---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Poison and medicine are often the same…"
description: "\"Poison and medicine are often the same thing, given in different proportions\" — Alice Sebold"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/116/alice-sebold-999_different_poison-and-medicine-are-often-the-same-t_2233733.jpg"
---

#  Poison and medicine are often the same thing, given in…

![“Poison and medicine are often the same thing, given in different proportions” quote by Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/116/alice-sebold-999_different_poison-and-medicine-are-often-the-same-t_2233733.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/116/alice-sebold-999_different_poison-and-medicine-are-often-the-same-t_2233733.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/116/alice-sebold-999_different_poison-and-medicine-are-often-the-same-t_2233733.jpg)

> “Poison and medicine are often the same thing, given in different proportions”

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote suggests that substances can be both harmful and beneficial depending on dosage.

**In simple terms:** Things can be both harmful and helpful based on amount.

Key Takeaway

Consider dosage when evaluating impact.

Themes

health balance perspective

Mood

cautious reflective

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- medicine
- environmental toxins
- personal habits

Key Concepts

pharmacology dual nature

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you assess when something is helpful vs harmful?
- What factors determine the right proportion?

A Different Perspective

Effectiveness varies with proportion; misuse can cause harm.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Poison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poison/)

## Related quotes

> [Use what seems like poison as medicine. Use your personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/use-what-seems-like-poison-as-medicine-use-your-personal-suffering-as/)

[Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/)

> [We are supposed to call poison medicine and we wonder why we're always sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/we-are-supposed-to-call-poison-medicine-and-we-wonder-why-we-re/)

[Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/)

> [“Apparently, all men were the same. It was like God had given them different faces just so that women would be able to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajaa-alsanea/apparently-all-men-were-the-same-it-was-like-god-had-given-them/)

Rajaa Alsanea

> [Every day you use dozens of products that have strong chemicals in them, but remember, the only difference between poison and medicine is dosage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-mcclendon/every-day-you-use-dozens-of-products-that-have-strong-chemicals-in/)

[Aubrey McClendon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-mcclendon/)

> [Everyday he got up. Before sleep wore off, he was who he used to be. Then, as his consciousness woke, it was as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/everyday-he-got-up-before-sleep-wore-off-he-was-who-he-used-to-be/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [As it can be maintained that all the great advances have come from men under forty, so the history of the world shows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/as-it-can-be-maintained-that-all-the-great-advances-have-come-from/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [By measuring the proportion of children living with the same parents from birth and whether their parents report a good quality relationship we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-duncan-smith/by-measuring-the-proportion-of-children-living-with-the-same-parents/)

[Iain Duncan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-duncan-smith/)

> [I have thoroughly tried school-keeping, and found that my expenses were in proportion, or rather out of proportion, to my income,for I was obliged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-and-found-that-my-expenses/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [“But the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Every words that serves no function, every long word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/but-the-secret-of-good-writing-is-to-strip-every-sentence-to-its/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [...a writer's works, like the water in an artesian well, mount to a height which is in proportion to the depth to which suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/a-writer-s-works-like-the-water-in-an-artesian-well-mount-to-a-height/)

[Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/)

> [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [The risk of developing carcinoma of the lung increases steadily as the amount smoked increases. If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/)

Richard Doll

> [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/)

Burne Hogarth

> [The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/the-majority-is-never-right-never-i-tell-you-that-s-one-of-these-lies/)

[Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/)

> [Poetry fettered, fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetry, painting, and music are destroyed or flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/poetry-fettered-fetters-the-human-race-nations-are-destroyed-or/)

[William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

## More by Alice Sebold

> [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [I left my mark on that man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-left-my-mark-on-that-man/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [These things, she felt, were not to be passed around like disingenuous party favors. She kept an honor code with her journals and her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/these-things-she-felt-were-not-to-be-passed-around-like-disingenuous/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [I don't think ignorance is a way that you gain distance on something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-don-t-think-ignorance-is-a-way-that-you-gain-distance-on-something/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [I was like I was in science class: I was curious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-was-like-i-was-in-science-class-i-was-curious/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [“There are secret rooms inside us,” I had said to my therapist. “A relatively benign construct,” he said, and so I did not bother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/there-are-secret-rooms-inside-us-i-had-said-to-my-therapist-a/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [“This is just a temporary hell, not a permanent one”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/this-is-just-a-temporary-hell-not-a-permanent-one/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [“And a soul would run by a living being, touch them softly on the shoulder or cheek, and continue on its way to heaven.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/and-a-soul-would-run-by-a-living-being-touch-them-softly-on-the/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [As if in the other side of his kiss there could ve a new life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/as-if-in-the-other-side-of-his-kiss-there-could-ve-a-new-life/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [“My little brother's greatest fear was that the one person who meant so much to him would go away. He loved Lindsey and Grandma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/my-little-brother-s-greatest-fear-was-that-the-one-person-who-meant/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [“She listened for the pain in my words, not to the narrative itself. She was intuiting what it meant to me, what was most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/she-listened-for-the-pain-in-my-words-not-to-the-narrative-itself-she/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [The relationship with the words someone uses is more intimate and integrated than just a quick read and a blurb can ever be. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/the-relationship-with-the-words-someone-uses-is-more-intimate-and/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [Ruth hadn't talked to my sister since before my death, and then it was only to excuse herself in the hallway at school. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/ruth-hadn-t-talked-to-my-sister-since-before-my-death-and-then-it-was/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [Since then I've always thought that under rape in the dictionary it should tell the truth. It is not just forcible intercourse; rape means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/since-then-i-ve-always-thought-that-under-rape-in-the-dictionary-it/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [I live in a world where two truths coexist: where both hell and hope lie in the palm of my hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-live-in-a-world-where-two-truths-coexist-where-both-hell-and-hope/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

[Explore all 302 Alice Sebold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

## More Different quotes

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/)

[Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/)

> [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/)

[Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/)

> [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/)

[Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/)

> [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/)

[David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/)

> [One of the reasons that I do a lot of different kinds of pictures is because I learn a lot when I'm doing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-jason-leigh/one-of-the-reasons-that-i-do-a-lot-of-different-kinds-of-pictures-is/)

[Jennifer Jason Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-jason-leigh/)

> [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/)

[Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [Suffering did different things to different people...Some souls became tempered, unshakable in their faith, while others became twisted and mis-shapen, throwing off all connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ragen/suffering-did-different-things-to-different-people-some-souls-became/)

[Naomi Ragen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ragen/)

> [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/)

[Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/)

> [I always aspired to do something different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayushmann-khurrana/i-always-aspired-to-do-something-different/)

[Ayushmann Khurrana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayushmann-khurrana/)

> [The talk shows in the States want celebrities, not authors. In France, it is different; writers are called upon to comment on everything. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-talk-shows-in-the-states-want-celebrities-not-authors-in-france/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/)

[Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/)

Browse all 28,697 Different quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Poison and medicine are often the same thing, given in different proportions",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alice Sebold"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/poison-and-medicine-are-often-the-same-thing-given-in-different/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Different"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/poison-and-medicine-are-often-the-same-thing-given-in-different/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/116/alice-sebold-999_different_poison-and-medicine-are-often-the-same-t_2233733.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/116/alice-sebold-999_different_poison-and-medicine-are-often-the-same-t_2233733.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/116/alice-sebold-999_different_poison-and-medicine-are-often-the-same-t_2233733.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Poison and medicine are often the same thing, given in different proportions” — Alice Sebold",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Alice Sebold",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Poison and medicine are often the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/poison-and-medicine-are-often-the-same-thing-given-in-different/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/poison-and-medicine-are-often-the-same-thing-given-in-different/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
