---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you wish to avoid an unpleasant story…"
description: "\"If you wish to avoid an unpleasant story you had best put this book down\" — Anonymous"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/anonymous-1_book_if-you-wish-to-avoid-an-unpleasant-story_1365367.jpg"
---

#  If you wish to avoid an unpleasant story you had best put…

![“If you wish to avoid an unpleasant story you had best put this book down” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/anonymous-1_book_if-you-wish-to-avoid-an-unpleasant-story_1365367.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/anonymous-1_book_if-you-wish-to-avoid-an-unpleasant-story_1365367.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/anonymous-1_book_if-you-wish-to-avoid-an-unpleasant-story_1365367.jpg)

> “If you wish to avoid an unpleasant story you had best put this book down”

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## About This Quote

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

Avoiding discomfort leads to abandoning the narrative, suggesting disengagement as a coping mechanism.

**In simple terms:** Skipping uncomfortable stories. you avoid pain.

Key Takeaway

Choose engagement over avoidance.

Themes

avoidance discomfort storytelling courage

Mood

reflective hesitant

Type

cathartic introspective

When to use this quote

- reading challenging literature
- watching difficult films
- personal reflection
- therapy sessions

Key Concepts

psychological defense narrative immersion

Questions to Reflect On

- What story are you avoiding?
- How might confronting it help you?

A Different Perspective

Escapism can limit growth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/)

## Related quotes

> [“Some things must be done however much we wish to avoid them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zink/some-things-must-be-done-however-much-we-wish-to-avoid-them/)

[Michelle Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zink/)

> [You guard your hopes and pocket your dreams, you'd trade it all to avoid an unpleasant scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-squier/you-guard-your-hopes-and-pocket-your-dreams-you-d-trade-it-all-to/)

[Billy Squier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-squier/)

> [Principles are things which one calls upon to avoid something unpleasant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/multatuli/principles-are-things-which-one-calls-upon-to-avoid-something/)

[Multatuli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/multatuli/)

> [It's a mistake to try to avoid the unpleasant things in life... But I'm beginning to consider it...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/it-s-a-mistake-to-try-to-avoid-the-unpleasant-things-in-life-but-i-m/)

[Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/)

> [Monday is the ASS of a person, extremely unpleasant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/monday-is-the-ass-of-a-person-extremely-unpleasant/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Besides getting several paper cuts in the same day or receiving the news that someone in your family has betrayed you to your enemies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/besides-getting-several-paper-cuts-in-the-same-day-or-receiving-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [How ungrateful I am! He, the most benevolent, gave me a new morning to live but I still said, How unpleasant it is today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-ungrateful-i-am-he-the-most-benevolent-gave-me-a-new-morning-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I suppose even Dictators have their chummy moments, when they put their feet up and relax with the boys, but it was plain from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-suppose-even-dictators-have-their-chummy-moments-when-they-put/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We always question the bonafides of the man who tells us unpleasant facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-always-question-the-bonafides-of-the-man-who-tells-us-unpleasant/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I don't want to seem always to be criticizing your methods of voice production, Jeeves, I said, but I must inform you that that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-want-to-seem-always-to-be-criticizing-your-methods-of-voice/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [With God's help and guidance, we shall soon see the end of this most unpleasant chapter in our history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/with-god-s-help-and-guidance-we-shall-soon-see-the-end-of-this-most/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I don't know which is worse - to have somebody you DON'T like ask you to marry him or NOT have some one you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-know-which-is-worse-to-have-somebody-you-don-t-like-ask-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Things are drawing towards the end now, unless I am mistaken. There is an unpleasant time just in front of you; but keep your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/things-are-drawing-towards-the-end-now-unless-i-am-mistaken-there-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Don't blame the messenger because the message is unpleasant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-blame-the-messenger-because-the-message-is-unpleasant/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We are really going to miss trying to avoid you around here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-really-going-to-miss-trying-to-avoid-you-around-here/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Anonymous

> [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More Avoid quotes

> [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/)

[David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/)

> [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/)

[Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/)

> [I love the sea, but I avoid any sort of seaside resort that has skyscrapers or seaside entertainments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-blake/i-love-the-sea-but-i-avoid-any-sort-of-seaside-resort-that-has/)

[Quentin Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-blake/)

> [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/)

[Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/)

> [I avoid processed food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-hopkins/i-avoid-processed-food/)

[Bernard Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-hopkins/)

> [I avoid envy at all costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-winkleman/i-avoid-envy-at-all-costs/)

[Claudia Winkleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-winkleman/)

> [Patients' lives are more important than embryos. I do want to avoid the use of embryos if possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinya-yamanaka/patients-lives-are-more-important-than-embryos-i-do-want-to-avoid-the/)

[Shinya Yamanaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinya-yamanaka/)

> [I studiously avoid any academic dissections of the play and any kind of previous experience of playing. For me, it's all in the play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-studiously-avoid-any-academic-dissections-of-the-play-and-any-kind/)

[Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/)

> [The mark of the man is how he responds to situations. You're not going to avoid tough times. We're all over the barrel some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-short/the-mark-of-the-man-is-how-he-responds-to-situations-you-re-not-going/)

[Martin Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-short/)

> [God knows we are subtle creatures who are more than able to use candour to avoid acknowledging our deceptions of others and ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/god-knows-we-are-subtle-creatures-who-are-more-than-able-to-use/)

[Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/)

> [Because Techstars is an intensely productive three-month program in which product development and iteration are primary goals, we're constantly looking to streamline our program…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cohen/because-techstars-is-an-intensely-productive-three-month-program-in/)

[David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cohen/)

> [Pacifism as a mass movement aims to avoid suffering; pacifists often say that no cause is worth suffering or dying for. The ethos of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-michnik/pacifism-as-a-mass-movement-aims-to-avoid-suffering-pacifists-often/)

[Adam Michnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-michnik/)

> [Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/last-but-not-least-avoid-cliches-like-the-plague/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [When I was younger, I used humour as a tool to avoid getting too serious with people - if there was deep emotional stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-perry/when-i-was-younger-i-used-humour-as-a-tool-to-avoid-getting-too/)

[Matthew Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-perry/)

> [I'm quite tactile, so I like fabrics that feel good. I try to avoid fabrics that crease - especially with my son. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-kerr/i-m-quite-tactile-so-i-like-fabrics-that-feel-good-i-try-to-avoid/)

[Miranda Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-kerr/)

Browse all 985 Avoid quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If you wish to avoid an unpleasant story you had best put this book down",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anonymous"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-wish-to-avoid-an-unpleasant-story-you-had-best-put-this-book/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Avoid"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-wish-to-avoid-an-unpleasant-story-you-had-best-put-this-book/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/anonymous-1_book_if-you-wish-to-avoid-an-unpleasant-story_1365367.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/anonymous-1_book_if-you-wish-to-avoid-an-unpleasant-story_1365367.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/anonymous-1_book_if-you-wish-to-avoid-an-unpleasant-story_1365367.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If you wish to avoid an unpleasant story you had best put this book down” — Anonymous",
                "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": "Anonymous",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If you wish to avoid an...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-wish-to-avoid-an-unpleasant-story-you-had-best-put-this-book/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-wish-to-avoid-an-unpleasant-story-you-had-best-put-this-book/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
