Remember that pain has this most excellent quality: if prolonged it cannot be severe, and if severe it cannot be prolonged.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
The real problem is not why some pious, humble, believing people suffer, but why some do not.
—C. S. Lewis (1898–1963) Irish-British Academic, Author, Literary Scholar
Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
Nobody abuses us more than we abuse ourselves.
—Miguel Angel Ruiz (b.1952) Mexican Author, Spiritualist
Lack of understanding is always painful.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
Pain and pleasure, like light and darkness, succeed each other; and he only who knows how to accommodate himself to their returns, and can wisely extract the good from the evil, knows how to live.
—Laurence Sterne (1713–68) Irish Anglican Novelist, Clergyman
Pain, scorned by yonder gout-ridden wretch, endured by yonder dyspeptic in the midst of his dainties, borne bravely by the girl in travail. Slight thou art, if I can bear thee, short thou art if I cannot bear thee!
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Without an uninvestigated story, there’s only the perfection of life appearing as itself. You can always go inside and find the beauty that’s revealed after the pain and fear are understood.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
This horror of pain is a rather low instinct and… if I think of human beings I’ve known and of my own life, such as it is, I can’t recall any case of pain which didn’t, on the whole, enrich life.
—Malcolm Muggeridge (1903–90) English Journalist, Author, Satirist, Media Personality
He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Pain is such an uncomfortable feeling that even a tiny amount of it is enough to ruin every enjoyment.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
One pain is lessened by another’s anguish.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
All pain is either severe or slight, if slight, it is easily endured; if severe, it will without doubt be brief.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
Hurt’s a reason to change, but all the hurt in the world don’t change facts.
—Stephen King (b.1947) American Novelist, Screenwriter, Columnist, Film Director
Pain is real when you get other people to believe in it. If no one believes in it but you, your pain is madness or hysteria.
—Naomi Wolf (b.1962) American Writer, Journalist
When there is pain, there are no words. All pain is the same.
—Toni Morrison (1931–2019) American Novelist, Editor, Academic
Do you want a sign that you’re asleep? Here it is: you’re suffering. Suffering is a sign that you’re out of touch with the truth. Suffering is given to you that you might open your eyes to the truth, that you might understand that there’s falsehood somewhere, just as physical pain is given to you so you will understand that there is disease or illness somewhere. Suffering occurs when you clash with reality. When your illusions clash with reality, when your falsehoods clash with truth, then you have suffering. Otherwise there is no suffering.
—Anthony de Mello (1931–87) Indian-born American Theologian
Child development: Most damaging course of action is attempting to keep children from experience or protect them from pain, for it is this time that children learn that life is a magic thing, if “not a rose garden”. The parent’s role is primarily to stand by with a good supply of band-aids.
—Leo Buscaglia (1924–98) American Motivational Speaker
Pleasure that is obtained by unreasonable and unsuitable cost, must always end in pain.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Forget the pain. Learn to endure. Focus your attention elsewhere.
—Marlo Morgan (1937–98) American Novelist, Author
There is no more lively sensation than that of pain; its impressions are certain and dependable, they never deceive as may those of the pleasure women perpetually feign and almost never experience.
—Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) French Writer
The pain that’s created by avoiding hard work is actually much worse than any pain created from the actual work itself. Because if you don’t begin to work on those ideas that God has blessed you with, they will become stagnant inside of you and eventually begin to eat away at you. You might seem OK on the outside, but inside you will be ill from not getting those ideas out of your heart and into the world. Stalling leads to sickness. But taking steps, even baby steps, always leads to success.
—Russell Simmons (b.1957) American Music Promoter
Pain may be said to follow pleasure, as its shadow; but the misfortune is, that the substance belongs to the shadow, and the emptiness to its cause.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
The pain shows you what’s left to investigate.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
To banish cares, scare away sorrow and soothe pain is the business of the poet and singer.
—Friedrich von Bodenstedt (1819–92) German Poet, Educator
Wisdom is nothing more than healed pain.
—Robert E. Lee (1807–70) Confederate General during American Civil War
A man of pleasure is a man of pains.
—Edward Young (1683–1765) English Poet
There was never yet philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently, however they have writ the style of gods, and made a pish at chance and sufferance.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
—Buddhist Teaching
For we are born in other’s pain, and perish in our own.
—Francis Thompson (1859–1907) English Poet, Ascetic
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