---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Remember, don't start trying to relax…"
description: "\"Remember, don't start trying to relax; that is the most absurd thing in the world. And there are many stupid people writing books about relaxation. I h..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a4/anonymous-1_absurd_remember-don-t-start-trying-to-relax-tha_2616638.jpg"
---

#  Remember, don't start trying to relax; that is the most…

![“Remember, don't start trying to relax; that is the most absurd thing in the world. And there are many stupid people writing books about relaxation. I have come across one book - the name of the book is YOU MUST RELAX! Now that very word 'must' is enough to keep you tense. Relaxation cannot be a…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a4/anonymous-1_absurd_remember-don-t-start-trying-to-relax-tha_2616638.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a4/anonymous-1_absurd_remember-don-t-start-trying-to-relax-tha_2616638.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a4/anonymous-1_absurd_remember-don-t-start-trying-to-relax-tha_2616638.jpg)

> “Remember, don't start trying to relax; that is the most absurd thing in the world. And there are many stupid people writing books about relaxation. I have come across one book - the name of the book is YOU MUST RELAX! Now that very word 'must' is enough to keep you tense. Relaxation cannot be a "must," it cannot be an effort.”

[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.

The quote warns that forcing relaxation creates tension, and that prescribing it as a duty is counterproductive.

**In simple terms:** Trying to force relaxation makes you more tense.

Key Takeaway

Avoid mandating relaxation; let it happen naturally.

Themes

stress relaxation authenticity

Mood

irritated skeptical

Type

cynical critical

When to use this quote

- workplace stress
- personal wellness
- self‑help reading
- mindfulness practice

Key Concepts

psychology behavioral conditioning

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we feel pressured to relax?
- How can we cultivate ease without imposing it?

A Different Perspective

If you label something as a must, you may resist it, reducing its effectiveness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Absurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Relax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relax/) [Relaxation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relaxation/) [Relaxation Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relaxation-effort-2073087/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid/) [Stupid people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid-people/) [Tense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tense/) [Tense Relaxation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tense-relaxation-1791783/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Trying Relax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-relax-1472517/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing a book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-a-book/)

## Related quotes

> [Try to relax, and you will find out that you feel more tense than ever. Try harder and you will feel more tense and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/try-to-relax-and-you-will-find-out-that-you-feel-more-tense-than-ever/)

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

> [Life as such has to be taken as a cosmic joke - and then suddenly you relax because there is nothing to be tense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/life-as-such-has-to-be-taken-as-a-cosmic-joke-and-then-suddenly-you/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [I'm trying to relax, but it's hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryuichi-sakamoto/i-m-trying-to-relax-but-it-s-hard/)

[Ryuichi Sakamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryuichi-sakamoto/)

> [Anytime you exhaust yourself trying to relax, that's active leisure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/po-bronson/anytime-you-exhaust-yourself-trying-to-relax-that-s-active-leisure/)

[Po Bronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/po-bronson/)

> [Some people would call me boring, but that's just the way I am and I'm not that stressed about things: I'm just trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-odegaard/some-people-would-call-me-boring-but-that-s-just-the-way-i-am-and-i-m/)

[Martin Odegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-odegaard/)

> [I have learned to not look so much at the results and tune out the outside pressures. It has taken a lot of work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-gauff/i-have-learned-to-not-look-so-much-at-the-results-and-tune-out-the/)

[Coco Gauff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-gauff/)

> [We live in the era of smartphones and stupid people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-live-in-the-era-of-smartphones-and-stupid-people/)

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

> [God, grant me the serenity to accept the stupid people as they are, the courage to maintain self-control and the wisdom to know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-grant-me-the-serenity-to-accept-the-stupid-people-as-they-are-the/)

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

> [Guns don't kill you, Stupid people with guns kill you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/guns-don-t-kill-you-stupid-people-with-guns-kill-you/)

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

> [We live in the era of the smart phones and stupid people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-live-in-the-era-of-the-smart-phones-and-stupid-people/)

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

> [I see a lot of stupid people now a days. Stupid, arrogant people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-see-a-lot-of-stupid-people-now-a-days-stupid-arrogant-people/)

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

> [There are no stupid questions.. just stupid people :D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-no-stupid-questions-just-stupid-people-d/)

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

> [Only stupid people say, 'Welcome to my world,' which is too bad because I'd like to visit a world of more intelligent and attractive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-stupid-people-say-welcome-to-my-world-which-is-too-bad-because-i/)

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

> [I'm not cranky. I just have a violent reaction to stupid people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-cranky-i-just-have-a-violent-reaction-to-stupid-people/)

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

> [The biggest problem in the world is that stupid people are full of confidence whereas smart people are full of doubts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-biggest-problem-in-the-world-is-that-stupid-people-are-full-of/)

[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 Absurd quotes

> [“It seem absurd to me that they don't know, haven't felt any change or tremor, even as my life has been completely turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-seem-absurd-to-me-that-they-don-t-know-haven-t-felt-any-change-or/)

[Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/)

> [When a person’s tongue is extensively wrong, it is absurd, no less than unscriptural, to say that their heart is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/when-a-person-s-tongue-is-extensively-wrong-it-is-absurd-no-less-than/)

[J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/)

> [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [It is human nature to think wisely and to act in an absurd fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/it-is-human-nature-to-think-wisely-and-to-act-in-an-absurd-fashion/)

[Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/)

> [It is a dangerous and fateful presumption, besides the absurd temerity that it implies, to disdain what we do not comprehend. For after you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-dangerous-and-fateful-presumption-besides-the-absurd-temerity/)

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

> [I thought to myself: if it’s true that every person has a star in the sky, mine must be distant, dim, and absurd. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadegh-hedayat/i-thought-to-myself-if-it-s-true-that-every-person-has-a-star-in-the/)

[Sadegh Hedayat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadegh-hedayat/)

> [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [I have never heard enough classical music to be able to enjoy it; &amp; the simple truth is, I detest it. Not mildly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-have-never-heard-enough-classical-music-to-be-able-to-enjoy-it-the/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [To deprecate human reason by saying that none of us is or can be omniscient is absurd, for it takes an impossible standard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/to-deprecate-human-reason-by-saying-that-none-of-us-is-or-can-be/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [The absurd duty, too often inculcated, of obeying a parent only on account of his being a parent, shackles the mind, and prepares it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/the-absurd-duty-too-often-inculcated-of-obeying-a-parent-only-on/)

[Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/)

> [The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-workman-of-today-works-every-day-in-his-life-at-the-same-tasks/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [I was once part of a Christmas cabaret. I sang 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.' I tap-danced. I had a ten-gallon hat. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/i-was-once-part-of-a-christmas-cabaret-i-sang-i-saw-mommy-kissing/)

[Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/)

> [Solitude produces originality, bold and astonishing beauty, poetry. But solitude also produces perverseness, the disproportianate, the absurd and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/solitude-produces-originality-bold-and-astonishing-beauty-poetry-but/)

[Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/)

[Browse all 1,644 Absurd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Remember, don't start trying to relax; that is the most absurd thing in the world. And there are many stupid people writing books about relaxation. I have come across one book - the name of the book is YOU MUST RELAX! Now that very word 'must' is enough to keep you tense. Relaxation cannot be a \"must,\" it cannot be an effort.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anonymous"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/remember-don-t-start-trying-to-relax-that-is-the-most-absurd-thing-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Absurd"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/remember-don-t-start-trying-to-relax-that-is-the-most-absurd-thing-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a4/anonymous-1_absurd_remember-don-t-start-trying-to-relax-tha_2616638.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a4/anonymous-1_absurd_remember-don-t-start-trying-to-relax-tha_2616638.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a4/anonymous-1_absurd_remember-don-t-start-trying-to-relax-tha_2616638.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Remember, don't start trying to relax; that is the most absurd thing in the world. And there are many stupid…” — 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": "Remember, don't start trying to relax;...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/remember-don-t-start-trying-to-relax-that-is-the-most-absurd-thing-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/remember-don-t-start-trying-to-relax-that-is-the-most-absurd-thing-in/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
