--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have absolutely no control over what…" description: "\"“We have absolutely no control over what happens to us in life but what we have paramount control over is how we respond to those events.”\" — Viktor Fr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/viktor-frankl-18420_control_we-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what_1237337.jpg" --- # We have absolutely no control over what happens to us in… ![“We have absolutely no control over what happens to us in life but what we have paramount control over is how we respond to those events.” quote by Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/viktor-frankl-18420_control_we-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what_1237337.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/viktor-frankl-18420_control_we-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what_1237337.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/viktor-frankl-18420_control_we-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what_1237337.jpg) > ““We have absolutely no control over what happens to us in life but what we have paramount control over is how we respond to those events.”” [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We cannot control events, but we can control our reactions, shaping our experience and growth. **In simple terms:** We control our responses, not events. Key Takeaway Choose your response wisely. Themes resilience choice meaning agency Mood reflective empowering Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal crisis - workplace conflict - health challenges - relationship disputes Key Concepts existential psychology personal responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide how to respond in a crisis? - What habits help you maintain constructive reactions? A Different Perspective Responses may be limited by emotional overload or external pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Strength through adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength-through-adversity/) ## Related quotes > [I may have absolutely no control over what happens to us, but we can control how we respond. If we choose the right attitude,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-vujicic/i-may-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what-happens-to-us-but-we-can/) [Nick Vujicic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-vujicic/) > [We cannot always control everything that happens to us in this life, but we can control how we respond. Many struggles come as problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-lionel-kendrick/we-cannot-always-control-everything-that-happens-to-us-in-this-life/) [L. Lionel Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-lionel-kendrick/) > [Love is the MOST powerful of ANY emotion and the only one of which you have absolutely NO control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-the-most-powerful-of-any-emotion-and-the-only-one-of-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I'm worried that feelings are the one thing in our lives that we have absolutely no control over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/i-m-worried-that-feelings-are-the-one-thing-in-our-lives-that-we-have/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [There is absolutely nothing that you can control except showing up and doing your job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/there-is-absolutely-nothing-that-you-can-control-except-showing-up/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [Film is a collaborative process, absolutely, but I am a control freak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-carruth/film-is-a-collaborative-process-absolutely-but-i-am-a-control-freak/) [Shane Carruth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-carruth/) > [We cannot always control everything that happens to us in this life, but we can control how we respond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-lionel-kendrick/we-cannot-always-control-everything-that-happens-to-us-in-this-life-2/) [L. Lionel Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-lionel-kendrick/) > [You cannot control all of what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward all of what happens to you...You can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/you-cannot-control-all-of-what-happens-to-you-but-you-can-control/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [“We all know that life has ups and downs; you’ve experienced both. And though you can’t always control what happens outside you, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-millman/we-all-know-that-life-has-ups-and-downs-you-ve-experienced-both-and/) [Dan Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-millman/) > [What I can control is me playing basketball and how I treat my family and how I raise my child in the time that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jae-crowder/what-i-can-control-is-me-playing-basketball-and-how-i-treat-my-family/) [Jae Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jae-crowder/) > [“Control of what happens is the ultimate solution to life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/control-of-what-happens-is-the-ultimate-solution-to-life/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [“You may not be able to control what happens to you but you can control what happens within you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-augustine/you-may-not-be-able-to-control-what-happens-to-you-but-you-can/) [Sue Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-augustine/) > [Being irrational and out of control is what happens in real life. Not cautiously choreographing your anger or your emotions, losing yourself in them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-robbie/being-irrational-and-out-of-control-is-what-happens-in-real-life-not/) [Margot Robbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-robbie/) > [“We can’t always control what happens in our lives- things will go well, things will go poorly-but what we can control is our response…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-blanchard/we-can-t-always-control-what-happens-in-our-lives-things-will-go-well/) Kenneth Blanchard > [“That is one of the patterns: when nothing is happening, nothing continues to happen, but after a while the lull becomes too much and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/that-is-one-of-the-patterns-when-nothing-is-happening-nothing/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) ## More by Viktor Frankl > [“The experiences of camp life show that man does have a choice of action… There were enough examples, often of a heroic nature, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/the-experiences-of-camp-life-show-that-man-does-have-a-choice-of/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [Being tolerant does not mean that I share another ones belief. But it does mean that I acknowledge another ones right to believe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/being-tolerant-does-not-mean-that-i-share-another-ones-belief-but-it/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [“Each of us has his own inner concentration camp... We must deal with, with forgiveness and patience-as full human beings, as we are and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/each-of-us-has-his-own-inner-concentration-camp-we-must-deal-with/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/everyone-has-his-own-specific-vocation-or-mission-in-life-everyone/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life¦ Therein he cannot be reíplaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyones task…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/everyone-has-his-own-specific-vocation-or-mission-in-life-therein-he/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [“Precisely this one, which I had intended to be published anonymously so that it could never build any reputation on the part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/precisely-this-one-which-i-had-intended-to-be-published-anonymously/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [“Wouldn't it suffice just to refer to decent people? It is true that they form a minority. More than that, they always will remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/wouldn-t-it-suffice-just-to-refer-to-decent-people-it-is-true-that/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [“If you treat people to a vision of themselves, if you apparently overrate them, you make them become what they are capable of becoming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/if-you-treat-people-to-a-vision-of-themselves-if-you-apparently/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [“Live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/live-as-if-you-were-living-already-for-the-second-time-and-as-if-you-2/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [“What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life. We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/what-was-really-needed-was-a-fundamental-change-in-our-attitude-2/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [“What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/what-man-actually-needs-is-not-a-tensionless-state-but-rather-the-2/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [“Man does not simply exist, but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become in the next moment..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/man-does-not-simply-exist-but-always-decides-what-his-existence-will-2/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [“This uniqueness and singleness which distinguishes each individual and gives a meaning to his existence has a bearing on creative work as much as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/this-uniqueness-and-singleness-which-distinguishes-each-individual-2/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [“Human potential at its best is to transform a tragedy into a personal triumph, to turn one's predicament into a human achievement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/human-potential-at-its-best-is-to-transform-a-tragedy-into-a-personal/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [“The truth - that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/the-truth-that-love-is-the-ultimate-and-the-highest-goal-to-which-man-2/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) [Explore all 26 Viktor Frankl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) ## More Control quotes > [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“You can't control who loves you...you can't let someone love you anymore than you can make someone love you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/you-can-t-control-who-loves-you-you-can-t-let-someone-love-you/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/) [Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/) > [Don't think you can...know you can! You human body is the most impressive tool you'll ever own. Even if you can't control everything, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/don-t-think-you-can-know-you-can-you-human-body-is-the-most/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [If you have everything under control, you're not moving fast enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/if-you-have-everything-under-control-you-re-not-moving-fast-enough/) [Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/) > [“Without time management, you lose control of your life and do what other people tell you to do. You lose control and become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-miller/without-time-management-you-lose-control-of-your-life-and-do-what/) Thomas Miller > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/many-of-us-rely-on-our-own-illusion-of-control-but-when-god-makes-it/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [Some nights I'm funny with the between-song commentary, some nights I'm not. I have no control over this. I pace the stage a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/some-nights-i-m-funny-with-the-between-song-commentary-some-nights-i/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Browse all 6,032 Control quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We have absolutely no control over what happens to us in life but what we have paramount control over is how we respond to those events.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viktor Frankl" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/we-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what-happens-to-us-in-life-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Control" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/we-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what-happens-to-us-in-life-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/viktor-frankl-18420_control_we-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what_1237337.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/viktor-frankl-18420_control_we-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what_1237337.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/viktor-frankl-18420_control_we-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what_1237337.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have absolutely no control over what happens to us in life but what we have paramount control over is how…” — Viktor Frankl", "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": "Viktor Frankl", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We have absolutely no control over...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/we-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what-happens-to-us-in-life-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/we-have-absolutely-no-control-over-what-happens-to-us-in-life-but/#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 } } ] } ```