When you look at the Moon, you think, "I’m really small. What are my problems?" It sets things into perspective. We should all look at the Moon a bit more often.

The remark uses the Moon as a readily available object of contemplation that induces “cosmic perspective.” By confronting something vast, distant, and indifferent to human affairs, the speaker suggests our anxieties shrink to a more manageable scale. The quote aligns with de Botton’s recurring theme that emotional well-being can be cultivated through deliberate habits of attention—seeking out experiences (art, travel, nature, the night sky) that reframe self-importance and interrupt rumination. It is not a call to dismiss real problems, but to place them within a wider frame that can reduce panic, restore proportion, and encourage calmer, more humane judgment.