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Don't take anything personally. Even when a situation seems so personal, even if others insult you directly, it has nothing to do with you. Their point of view and opinion come from all the programming they received growing up. When you take things personally, you feel offended and your reaction is to defend your beliefs and create conflict. You make something big out of something so little because you have the need to be right and make everybody else wrong.
Miguel Angel Ruiz
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the importance of not taking insults or criticisms personally, as they often reflect the issuer's own experiences and beliefs.

Miguel Angel Ruiz's quote encourages individuals to detach their self-worth from others' opinions, highlighting that many criticisms stem from the personal histories and biases of those who offer them. By understanding that these opinions are a reflection of the speaker's own programming rather than a true judgment of oneself, one can avoid unnecessary conflict and maintain inner peace. Taking things personally often leads to defensiveness and escalating tensions, whereas recognizing the broader context can foster a more serene approach to interpersonal interactions.

Themes

PersonalOpinionsConflictSelf-WorthPerspective

In practice

Example use cases

During a team meeting where feedback might be personal, I would remind everyone, 'Don't take anything personally.'

More from Miguel Angel Ruiz

We have a tendency to make assumptions about everything! The problem with making assumptions is that we believe they are truth. We could swear they are real. We make assumptions about what others are doing or thinking-we take it personally-then we blame them and react by sending emotional poison in our word. That is why whenever we make assumptions, we're asking for problems. We make assumptions, we misunderstand, we take it personally, and we end up creating a whole big drama for nothing.
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...What you are is a force--a force that makes it possible for your body to live, a force that makes it possible for your whole mind to dream...You are life
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What you will see is love coming out of the trees, love coming out of the sky, love coming out of the light. You will perceive love from everything around you. This is the state of bliss.
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Humans punish themselves endlessly for not being what they believe they should be. They become very self-abusive, and they use other people to abuse themselves as well.
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When we try to describe the truth with words, we distort it and it's no longer truth--it's our story. The story may be true for us, but that doesn't mean it's true for anyone else.
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When we believe in lies, we cannot see the truth, so we make thousands of assumptions and we take them as truth. One of the biggest assumptions we make is that the lies we believe are the truth!
Miguel Angel RuizRead

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Quote by Miguel Angel Ruiz | QuoteProject