--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What bothers me about TV is that it tends…" description: "\"What bothers me about TV is that it tends to take our minds off our minds.\" — Robert Orben" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/robert-orben-3864_bothers_what-bothers-me-about-tv-is-that-it-tend_25744.jpg" --- # What bothers me about TV is that it tends to take our… ![“What bothers me about TV is that it tends to take our minds off our minds.” quote by Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/robert-orben-3864_bothers_what-bothers-me-about-tv-is-that-it-tend_25744.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/robert-orben-3864_bothers_what-bothers-me-about-tv-is-that-it-tend_25744.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/robert-orben-3864_bothers_what-bothers-me-about-tv-is-that-it-tend_25744.jpg) > “What bothers me about TV is that it tends to take our minds off our minds.” [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. TV often distracts us from introspection, pulling attention outward and preventing self‑reflection. **In simple terms:** TV distracts from self‑thought. Key Takeaway Beware of media that numbs inner awareness. Themes distraction media influence self‑awareness cognitive focus mindfulness Mood reflective critical contemplative Type observation cautionary When to use this quote - watching TV after work - binge‑watching on weekends - using TV as background noise - escaping from personal problems Key Concepts attention consciousness psychology Practical Applications - mindful media consumption - setting intentional screen‑time limits Questions to Reflect On - How does your media diet affect your inner dialogue? - What alternatives help you stay mentally present? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) ## Related quotes > [TV tends to laud the person with the perfect one-liner rather than the one with the better idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-neville/tv-tends-to-laud-the-person-with-the-perfect-one-liner-rather-than/) [Morgan Neville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-neville/) > [TV tends to look for the living equivalents of squeaky-clean Kens and Barbies, but with my dial I'm more like Ken's dirty old uncle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-mcginley/tv-tends-to-look-for-the-living-equivalents-of-squeaky-clean-kens-and/) [John C. McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-mcginley/) > [TV tends to try and fit everyone into a TV mold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-holloway/tv-tends-to-try-and-fit-everyone-into-a-tv-mold/) [Josh Holloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-holloway/) > [To me, score is really important. I would rather not have any score if it's something that's going to detract from the film. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/to-me-score-is-really-important-i-would-rather-not-have-any-score-if/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [It really bothers me when a guy is controlling. Dont just say Im picking the place - ask me where I want to go!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassie-scerbo/it-really-bothers-me-when-a-guy-is-controlling-dont-just-say-im/) [Cassie Scerbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassie-scerbo/) > [People have the right to call themselves whatever they like. That doesn't bother me. It's other people doing the calling that bothers me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-have-the-right-to-call-themselves-whatever-they-like-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never try to get ahead of myself because there's nothing that bothers me more than cockiness. I don't think that's necessary at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-tiafoe/i-never-try-to-get-ahead-of-myself-because-there-s-nothing-that/) [Frances Tiafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-tiafoe/) > [What bothers me most is that I don't bother you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waylon-jennings/what-bothers-me-most-is-that-i-don-t-bother-you/) [Waylon Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waylon-jennings/) > [In the past, there were many times when I thought, 'This photo doesn't look good with a low angle, or this part bothers me.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nayeon/in-the-past-there-were-many-times-when-i-thought-this-photo-doesn-t/) [Nayeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nayeon/) > [When you're a mom to three children, nothing bothers you. Trust me. Who cares what people say? I've got other things to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hill/when-you-re-a-mom-to-three-children-nothing-bothers-you-trust-me-who/) [Faith Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hill/) > [It's not what happens in life that bothers us. It's what we're believing about it that bothers us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/it-s-not-what-happens-in-life-that-bothers-us-it-s-what-we-re/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [People frequently ask me if adverse criticism bothers me. I've had a lot of it, and I have been able to shrug most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-giles/people-frequently-ask-me-if-adverse-criticism-bothers-me-i-ve-had-a/) [Warren Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-giles/) > [It bothers me when I hear it in a car commercial or some such. But for the most part, it's better than seeing sacred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-morris/it-bothers-me-when-i-hear-it-in-a-car-commercial-or-some-such-but-for/) [Richard Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-morris/) > [What bothers me is when my players don't train well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-kewell/what-bothers-me-is-when-my-players-don-t-train-well/) [Harry Kewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-kewell/) > [I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I've tried and tried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-think-i-need-the-demons-in-order-to-write-but-the-demons-have-gone/) [Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/) ## More by Robert Orben > [Do you ever get the feeling that the only reason we have elections is to find out if the polls were right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/do-you-ever-get-the-feeling-that-the-only-reason-we-have-elections-is/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [I always wondered why babies spend so much time sucking their thumbs. Then I tasted baby food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/i-always-wondered-why-babies-spend-so-much-time-sucking-their-thumbs/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [I may be forty, but every morning when I get up, I feel like a twenty-year-old. Unfortunately, there's never one around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/i-may-be-forty-but-every-morning-when-i-get-up-i-feel-like-a-twenty/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [Do you realize that in the past sixty years, the only foreigners the French have been able to drive out are American tourists?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/do-you-realize-that-in-the-past-sixty-years-the-only-foreigners-the/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [For Father's Day, my kids always give me a bottle of cologne called English Leather. It's appropriate! To them I always smell like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/for-father-s-day-my-kids-always-give-me-a-bottle-of-cologne-called/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [Never raise your hand to your children - it leaves your midsection unprotected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/never-raise-your-hand-to-your-children-it-leaves-your-midsection/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [President Ford used humor a great deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/president-ford-used-humor-a-great-deal/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [Nowadays, you cannot be a very Effective political figure without Having a demonstrable sense of humor. People take to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/nowadays-you-cannot-be-a-very-effective-political-figure-without/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [What if the meek inherited the Earth and we had to defend ourselves from Martians?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/what-if-the-meek-inherited-the-earth-and-we-had-to-defend-ourselves/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [I'd like to say a few words about one of the most popular concepts in the modern education--show and tell. Show and Tell is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/i-d-like-to-say-a-few-words-about-one-of-the-most-popular-concepts-in/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [My wife never lies about her age. She just tells everyone she's as old as I am. Then she lies about my age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/my-wife-never-lies-about-her-age-she-just-tells-everyone-she-s-as-old/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/illegal-aliens-have-always-been-a-problem-in-the-united-states-ask/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [These detective series on TV always end at precisely the right moment-after the criminal is arrested and before the court turns him loose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/these-detective-series-on-tv-always-end-at-precisely-the-right-moment/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [The Playboy Calendar this year has some tiptop models. Any more top and they'd tip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/the-playboy-calendar-this-year-has-some-tiptop-models-any-more-top/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/every-day-i-get-up-and-look-through-the-forbes-list-of-the-richest/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) [Explore all 120 Robert Orben quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) ## More Bothers quotes > [I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I've tried and tried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-think-i-need-the-demons-in-order-to-write-but-the-demons-have-gone/) [Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/) > [What bothers me is when my players don't train well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-kewell/what-bothers-me-is-when-my-players-don-t-train-well/) [Harry Kewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-kewell/) > [It bothers me when I hear it in a car commercial or some such. But for the most part, it's better than seeing sacred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-morris/it-bothers-me-when-i-hear-it-in-a-car-commercial-or-some-such-but-for/) [Richard Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-morris/) > [People frequently ask me if adverse criticism bothers me. I've had a lot of it, and I have been able to shrug most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-giles/people-frequently-ask-me-if-adverse-criticism-bothers-me-i-ve-had-a/) [Warren Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-giles/) > [It's not what happens in life that bothers us. It's what we're believing about it that bothers us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/it-s-not-what-happens-in-life-that-bothers-us-it-s-what-we-re/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [When you're a mom to three children, nothing bothers you. Trust me. Who cares what people say? I've got other things to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hill/when-you-re-a-mom-to-three-children-nothing-bothers-you-trust-me-who/) [Faith Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hill/) > [In the past, there were many times when I thought, 'This photo doesn't look good with a low angle, or this part bothers me.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nayeon/in-the-past-there-were-many-times-when-i-thought-this-photo-doesn-t/) [Nayeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nayeon/) > [What bothers me most is that I don't bother you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waylon-jennings/what-bothers-me-most-is-that-i-don-t-bother-you/) [Waylon Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waylon-jennings/) > [I never try to get ahead of myself because there's nothing that bothers me more than cockiness. I don't think that's necessary at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-tiafoe/i-never-try-to-get-ahead-of-myself-because-there-s-nothing-that/) [Frances Tiafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-tiafoe/) > [People have the right to call themselves whatever they like. That doesn't bother me. It's other people doing the calling that bothers me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-have-the-right-to-call-themselves-whatever-they-like-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It really bothers me when a guy is controlling. Dont just say Im picking the place - ask me where I want to go!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassie-scerbo/it-really-bothers-me-when-a-guy-is-controlling-dont-just-say-im/) [Cassie Scerbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassie-scerbo/) > [To me, score is really important. I would rather not have any score if it's something that's going to detract from the film. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/to-me-score-is-really-important-i-would-rather-not-have-any-score-if/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [If I see something I don't like, or something that bothers me, I can't hold it in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-cheban/if-i-see-something-i-don-t-like-or-something-that-bothers-me-i-can-t/) [Jonathan Cheban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-cheban/) > [“If it bothers you to see me when then stop looking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-barnes/if-it-bothers-you-to-see-me-when-then-stop-looking/) [Victoria Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-barnes/) > [It bothers me so much that people have gone out of their way to make trans people feel less than.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rippon/it-bothers-me-so-much-that-people-have-gone-out-of-their-way-to-make/) [Adam Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rippon/) Browse all 150 Bothers quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What bothers me about TV is that it tends to take our minds off our minds.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Orben" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/what-bothers-me-about-tv-is-that-it-tends-to-take-our-minds-off-our/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bothers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/what-bothers-me-about-tv-is-that-it-tends-to-take-our-minds-off-our/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/robert-orben-3864_bothers_what-bothers-me-about-tv-is-that-it-tend_25744.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/robert-orben-3864_bothers_what-bothers-me-about-tv-is-that-it-tend_25744.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/robert-orben-3864_bothers_what-bothers-me-about-tv-is-that-it-tend_25744.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What bothers me about TV is that it tends to take our minds off our minds.” — Robert Orben", "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": "Robert Orben", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What bothers me about TV is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/what-bothers-me-about-tv-is-that-it-tends-to-take-our-minds-off-our/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/what-bothers-me-about-tv-is-that-it-tends-to-take-our-minds-off-our/#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 } } ] } ```