--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have to look in the mirror first. What…" description: "\"We have to look in the mirror first. What are we doing? How can we make a change? It always starts with looking in the mirror. Every individual can. Ev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/sylvia-earle-1756_change_we-have-to-look-in-the-mirror-first-what_971489.jpg" --- # We have to look in the mirror first. What are we doing?… ![“We have to look in the mirror first. What are we doing? How can we make a change? It always starts with looking in the mirror. Every individual can. Every individual can make a difference either by proactively doing something positive or by doing nothing. That's a decision, too.” quote by Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/sylvia-earle-1756_change_we-have-to-look-in-the-mirror-first-what_971489.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/sylvia-earle-1756_change_we-have-to-look-in-the-mirror-first-what_971489.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/sylvia-earle-1756_change_we-have-to-look-in-the-mirror-first-what_971489.jpg) > “We have to look in the mirror first. What are we doing? How can we make a change? It always starts with looking in the mirror. Every individual can. Every individual can make a difference either by proactively doing something positive or by doing nothing. That's a decision, too.” [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑reflection is the first step to change; recognizing our own actions enables impact. **In simple terms:** Look inside to act. Key Takeaway Start with self‑assessment. Themes self‑awareness responsibility change Mood introspective motivational Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - leadership - community activism - policy making Key Concepts psychology environmental activism Questions to Reflect On - What personal habits need your mirror? - How can self‑reflection become collective action? A Different Perspective Self‑assessment alone may not lead to action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Starts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-starts-271541/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Look Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-mirror/) [Looking in the mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-in-the-mirror/) [Looking Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-mirror/) [Make Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-change/) [Making a difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-a-difference/) [Making changes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-changes/) [Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror/) [Mirror Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror-individual-1868291/) ## Related quotes > [“The real change starts with the individual, because each person's action either heals the world, or further plunges it downhill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/the-real-change-starts-with-the-individual-because-each-person-s/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“Change starts with YOU. When you step up, you invite others to step up, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-hale/change-starts-with-you-when-you-step-up-you-invite-others-to-step-up/) [Mandy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-hale/) > [I feel like looking in the mirror when you brush your teeth, yes, I see lines, and then I smile and I see things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-klum/i-feel-like-looking-in-the-mirror-when-you-brush-your-teeth-yes-i-see/) [Heidi Klum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-klum/) > [Looking in the mirror to check if my tie is straight is a waste of my time. I only look in the mirror once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-meri/looking-in-the-mirror-to-check-if-my-tie-is-straight-is-a-waste-of-my/) [Lennart Meri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-meri/) > [One day you look out and the audience consists of 65,000 people. It's like looking in the mirror and one day you realise you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-carney/one-day-you-look-out-and-the-audience-consists-of-65-000-people-it-s/) [Patrick Carney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-carney/) > [You have to stop looking in the mirror and realize that your living for yourself, not other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/you-have-to-stop-looking-in-the-mirror-and-realize-that-your-living/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [Coming home from school and looking in the mirror and thinking Oh my gosh ... is this what I looked like all day?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/coming-home-from-school-and-looking-in-the-mirror-and-thinking-oh-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [...you find your genius by looking in the mirror of your life. Your visible image shows your inner truth, so when you're estimating others,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/you-find-your-genius-by-looking-in-the-mirror-of-your-life-your/) [James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/) > [I avoid looking in the mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-avoid-looking-in-the-mirror/) [Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/) > [The main thing you can change is how you perceive yourself. Stop looking in the mirror and realize that you're living for yourself, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seyfried/the-main-thing-you-can-change-is-how-you-perceive-yourself-stop/) [Amanda Seyfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seyfried/) > [“Gillman smiles, in the cold manner of an assassin. It's like looking in the mirror.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/gillman-smiles-in-the-cold-manner-of-an-assassin-it-s-like-looking-in/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [Self-image, the concept we have of ourselves, must begin not by looking in the mirror but by looking into the face of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-storms/self-image-the-concept-we-have-of-ourselves-must-begin-not-by-looking/) [Sam Storms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-storms/) > [Looking in the mirror, staring back at me isn't so much a face as the expression of a predicament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/looking-in-the-mirror-staring-back-at-me-isn-t-so-much-a-face-as-the/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [“I practiced making faces in the mirror and it would drive my mother crazy. She used to scare me by saying that I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-practiced-making-faces-in-the-mirror-and-it-would-drive-my-mother/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [You have to self-reflect. If you forget who you actually are, then what's the use of even looking in the mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/you-have-to-self-reflect-if-you-forget-who-you-actually-are-then-what/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) ## More by Sylvia Earle > [We still have 10 percent of the sharks. We still have half of the coral reefs. However, if we wait another 50 years, opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-still-have-10-percent-of-the-sharks-we-still-have-half-of-the/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [Health to the ocean means health for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/health-to-the-ocean-means-health-for-us/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [Evolution is not something to be feared. It's to be celebrated, embraced, and understood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/evolution-is-not-something-to-be-feared-it-s-to-be-celebrated/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [We are depleting this immense diversity and abundance of life, and it matters tremendously for the future of the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-are-depleting-this-immense-diversity-and-abundance-of-life-and-it/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [My mother was known as the 'bird lady' of the neighborhood. Anything injured, or any unusual creature somebody found, they would always come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/my-mother-was-known-as-the-bird-lady-of-the-neighborhood-anything/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [There is this sweet spot in time when we have an opportunity to stop killing sharks and tunas and swordfish and other wildlife in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/there-is-this-sweet-spot-in-time-when-we-have-an-opportunity-to-stop/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [The sudden release of five million barrels of oil, enormous quantities of methane and two million gallons of toxic dispersants into an already greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-sudden-release-of-five-million-barrels-of-oil-enormous-quantities/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [I've always said, 'Underwater or on top, men and women are compatible.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/i-ve-always-said-underwater-or-on-top-men-and-women-are-compatible/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [With respect to the ocean being the heart of our blue planet: We are often asked, 'How much protection is enough?' We can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/with-respect-to-the-ocean-being-the-heart-of-our-blue-planet-we-are/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [If the sea is sick, we'll feel it. If it dies, we die. Our future and the state of the oceans are one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/if-the-sea-is-sick-we-ll-feel-it-if-it-dies-we-die-our-future-and-the/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [The ocean seemed like a sea of Eden. But now we are facing paradise lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-ocean-seemed-like-a-sea-of-eden-but-now-we-are-facing-paradise/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [When you think about the real cost of so-called cheap energy that has driven our prosperity to unprecedented levels, for some of us, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/when-you-think-about-the-real-cost-of-so-called-cheap-energy-that-has/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [When I arrived on the planet, there were only two billion. Wildlife was more abundant, we were less so; now the situation is reversed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/when-i-arrived-on-the-planet-there-were-only-two-billion-wildlife-was/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [I've had the joy of spending thousands of hours under the sea. I wish I could take people along to see what I see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/i-ve-had-the-joy-of-spending-thousands-of-hours-under-the-sea-i-wish/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [The observations that have developed over the years have given us perspective about where we fit in. We are newcomers, really recent arrivals on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-observations-that-have-developed-over-the-years-have-given-us/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) [Explore all 211 Sylvia Earle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have to look in the mirror first. 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