--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The world is a looking-glass, and gives…" description: "\"The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown at it, and it will in turn look sourly upon you; laugh ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_choices_the-world-is-a-looking-glass-and-gives-b_755596.jpg" --- # The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man… ![“The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown at it, and it will in turn look sourly upon you; laugh at it and with it, and it is a jolly kind companion; and so let all young persons take their choice.” quote by William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_choices_the-world-is-a-looking-glass-and-gives-b_755596.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_choices_the-world-is-a-looking-glass-and-gives-b_755596.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_choices_the-world-is-a-looking-glass-and-gives-b_755596.jpg) > “The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown at it, and it will in turn look sourly upon you; laugh at it and with it, and it is a jolly kind companion; and so let all young persons take their choice.” [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life reflects how we treat it; negativity breeds negativity, while positivity invites kindness. **In simple terms:** Treat life kindly for a kind response. Key Takeaway Choose positivity in interactions. Themes reflection choice kindness Mood thoughtful hopeful Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - daily interactions - teaching children - conflict resolution - self-improvement Key Concepts reciprocity self-fulfilling prophecy personal agency Questions to Reflect On - How does your attitude affect others? - Can you find balance between realism and optimism? A Different Perspective Optimism may overlook legitimate grievances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Companion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companion/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-back/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) [Self-Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-awareness-2/) [Vanity fair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity-fair/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The world is a looking glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/the-world-is-a-looking-glass-and-gives-back-to-every-man-the-2/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [The world is a looking glass. It gives back to every man a true reflection of his own thoughts. 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Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [“Father Brown was made of two men. There was a man of action, who was as modest as a primrose and as punctual as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/father-brown-was-made-of-two-men-there-was-a-man-of-action-who-was-as/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“He saw the reflection of her face in a compact mirror as she painted on her re lips. She did it with such care,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-joyce/he-saw-the-reflection-of-her-face-in-a-compact-mirror-as-she-painted/) [Rachel Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-joyce/) > [It's torment to look in the mirror and not recognize the man in the reflection. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) Alison James > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. 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