--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All of us are playing roles, and there's…" description: "\"All of us are playing roles, and there's nothing wrong with playing roles because we have to live in this world - the problem is only when we believe i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/tenzin-palmo-1431_believe_all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s_910.jpg" --- # All of us are playing roles, and there's nothing wrong… ![“All of us are playing roles, and there's nothing wrong with playing roles because we have to live in this world - the problem is only when we believe in those roles.” quote by Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/tenzin-palmo-1431_believe_all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s_910.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/tenzin-palmo-1431_believe_all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s_910.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/tenzin-palmo-1431_believe_all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s_910.jpg) > “All of us are playing roles, and there's nothing wrong with playing roles because we have to live in this world - the problem is only when we believe in those roles.” [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We all adopt social masks to function, but suffering arises when we mistake those masks for our true self. **In simple terms:** Roles are tools, not identity. Key Takeaway Identify the difference between role and self. Themes identity role-playing self-awareness authenticity psychology Mood introspection hope Type maxim reflection When to use this quote - career transitions - family dynamics - spiritual practice - therapy sessions Key Concepts social constructs self-concept Practical Applications - reflect on core values - practice role detachment Questions to Reflect On - What roles do you play that feel misaligned with your inner self? - How can you honor necessary roles without losing authenticity? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Playing roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-roles/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not going to be precious about the fact that I'm not getting all these other particular roles because there's nothing wrong with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-pedersen/i-m-not-going-to-be-precious-about-the-fact-that-i-m-not-getting-all/) [Aaron Pedersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-pedersen/) > [With realistic and deglamourised roles and live sound, the charisma of a star is not enough. Can you be many different people?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajiv-menon/with-realistic-and-deglamourised-roles-and-live-sound-the-charisma-of/) [Rajiv Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajiv-menon/) > [Once people stop believing in God, the problem is not that they will believe in nothing; rather, the problem is that they will believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/once-people-stop-believing-in-god-the-problem-is-not-that-they-will/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [A problem becomes a problem only if you believe it to be so. And often others see you as you see yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chitra-banerjee-divakaruni/a-problem-becomes-a-problem-only-if-you-believe-it-to-be-so-and-often/) [Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chitra-banerjee-divakaruni/) > [There are enough roles for everyone, and I truly believe that the roles that we end up doing are the exact ones that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/there-are-enough-roles-for-everyone-and-i-truly-believe-that-the/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [I would like to believe that all the roles I have portrayed so far - no matter how significant or insignificant they are -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shweta-menon/i-would-like-to-believe-that-all-the-roles-i-have-portrayed-so-far-no/) [Shweta Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shweta-menon/) > [Not to get too sort of mystical, but I believe in fate. I believe when roles are presented to me in my life they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/not-to-get-too-sort-of-mystical-but-i-believe-in-fate-i-believe-when/) [Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/) > [It's fun playing two roles. The roles provide a wonderful range of emotions. Stuart is childlike and sensitive. Adam is ruthless, outrageous. He's flamboyant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-canary/it-s-fun-playing-two-roles-the-roles-provide-a-wonderful-range-of/) [David Canary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-canary/) > [Playing roles that are intense and damaged has always come more easily to me than doing comedies or lighter stuff - that would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-polley/playing-roles-that-are-intense-and-damaged-has-always-come-more/) [Sarah Polley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-polley/) > [“George feels flattered and excited...He can't resist slipping into the role Kenny so temptingly offers him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-isherwood/george-feels-flattered-and-excited-he-can-t-resist-slipping-into-the/) [Christopher Isherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-isherwood/) > [I've spent a lot of time playing roles that didn't really challenge me. I suppose every actor feels that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/i-ve-spent-a-lot-of-time-playing-roles-that-didn-t-really-challenge/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [With theatre, we all agree to suspend our disbelief about so many things, but not about race. It's totally OK to have one actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/with-theatre-we-all-agree-to-suspend-our-disbelief-about-so-many/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [I've been fortunate to play many different types of characters thus far. However, I really enjoy playing roles that are different than who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-holden/i-ve-been-fortunate-to-play-many-different-types-of-characters-thus/) [Gina Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-holden/) > [I would love to keep playing roles where I get to inspire young women, and I get to uplift them and tell their stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/storm-reid/i-would-love-to-keep-playing-roles-where-i-get-to-inspire-young-women/) [Storm Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/storm-reid/) > [I love playing roles that are physical, absolutely love. Whether it's just that kind of basic level of physicality or whether it's stunts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/i-love-playing-roles-that-are-physical-absolutely-love-whether-it-s/) [Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/) ## More by Tenzin Palmo > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I really don't know what I could teach and don't really plan to teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-really-don-t-know-what-i-could-teach-and-don-t-really-plan-to-teach/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [For any practice to work, the mind which is meditating on the object must merge. Often they are facing each other. One has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/for-any-practice-to-work-the-mind-which-is-meditating-on-the-object/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I've often said that the seventh paramita should be a sense of humor, so we don't take ourselves too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-ve-often-said-that-the-seventh-paramita-should-be-a-sense-of-humor/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you take the time to study how to be a doctor and how to use your scalpel and your medicine, then there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-take-the-time-to-study-how-to-be-a-doctor-and-how-to-use-your/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If we want to be musicians, dancers or sportspeople, we can download a certain amount and watch DVDs and read books, but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-we-want-to-be-musicians-dancers-or-sportspeople-we-can-download-a/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Realization is wonderful, but you have to expand it until there's not a single defilement left in the mind and the mind is completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/realization-is-wonderful-but-you-have-to-expand-it-until-there-s-not/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [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/) > [We have compassion because of the incredible pain and suffering which we as unenlightened beings cause to ourselves and all others through our ignorance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-have-compassion-because-of-the-incredible-pain-and-suffering-which/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [When I look back I can think that of course I've been lazy and haven't practiced as much as I could have and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/when-i-look-back-i-can-think-that-of-course-i-ve-been-lazy-and-haven/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We do have the precious opportunity of this human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-do-have-the-precious-opportunity-of-this-human-life/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I think the problem with Western students is they're very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-think-the-problem-with-western-students-is-they-re-very-ambitious/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We shouldn't be too naïve, or taken in by charisma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-shouldn-t-be-too-na-ve-or-taken-in-by-charisma/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Explore all 242 Tenzin Palmo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## 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 ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All of us are playing roles, and there's nothing wrong with playing roles because we have to live in this world - the problem is only when we believe in those roles.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tenzin Palmo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-playing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-playing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/tenzin-palmo-1431_believe_all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s_910.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/tenzin-palmo-1431_believe_all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s_910.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/tenzin-palmo-1431_believe_all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s_910.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All of us are playing roles, and there's nothing wrong with playing roles because we have to live in this…” — Tenzin Palmo", "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": "Tenzin Palmo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "All of us are playing roles,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-playing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-playing/#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 } } ] } ```