity perception mindset

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- personal development
- creative writing
- meditation
- problem solving

Key Concepts

constructivism subjectivity

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your thinking shape your experience?
- What limits do you place on your imagination?

A Different Perspective

Mind alone cannot change external constraints.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-mind/) [Contrary Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrary-mind-2941641/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-mirror-514085/) [Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirrors/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-believe/) [Principal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principal/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Reflecting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflecting/) [Reflecting World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflecting-world-1901531/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [In order to create an alternative an oppressed group must at once shatter the self-reflecting world which encircles it and, at the same time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-rowbotham/in-order-to-create-an-alternative-an-oppressed-group-must-at-once/)

[Sheila Rowbotham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-rowbotham/)

> [My mind was a blank paper; I wrote your name on it. I see you every day in my dreams. I fear that my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/my-mind-was-a-blank-paper-i-wrote-your-name-on-it-i-see-you-every-day/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

> [The perfect man uses his mind as a mirror. It grasps nothing. It regrets nothing. It receives but does not keep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/the-perfect-man-uses-his-mind-as-a-mirror-it-grasps-nothing-it/)

[Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/)

> [The perfect man employs his mind as a mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/the-perfect-man-employs-his-mind-as-a-mirror/)

[Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/)

> [“In the carnival hall of mirrors which is our memory, we distort what we see. In Ernie's mirror image of me, I am magnified,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-moore/in-the-carnival-hall-of-mirrors-which-is-our-memory-we-distort-what/)

[Brian Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-moore/)

> [ “One who experiences prasantta \[blissful happiness\] within, he will have prasantta \[blissful happiness\] externally. The mind is a mirror (reflection) for the external.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/one-who-experiences-prasantta-blissful-happiness-within-he-will-have/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“Chuang-tzu: ‘‘The perfect man employs his mind as a mirror; it grasps nothing; it refuses nothing; it receives, but does not keep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/chuang-tzu-the-perfect-man-employs-his-mind-as-a-mirror-it-grasps/)

[Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/)

> [“Mankind has invented the mirror in vain, for there’s nobody in this world who looks into the mirror and sees himself as he truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/mankind-has-invented-the-mirror-in-vain-for-there-s-nobody-in-this/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [All action is of the mind and the mirror of the mind is the face, its index the eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/all-action-is-of-the-mind-and-the-mirror-of-the-mind-is-the-face-its/)

[Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/)

> [Beauty is whats in your mind not in the mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-chable/beauty-is-whats-in-your-mind-not-in-the-mirror/)

[Ana Chable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-chable/)

> [Man's mind a mirror is of heavenly sights,A brief wherein all marvels summèd lie,Of fairest forms and sweetest shapes the store,Most graceful all, yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-southwell/man-s-mind-a-mirror-is-of-heavenly-sights-a-brief-wherein-all-marvels/)

[Robert Southwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-southwell/)

> [Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! And transform your entire being into the image…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-of-assisi/place-your-mind-before-the-mirror-of-eternity-place-your-soul-in-the/)

[Clare of Assisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-of-assisi/)

> [What the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind of man can achieve with Positive Mental Attitude. It is a form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-clement-stone/what-the-mind-of-man-can-conceive-and-believe-the-mind-of-man-can/)

[W. Clement Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-clement-stone/)

> [Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find the ways to do it. Believing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/believe-it-can-be-done-when-you-believe-something-can-be-done-really/)

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

> [Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve regardless of how many times you may have failed in the past or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/whatever-the-mind-can-conceive-and-believe-the-mind-can-achieve/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

## More by Rabindranath Tagore

> [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/)

> [Set the bird's wings with gold and it will never again soar in thesky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/set-the-bird-s-wings-with-gold-and-it-will-never-again-soar-in-thesky/)

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

> [From the grasses in the field to the stars in the sky, each one is doing just that; and there is such profound peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/from-the-grasses-in-the-field-to-the-stars-in-the-sky-each-one-is/)

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

> [Plant flowers in others' gardens and your life becomes a bouquet! Submitted by Lisa Letto, Coordinator, Nutrition Resource and Volunteer Centre, College of Pharmacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/plant-flowers-in-others-gardens-and-your-life-becomes-a-bouquet/)

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

> [The meaning of this is, that whomsoever we love, in him we find our own soul in the highest sense. The final truth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/the-meaning-of-this-is-that-whomsoever-we-love-in-him-we-find-our-own/)

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

> [If you shed tears when you miss the sun, you also miss the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/if-you-shed-tears-when-you-miss-the-sun-you-also-miss-the-stars/)

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

> [Go not to the temple to put flowers upon the feet of God, first fill your own house with the fragrance of love. Go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/go-not-to-the-temple-to-put-flowers-upon-the-feet-of-god-first-fill/)

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

> [The best kind of wealth is to give up inordinate desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/the-best-kind-of-wealth-is-to-give-up-inordinate-desires/)

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

> [Now it is time to sit quiet, face to face with thee, and to sing dedication of life in this silent and overflowing leisure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/now-it-is-time-to-sit-quiet-face-to-face-with-thee-and-to-sing/)

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

> [If it is necessary to die in order to live like men, what harm in dying?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/if-it-is-necessary-to-die-in-order-to-live-like-men-what-harm-in-dying/)

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

> [“Strong Mercy: My desires are many and my cry is pitiful, but ever didst thou save me by hard refusals; and this strong mercy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/strong-mercy-my-desires-are-many-and-my-cry-is-pitiful-but-ever-didst/)

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

> [The weak can be terrible because they try furiously to appear strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/the-weak-can-be-terrible-because-they-try-furiously-to-appear-strong/)

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

> [The movement of life has to rest in its own music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/the-movement-of-life-has-to-rest-in-its-own-music/)

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

> [It is the docile who achieve the most impossible things in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/it-is-the-docile-who-achieve-the-most-impossible-things-in-this-world/)

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

> [“There, display and extravagance, in dress, in furniture, in costly entertainments, are startling. They seem to push you back into a corner, like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/there-display-and-extravagance-in-dress-in-furniture-in-costly/)

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

[Explore all 596 Rabindranath Tagore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

## More Believe quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/)

[Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/)

[Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/)

> [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

> [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/)

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

> [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [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/)

[Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Most people believe the mind to be a mirror, more or less accurately reflecting the world outside them, not realizing on the contrary that the mind is itself the principal element of creation.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rabindranath Tagore"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/most-people-believe-the-mind-to-be-a-mirror-more-or-less-accurately/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Believe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/most-people-believe-the-mind-to-be-a-mirror-more-or-less-accurately/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/rabindranath-tagore-383_believe_most-people-believe-the-mind-to-be-a-mir_2729165.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/rabindranath-tagore-383_believe_most-people-believe-the-mind-to-be-a-mir_2729165.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/rabindranath-tagore-383_believe_most-people-believe-the-mind-to-be-a-mir_2729165.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Most people believe the mind to be a mirror, more or less accurately reflecting the world outside them, not…” — Rabindranath Tagore",
                "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": "Rabindranath Tagore",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Most people believe the mind to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/most-people-believe-the-mind-to-be-a-mirror-more-or-less-accurately/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/most-people-believe-the-mind-to-be-a-mirror-more-or-less-accurately/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
