--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a dangerous thing to be satisfied…" description: "\"It is a dangerous thing to be satisfied with ourselves.\" — Teresa of Avila" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/teresa-of-vila-1246_dangerous_it-is-a-dangerous-thing-to-be-satisfied_2919865.jpg" --- # It is a dangerous thing to be satisfied with ourselves. ![“It is a dangerous thing to be satisfied with ourselves.” quote by Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/teresa-of-vila-1246_dangerous_it-is-a-dangerous-thing-to-be-satisfied_2919865.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/teresa-of-vila-1246_dangerous_it-is-a-dangerous-thing-to-be-satisfied_2919865.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/teresa-of-vila-1246_dangerous_it-is-a-dangerous-thing-to-be-satisfied_2919865.jpg) > “It is a dangerous thing to be satisfied with ourselves.” [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self-satisfaction can blind one to growth, leading to stagnation and vulnerability to complacency. **In simple terms:** Being content can stop personal development. Key Takeaway Stay humble and seek continual improvement. Themes humility growth self-awareness spirituality danger Mood reflective cautionary inspirational Type advice spiritual When to use this quote - career development - personal growth - spiritual practice - creative work Key Concepts self‑reflection psychology spiritual practice Questions to Reflect On - What areas of your life need fresh challenges? - How do you guard against complacency? A Different Perspective Complacency may mask hidden flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) [Dangerous thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous-thing/) [Dangerous things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous-things/) [Satisfied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfied/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) [Thing Satisfied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-satisfied-4248399/) ## Related quotes > [It is a dangerous thing to reform anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-is-a-dangerous-thing-to-reform-anyone/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [That's the thing with me: I'm never satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bellew/that-s-the-thing-with-me-i-m-never-satisfied/) [Tony Bellew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bellew/) > [The most dangerous thing you can do is to take any one impulse of your own nature and set it up as the thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-most-dangerous-thing-you-can-do-is-to-take-any-one-impulse-of/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [It's the hardest thing to be alone in being satisfied with what one's done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-s-the-hardest-thing-to-be-alone-in-being-satisfied-with-what-one-s/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [When you know who you are, you know who you are. That's the real dangerous thing in Hollywood, because they all want to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mooney/when-you-know-who-you-are-you-know-who-you-are-that-s-the-real/) [Paul Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mooney/) > [The constant pressure to bring about conformity is a dangerous thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-constant-pressure-to-bring-about-conformity-is-a-dangerous-thing/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Concentrated political power is the most dangerous thing on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolph-rummel/concentrated-political-power-is-the-most-dangerous-thing-on-earth/) [Rudolph Rummel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolph-rummel/) > [ \[A\] theory is a very dangerous thing to have. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/a-theory-is-a-very-dangerous-thing-to-have/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. 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And there's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/an-audience-is-the-most-dangerous-thing-in-the-world-because-they/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [Religion is a very dangerous thing. By that I mean being so caught up in rules and regulations and not focusing on the thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/religion-is-a-very-dangerous-thing-by-that-i-mean-being-so-caught-up/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Love is the most dangerous thing in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-beals/love-is-the-most-dangerous-thing-in-the-world/) [Jennifer Beals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-beals/) > [Love is a dangerous thing, it can be great and it can be awful. It might make or break your life. It could even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-leto/love-is-a-dangerous-thing-it-can-be-great-and-it-can-be-awful-it/) [Shannon Leto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-leto/) ## More by Teresa of Avila > [“Of the good things they do many will pass unnoticed, or will even not be considered good at all; but they need not fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/of-the-good-things-they-do-many-will-pass-unnoticed-or-will-even-not/) [Teresa of Ávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [I made you, dear, and all I make is perfect. Please come close, for I desire you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/i-made-you-dear-and-all-i-make-is-perfect-please-come-close-for-i/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [How often I failed in my duty to God, because I was not leaning on the strong pillar of prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/how-often-i-failed-in-my-duty-to-god-because-i-was-not-leaning-on-the/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [Half-instructed confessors have done my soul great harm; for I could not always have such learned ones as I would have desired. They certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/half-instructed-confessors-have-done-my-soul-great-harm-for-i-could/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [Truth suffers, but never dies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/truth-suffers-but-never-dies/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [“you will never lack so much of the water of comfort that your thirst will be intolerable;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/you-will-never-lack-so-much-of-the-water-of-comfort-that-your-thirst/) [Teresa of Ávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/whoever-has-god-lacks-nothing-god-alone-suffices/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [Do you know when people really become spiritual? It is when they become the slaves of God and are branded with His sign, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/do-you-know-when-people-really-become-spiritual-it-is-when-they/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [How friendly we should all be with one another if nobody were interested in money and honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/how-friendly-we-should-all-be-with-one-another-if-nobody-were/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [“an unrestrained infatuation with ecstasy and other extraordinary phenomena developed. These experiences were thought of as something to be obtained at all costs. Among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/an-unrestrained-infatuation-with-ecstasy-and-other-extraordinary/) [Teresa of Ávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [“The Lord has no body now on earth but yours, no hands now but yours, no feet now but yours. Yours are the eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/the-lord-has-no-body-now-on-earth-but-yours-no-hands-now-but-yours-no/) [Teresa of Ávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [Our greatest gain is to lose the wealth that is of such brief duration and, by comparison with eternal things, of such little worth;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/our-greatest-gain-is-to-lose-the-wealth-that-is-of-such-brief/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [God has no hands or feet or voice except ours and through these He works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/god-has-no-hands-or-feet-or-voice-except-ours-and-through-these-he/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [His Majesty knows best what is suitable for us. There's no need for us to be advising Him about what He should give us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/his-majesty-knows-best-what-is-suitable-for-us-there-s-no-need-for-us/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [There is no affliction, trial, or labor difficult to endure, when we consider the torments and sufferings which Our Lord Jesus Christ endured for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/there-is-no-affliction-trial-or-labor-difficult-to-endure-when-we/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) [Explore all 267 Teresa of Avila quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) ## More Dangerous quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Its extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/its-extremely-dangerous-to-compare-anyone-else-to-shakespeare/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/in-my-youth-team-days-i-was-always-a-left-winger-who-would-stay-close/) [Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/) > [The temptations of God were always more dangerous for mankind than those of Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-temptations-of-god-were-always-more-dangerous-for-mankind-than/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [When you start talking about elections being rigged, you're pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-you-start-talking-about-elections-being-rigged-you-re-pushing/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-von-humboldt/die-gef-hrlichste-weltanschauung-ist-die-weltanschauung-derer-die-die/) [Alexander von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-von-humboldt/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The more people that learn about you, even if you're an underdog, then you can come under fire a lot and the more attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/the-more-people-that-learn-about-you-even-if-you-re-an-underdog-then/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/anyone-who-maintains-absolute-standards-of-good-and-evil-is-dangerous/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) [Browse all 6,450 Dangerous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is a dangerous thing to be satisfied with ourselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Teresa of Avila" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/it-is-a-dangerous-thing-to-be-satisfied-with-ourselves/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dangerous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/it-is-a-dangerous-thing-to-be-satisfied-with-ourselves/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/teresa-of-vila-1246_dangerous_it-is-a-dangerous-thing-to-be-satisfied_2919865.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/teresa-of-vila-1246_dangerous_it-is-a-dangerous-thing-to-be-satisfied_2919865.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/teresa-of-vila-1246_dangerous_it-is-a-dangerous-thing-to-be-satisfied_2919865.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is a dangerous thing to be satisfied with ourselves.” — Teresa of Avila", "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": "Teresa of Avila", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is a dangerous thing to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/it-is-a-dangerous-thing-to-be-satisfied-with-ourselves/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/it-is-a-dangerous-thing-to-be-satisfied-with-ourselves/#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 } } ] } ```