--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we change the stories we live by…" description: "\"If we change the stories we live by, quite possibly we change our lives\" — Thomas King" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/thomas-king-24959_change_if-we-change-the-stories-we-live-by-quit_1310591.jpg" --- # If we change the stories we live by, quite possibly we… ![“If we change the stories we live by, quite possibly we change our lives” quote by Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/thomas-king-24959_change_if-we-change-the-stories-we-live-by-quit_1310591.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/thomas-king-24959_change_if-we-change-the-stories-we-live-by-quit_1310591.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/thomas-king-24959_change_if-we-change-the-stories-we-live-by-quit_1310591.jpg) > “If we change the stories we live by, quite possibly we change our lives” [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Altering personal narratives can reshape identity and life direction. **In simple terms:** Changing stories changes life. Key Takeaway Reflect on the stories you tell yourself. Themes identity growth storytelling Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal development - therapy - coaching - writing - public speaking Key Concepts self‑construction psychology agency Questions to Reflect On - What story are you living by? - How could a new narrative empower you? A Different Perspective Stories may be limited by cultural constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) ## Related quotes > [The Nigerian storyteller Ben Okri says that ‘In a fractured age, when cynicism is god, here is a possible heresy: we live by stories,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/the-nigerian-storyteller-ben-okri-says-that-in-a-fractured-age-when/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [“I am who I am and nothing could possibly change that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutka-laskier/i-am-who-i-am-and-nothing-could-possibly-change-that/) Rutka Laskier > [Most people tell themselves these excuses - I've always been this way, how can I possibly change, this is my nature, I can't help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/most-people-tell-themselves-these-excuses-i-ve-always-been-this-way/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [“a child might possibly change his country; a man can only wish that he might change it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/a-child-might-possibly-change-his-country-a-man-can-only-wish-that-he/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“Could circumstances possibly change who I forever am in You?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercyme/could-circumstances-possibly-change-who-i-forever-am-in-you/) MercyMe > [We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/we-have-lived-our-lives-by-the-assumption-that-what-was-good-for-us/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Climate change is one of those stories that deserves more attention, that we all talk about, but we haven't figured out how to engage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-zucker/climate-change-is-one-of-those-stories-that-deserves-more-attention/) [Jeff Zucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-zucker/) > [I have always believed that cinema is one of the greatest instruments of positive social change. Stories can be light, engaging and poignant, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-have-always-believed-that-cinema-is-one-of-the-greatest-instruments/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [A person's tragedy does not make up their entire life. A story carves deep grooves into our brains each time we tell it. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/a-person-s-tragedy-does-not-make-up-their-entire-life-a-story-carves/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [A good story is always a journey. It is about taking the journey, the people the hero meets along the way and how they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/a-good-story-is-always-a-journey-it-is-about-taking-the-journey-the/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [The genres change but all of my stories feature ordinary people thrown into frightening, life-altering situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-pinkerton/the-genres-change-but-all-of-my-stories-feature-ordinary-people/) [Brian Pinkerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-pinkerton/) > [The technology is not only the way we change stories, but also changing the relationship to the consumer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-pearlstine/the-technology-is-not-only-the-way-we-change-stories-but-also/) [Norman Pearlstine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-pearlstine/) > [The rise of the Internet and the camera phone have started to change what stories are accessible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-russell/the-rise-of-the-internet-and-the-camera-phone-have-started-to-change/) [Cameron Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-russell/) > [Politics always change. Stories never do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/politics-always-change-stories-never-do/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“It's stories that inspire people to change. It's stories that make them believe things can be better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastien-de-castell/it-s-stories-that-inspire-people-to-change-it-s-stories-that-make/) [Sebastien de Castell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastien-de-castell/) ## More by Thomas King > [Land. If you understand nothing else about the history of Indians in North America, you need to understand that the question that really matters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/land-if-you-understand-nothing-else-about-the-history-of-indians-in/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [Tears streamed down my face as I crossed the finish line. I was a new person, a runner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/tears-streamed-down-my-face-as-i-crossed-the-finish-line-i-was-a-new/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [“What about human beings? said the animals. Do you think we need human beings? Why not? said the Twins. And as quick as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/what-about-human-beings-said-the-animals-do-you-think-we-need-human/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [“Would it have made a difference? This is the question we always ask after we have given up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/would-it-have-made-a-difference-this-is-the-question-we-always-ask/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [Stories are wondrous things. And they are dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/stories-are-wondrous-things-and-they-are-dangerous/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [“...writing a novel is buttering warm toast, while writing a history is herding porcupines with your elbows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/writing-a-novel-is-buttering-warm-toast-while-writing-a-history-is/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [ “...the \[Hawthorn\] report revealed the logical fallacy that has haunted Indian history and policy in North America since contact - to wit, that all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/the-hawthorn-report-revealed-the-logical-fallacy-that-has-haunted/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [“History may well be a series of stories we tell about the past, but the stories are not just any stories. They're not chosen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/history-may-well-be-a-series-of-stories-we-tell-about-the-past-but/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [I learned very quickly that to be angry about something does not mean anybody's gonna listen to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/i-learned-very-quickly-that-to-be-angry-about-something-does-not-mean/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [The truth about stories is, that's all we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/the-truth-about-stories-is-that-s-all-we-are/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [“Perhaps we shouldn't be displeased with the 'environmental ethics' we have or the 'business ethics' or the 'political ethics' or any of the myriad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/perhaps-we-shouldn-t-be-displeased-with-the-environmental-ethics-we/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [“The yard consisted of grass and a Russian Olive tree, which was about the only kind of tree able to survive on the high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/the-yard-consisted-of-grass-and-a-russian-olive-tree-which-was-about/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [“Closure is a greasy little word which, moreover, describes a nonexistent condition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/closure-is-a-greasy-little-word-which-moreover-describes-a/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [Eden Robinson is one of those rare artists who comes to writing with a skill and maturity that has taken the rest of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/eden-robinson-is-one-of-those-rare-artists-who-comes-to-writing-with/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) > [“And cranky old Jacques Derrida notwithstanding, we do love our dichotomies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/and-cranky-old-jacques-derrida-notwithstanding-we-do-love-our/) [Thomas King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) [Explore all 23 Thomas King quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/) ## 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 > [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": "If we change the stories we live by, quite possibly we change our lives", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas King" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/if-we-change-the-stories-we-live-by-quite-possibly-we-change-our-lives/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/if-we-change-the-stories-we-live-by-quite-possibly-we-change-our-lives/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/thomas-king-24959_change_if-we-change-the-stories-we-live-by-quit_1310591.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/thomas-king-24959_change_if-we-change-the-stories-we-live-by-quit_1310591.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/thomas-king-24959_change_if-we-change-the-stories-we-live-by-quit_1310591.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we change the stories we live by, quite possibly we change our lives” — Thomas King", "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": "Thomas King", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-king/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we change the stories we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/if-we-change-the-stories-we-live-by-quite-possibly-we-change-our-lives/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-king/if-we-change-the-stories-we-live-by-quite-possibly-we-change-our-lives/#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 } } ] } ```