Interviews and high-stakes conversations are emotional roller coasters. Learning to say to yourself this too shall pass — and truly mean it — turns each peak and valley into data, not destiny. In this post you’ll get a clear definition of this too shall pass for professionals, practical ways to apply the mindset during job interviews, sales calls, and college interviews, and hands-on techniques to reduce anxiety, avoid overconfidence, and recover after setbacks.
How does this too shall pass apply in professional contexts
At its heart, this too shall pass is a mindset of impermanence: feelings, outcomes, and situations change. In professional contexts — interviews, negotiation calls, and admissions conversations — that idea gives you psychological distance from single events. When you accept that outcomes are temporary, you:
Treat a tough question or a rejection as transient instead of definitive.
Make decisions from a longer time horizon, not from an emotional spike.
Keep learning and curiosity active because success isn’t a final endpoint.
Using this too shall pass means recognizing three common cognitive traps: permanence (believing a setback will last), pervasiveness (thinking one bad moment spoils everything), and personalization (assuming you're solely to blame). Naming these patterns helps you reframe them as temporary phenomena that you can respond to strategically rather than reactively.
What common emotional challenges make this too shall pass useful during interviews
Interviews and professional conversations trigger a predictable emotional mix:
Acute anxiety before and during interviews.
Self-doubt after a perceived misstep.
Overconfidence after praise or positive signals.
Fatigue and discouragement after repeated rejections or long processes.
This too shall pass is useful because it moderates extremes. Rather than letting anxiety define your behavior, you acknowledge: “I feel anxious now, but this too shall pass.” That tiny linguistic shift reduces the urgency of panic and opens space for deliberate actions like pausing, breathing, and choosing words.
How can this too shall pass reduce interview anxiety and pressure
Applying this too shall pass to anxiety works in three practical ways:
Reframing immediate sensations: Label the physiological signs — sweaty palms, racing thoughts — and tell yourself they’re temporary. The phrase this too shall pass normalizes the feeling and reduces its perceived power.
Cognitive distancing: Replace “I failed” with “That answer didn’t go as I intended; this too shall pass.” That distance reduces rumination and preserves problem-solving capacity.
Behavioral grounding: When you remember this too shall pass, you’re more likely to use a brief vocal pause, recalibrate your tone, or ask a clarifying question — all actions that buy time and demonstrate composure.
Small rituals amplify the effect. Amy Alpert recommends low-stakes, pleasurable breaks like baking or reading to reset perspective during long waits or uncertain stretches Amy Alpert Coaching. And when you feel stuck long-term, Tom Hanks’ simple advice — “Just wait. Just wait it out” — is a reminder that time itself changes emotional intensity and outcome probabilities Tom Hanks clip.
How can this too shall pass help avoid overconfidence and despair
The same mindset that calms anxiety also moderates success and failure.
To avoid overconfidence: Remind yourself that praise, a fast rapport, or seeming fit aren’t permanent silver bullets. Saying this too shall pass after a successful exchange keeps you humble, present, and receptive to feedback.
To avoid despair: If you bomb a question or lose an opportunity, the phrase functions as an emotional leash: it prevents catastrophic thinking and preserves motivation to try again.
Apply a “both/and” frame: you can be pleased with a win AND aware it won’t guarantee future outcomes. Conversely, you can accept disappointment AND extract learning. This balance reduces swings between arrogance and paralysis, encouraging consistent growth.
What practical strategies use this too shall pass during interview preparation
Here are actionable preparation techniques that anchor this too shall pass in your routine:
Scenario visualization: Prepare for both success and setback. Rehearse answers and also rehearse recovery lines like, “That’s a great question — may I take a moment to think?” These scripts embody this too shall pass by practicing composure.
Short detachment exercises: Use a 90-second breathing or body-scan exercise before stepping into a call to remind yourself that sensations are transient.
Mini exposure: Simulate uncomfortable moments (difficult questions, silence, pushback) in mock interviews so you learn the rhythm of recovery — and that the discomfort passes.
Record and review: Watch mock interviews to separate performance from identity. Seeing your own mistakes as useful edits reinforces that one session doesn’t define you.
Build small non-performance habits: Amy Alpert cites simple daily resets like baking or reading during uncertainty to stabilize mood and perspective Amy Alpert Coaching.
These strategies turn the abstract idea of this too shall pass into repeatable practices that reduce reactivity and increase preparedness.
How can this too shall pass help you stay grounded during sales calls and college interviews
Sales calls and college interviews share pressure: they involve persuasion and evaluation. Use this too shall pass to:
Normalize rejection rates in sales: Every “no” is data, not destiny. Catalog learnings and move to the next outreach.
Calm pacing in admissions interviews: When nerves spike, a mental reminder that this too shall pass reduces rushed answers and helps you present more genuine stories.
Balance assertiveness and humility: On calls, assertive proposals work best when paired with openness to questions and feedback — a posture that anticipates change rather than freezes on a single outcome.
In both settings, an impermanence mindset helps you listen better. If you believe events are transient, you’re more apt to ask clarifying questions, adapt mid-conversation, and pivot to solutions — behaviors that increase influence and rapport.
What real-life examples show this too shall pass in action during interviews
Examples help translate principle into practice.
Recovery from a flubbed answer: During a panel interview you forget a metric. Using this too shall pass, you acknowledge the slip, take a breath, and say, “Let me clarify that point,” then deliver a concise corrective. The interaction ends up more memorable for your composure than the mistake itself.
Process endurance after rejection: A candidate gets rejected from a role they wanted. Applying this too shall pass, they write to request feedback, refine their pitch, and land a better-aligned position months later — demonstrating that the rejection was a temporary reroute.
Sales persistence: A salesperson loses a deal. They log why it happened, adapt the proposal, and re-approach other prospects — their ability to treat loss as temporary fuels persistence and eventual wins.
Emotional reset during long waits: During multi-stage recruitment, candidates often plateau. Small activities like baking, reading, or short walks (as Amy Alpert suggests) reduce rumination and restore perspective, helping candidates stay engaged without burning out Amy Alpert Coaching.
These stories show a common throughline: time, small shifts in action, and perspective change outcomes. As the actor Tom Hanks reminds us, patience is often the practical component of this too shall pass — waiting lets emotions and probabilities settle Tom Hanks clip.
What actionable tips use this too shall pass to maintain balance in high-stress interactions
Quick, actionable checklist for interviews and calls:
Pre-interview: 90-second breathing, 30-second visualization of success and recovery, note one learning goal.
During: If floored by a question, pause, use a bridging phrase, and remember this too shall pass to dissolve urgency.
After: Debrief with three notes — what went well, what to tweak, what to let go of — and treat outcomes as data points, not value judgments.
Long-term: Track progress across months to see patterns rather than fixating on individual events.
Mind training: Practice mindfulness or short gratitude pauses to observe thoughts without fusing identity to outcomes.
Self-talk script: Replace “I failed” with “That didn’t go well; this too shall pass and I’ll improve.”
These concrete acts convert an abstract philosophy into reliable habits that protect your performance and wellbeing.
How can Verve AI Copilot help you with this too shall pass
Verve AI Interview Copilot helps you rehearse both success and setback scenarios so the reminder this too shall pass becomes muscle memory. Verve AI Interview Copilot gives real-time feedback on tone and strategy, which helps reduce anxiety because you’ve already practiced recovery moves. Verve AI Interview Copilot also provides post-practice debriefs that turn rejections into clear next steps, reinforcing impermanence and forward motion. Learn more at https://vervecopilot.com
What Are the Most Common Questions About this too shall pass
Q: Does this too shall pass mean I should be passive
A: No it encourages calm action, not resignation.
Q: How do I use this too shall pass before a big interview
A: Use short breathing, visualize outcomes, and rehearse recovery lines.
Q: Can this too shall pass stop imposter syndrome
A: It reduces permanence beliefs, easing imposter feelings over time.
Q: Will this too shall pass make me complacent after success
A: No, it keeps wins in perspective so you keep learning.
Final thoughts about using this too shall pass in your career journey
This too shall pass isn’t a platitude — it’s a tool. When you habitually apply the mindset, you change how you interpret events, respond under pressure, and plan across your career. Use it to reduce the three Ps (permanence, pervasiveness, personalization), to structure practice that includes recovery, and to build small daily habits that sustain resilience. Remember: interviews and professional conversations are episodes, not epilogues. Treat them as iterative practice, and you’ll move from reactive stress to intentional progress.
Citations and further reading
Amy Alpert Coaching on the mindset and small practices: https://www.amyalpert.com/blog-full/this-too-shall-pass
Tom Hanks on patience and waiting it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ5U37MkA2E
