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External Things Quotes

What's outside us, and how much power it really holds.

These quotes range from philosophical reflections on how thought shapes our perception of the outside world to a much more personal stance: refusing to blame external circumstances like the economy or taxes for one's own outcomes.

We cannot observe external things without some degree of Thought; nor can we reflect upon our Thoughts, without being influenced in the course of our reflection by the Things which we have observed.

Quotes by William Whewell

The principle we call self-love never seeks anything external for the sake of the thing, but only as a means of happiness or good: particular affections rest in the external things themselves.

Quotes by Joseph Butler

I don't blame or complain about things like the economy, the government, taxes, employees, gas prices, or any of the external things that I don't have control over. The only thing I have control over is my response to these...

Quotes by Jack Canfield

Fighting in general, but especially when I was younger, was tough to deal with because there are so many external things going on that want to control you that most people have no clue about.

Quotes by Eddie Alvarez

Being Quotes

To me the ego is the habitual and compulsive thought processes that go through everybody's mind continuously. External things like possessions or memories or failures or successes or achievements. Your personal history.

Quotes by Eckhart Tolle

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Frequently Asked Questions

What philosophical point do these quotes make about external things?
One quote argues we can't observe the outside world without some degree of thought shaping that observation in the first place.
Do these quotes encourage blaming outside circumstances for problems?
No, one speaker explicitly refuses to blame things like the economy or taxes, focusing instead on what they can personally control.
Is self-love connected to external things here?
Yes, one quote argues that self-love isn't really about external things themselves, but about what they can provide toward happiness.
Does fighting or sports come up in this context?
One speaker reflects on how many outside pressures try to control a person during a fight, especially when they're younger and less prepared for it.
What's the overall takeaway from this collection?
That external circumstances matter less than how a person chooses to respond to them, a theme reinforced on the Control page.

Another speaker connects this to the discipline of fighting, describing how many external pressures try to control a person before they even realize it. The Being quotes explore a related contrast between the internal and external self.