It’s all optional; do it or die.

You would think death was an optional extra nowadays. Nobody wants to tick that box.

— David Hockney

“Misery is optional.”

— Gary Paulsen

Pain in life is inevitable but suffering is not. Pain is what the world does to you, suffering is what you do to yourself…

— Gautama Buddha

“Bearing one another’s burdens is not easy, but it is also not optional.”

— Francis Chan

“Of all the components of the ecosystem, humans are the only ones we know to be completely optional.”

— Herb Hammond

Teaching my kids to give back is an essential part of parenting. It's not something that's optional. Compassion is one of the basic values…

— Kate Snow

Breathing is optional, but I need some air.

— Isaac Marion

I don't have the slightest interest in gold. I like understanding what works and what doesn't in human systems. To me that's not optional;…

— Charlie Munger

Failing is not real, it's an optional state of mind.

— Behdad Sami

I gave a talk on gender stuff at Facebook one morning and a man didn't come. It was optional; he didn't have to come.…

— Sheryl Sandberg

The Church is the Church in her worship. Worship is not an optional extra, but is of the very life and essence of the…

— J. B. Torrance

Growing older is mandatory, but growing up is optional.

— Heather Brewer

There needs to be a public dawning - and it is beginning to dawn on some members of the public - that how science…

— Rush D. Holt, Jr

Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you. Pain is inevitable. Misery is optional. Physical pain…

— Barbara

Our prep's not going to be any different. It will be optional batting practice like there was today. I don't want any more work.…

— Joe Maddon