--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We cannot be more sensitive to pleasure…" description: "\"We cannot be more sensitive to pleasure without being more sensitive to pain.\" — Alan Watts" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b9/alan-watts-587_pain_we-cannot-be-more-sensitive-to-pleasure_1222601.jpg" --- # We cannot be more sensitive to pleasure without being more… ![“We cannot be more sensitive to pleasure without being more sensitive to pain.” quote by Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b9/alan-watts-587_pain_we-cannot-be-more-sensitive-to-pleasure_1222601.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b9/alan-watts-587_pain_we-cannot-be-more-sensitive-to-pleasure_1222601.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b9/alan-watts-587_pain_we-cannot-be-more-sensitive-to-pleasure_1222601.jpg) > “We cannot be more sensitive to pleasure without being more sensitive to pain.” [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Increased sensitivity to pleasure inevitably heightens sensitivity to pain. **In simple terms:** More pleasure means more pain. Key Takeaway Seek balance between pleasure and discomfort. Themes philosophy well‑being dualism Mood contemplative balanced Type spiritual self-help When to use this quote - addiction recovery - creative work - relationship dynamics - spiritual practice Key Concepts hedonism pain perception mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How do you manage pleasure and pain? - Can you find joy without amplifying pain? A Different Perspective The relationship may be non‑linear and context‑dependent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Pleasure Sensitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure-sensitive-3749383/) [Sensitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensitive/) [Sensitive Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensitive-pain-3749382/) [Sensitive Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensitive-pleasure-3749384/) ## Related quotes > [I'm very, very sensitive to pain and to people who suffer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-cornwell/i-m-very-very-sensitive-to-pain-and-to-people-who-suffer/) [Patricia Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-cornwell/) > [“Whether I’m unduly sensitive to this pain because I’m a princess—could the whole world be the pea under my mattress?—I don’t know, but because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/whether-i-m-unduly-sensitive-to-this-pain-because-i-m-a-princess/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Sport inevitably creates deadness of feeling. 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People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/pain-is-meant-to-wake-us-up-people-try-to-hide-their-pain-but-they-re/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [“If I let myself think of it the pain and anger were still fresh, adrenalin racing down my limbs to pool, hot and itchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-ladd/if-i-let-myself-think-of-it-the-pain-and-anger-were-still-fresh/) [Kylie Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-ladd/) > [“I locked the door and turned on the water to fill the tub. 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The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [It hurts wanting the best for someone you love, even if they feel the best isn't you. That's real love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-hurts-wanting-the-best-for-someone-you-love-even-if-they-feel-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tryna hide this pain with these pain killers, she said the storms only will last a little while but shit it got me feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/tryna-hide-this-pain-with-these-pain-killers-she-said-the-storms-only/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myself/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“What is there, in the mention of Time To Come, that is so quick to wrench at the heart, to inflict a pain in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-llewellyn/what-is-there-in-the-mention-of-time-to-come-that-is-so-quick-to/) [Richard Llewellyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-llewellyn/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Stop trying to give me hope ... 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