--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All suffering comes from a person's…" description: "\"All suffering comes from a person's inability to sit still and be alone.\" — Anthony de Mello" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/anthony-de-mello-1331_inability_all-suffering-comes-from-a-person-s-inab_2214626.png" --- # All suffering comes from a person's inability to sit still… ![“All suffering comes from a person's inability to sit still and be alone.” quote by Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/anthony-de-mello-1331_inability_all-suffering-comes-from-a-person-s-inab_2214626.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/anthony-de-mello-1331_inability_all-suffering-comes-from-a-person-s-inab_2214626.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/anthony-de-mello-1331_inability_all-suffering-comes-from-a-person-s-inab_2214626.png) > “All suffering comes from a person's inability to sit still and be alone.” [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human distress often stems from restlessness and avoidance of solitude, preventing inner peace. **In simple terms:** Suffering comes from not being able to sit still and be alone. Key Takeaway Cultivate stillness and embrace solitude. Themes mindfulness inner peace solitude Mood contemplative calm Type advice spiritual When to use this quote - meditation - personal retreat - creative work - stress reduction Key Concepts psychology spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice stillness daily? - What benefits might solitude bring? A Different Perspective Alone time can trigger anxiety for some people. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inability/) [Inability Sit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inability-sit-1383554/) [Person Inability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-inability-3965772/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering Comes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-comes-916715/) ## Related quotes > [“A term meant to convey a person's inability to make sense of the numbers that run their lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-term-meant-to-convey-a-person-s-inability-to-make-sense-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the greatest gifts God can give to a person, is inability to see in people anything bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sams/one-of-the-greatest-gifts-god-can-give-to-a-person-is-inability-to/) [Michael Sams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sams/) > [All mankind's troubles are caused by one single thing, which is their inability to sit quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/all-mankind-s-troubles-are-caused-by-one-single-thing-which-is-their/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [All sorrow has its root in man's inability to sit quiet in a room by himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/all-sorrow-has-its-root-in-man-s-inability-to-sit-quiet-in-a-room-by/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“Dogmatism increases in direct proportion to a person's inability to prove a point.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-j-walters/dogmatism-increases-in-direct-proportion-to-a-person-s-inability-to/) [Donald J. Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-walters/) > [“All human troubles derive from our inability to sit still and alone in a room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/all-human-troubles-derive-from-our-inability-to-sit-still-and-alone/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“all of man's problems come from the inability to sit quietly in a room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/all-of-man-s-problems-come-from-the-inability-to-sit-quietly-in-a-room/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [When suffering comes, we yearn for some sign from God, forgetting we have just had one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/when-suffering-comes-we-yearn-for-some-sign-from-god-forgetting-we/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [We spend all our energy and waste our lives trying to re-create these zones of safety, which are always falling apart. That's the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/we-spend-all-our-energy-and-waste-our-lives-trying-to-re-create-these/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [After the dead are buried, after the physical pain of grief has become a permanent wound in the soul, then comes the transcendent and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-dubus/after-the-dead-are-buried-after-the-physical-pain-of-grief-has-become/) [Andre Dubus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-dubus/) > [Most of our suffering comes from sin and stupidity; it is, nevertheless, very real, and growth can occur with real repentance. But the highest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/most-of-our-suffering-comes-from-sin-and-stupidity-it-is-nevertheless/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [“To you I speak with much hesitation about suffering. . . . But there is an introduction to suffering which comes with the birthpains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-kelly/to-you-i-speak-with-much-hesitation-about-suffering-but-there-is-an/) [Thomas Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-kelly/) > [“Wisdom not only comes with suffering: when it comes, it is radically unusable. (Brooks' comment on the Oedipus tragedy)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-brooks/wisdom-not-only-comes-with-suffering-when-it-comes-it-is-radically/) [Peter Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-brooks/) > [Suffering comes from not understanding or a full potential or full powers within ourselves to heal, to nurture, to nourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-tiwari/suffering-comes-from-not-understanding-or-a-full-potential-or-full/) [Maya Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-tiwari/) > [“I will be the mad woman; the broken, crazy one. I will scream and screech and rend my face and tear my hair. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-meredith/i-will-be-the-mad-woman-the-broken-crazy-one-i-will-scream-and/) [Jane Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-meredith/) ## More by Anthony de Mello > [The poor think they will be happy when they become rich. The rich think they will be happy when they are rid of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-poor-think-they-will-be-happy-when-they-become-rich-the-rich/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You only change what you understand. What you do not understand and are not aware of, you repress. You dont change. But when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-only-change-what-you-understand-what-you-do-not-understand-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A zealous disciple expressed a desire to teach others the Truth and asked the Master what he thought about this. The Master said, "Wait."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-zealous-disciple-expressed-a-desire-to-teach-others-the-truth-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [As the Arabs say, "The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/as-the-arabs-say-the-nature-of-rain-is-the-same-but-it-makes-thorns/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Sinners often speak the truth. And saints have led people astray. Examine what is said, not the one who says it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/sinners-often-speak-the-truth-and-saints-have-led-people-astray/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Isn't there such a thing as social liberation?" "Of course there is," said the Master. "How would you describe it?" "Liberation from the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/isn-t-there-such-a-thing-as-social-liberation-of-course-there-is-said/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [The important thing is not to know who "I" is or what "I" is. You'll never succeed. There are no words for it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-important-thing-is-not-to-know-who-i-is-or-what-i-is-you-ll-never/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [And increasingly - you know this and so do I we're losing the youth everywhere. They hate us; they are not interested in having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-increasingly-you-know-this-and-so-do-i-we-re-losing-the-youth/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Spirituality practiced in the state of activity is incomparably superior to that practiced in a state of withdrawel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/spirituality-practiced-in-the-state-of-activity-is-incomparably/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You know, all mystics - Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter what their religion - are unanimous on one thing:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-know-all-mystics-catholic-christian-non-christian-no-matter-what/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [There were rules in the monastery, but the Master always warned against the tyranny of the law. 'Obedience keeps the rules,' he would say.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/there-were-rules-in-the-monastery-but-the-master-always-warned/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A disciple, in his reverence for the Master, looked upon him as God incarnate. "Tell me, O Master," he said, "why you have come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-disciple-in-his-reverence-for-the-master-looked-upon-him-as-god/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [“And how about you? Do you want to understand and play the game of life or fool around with miracles?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-how-about-you-do-you-want-to-understand-and-play-the-game-of-life/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You don't have to add anything in order to be happy; you've got to drop something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-don-t-have-to-add-anything-in-order-to-be-happy-you-ve-got-to/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Rare indeed, is the relationship in which the other is not cultivated for what one can get for oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/rare-indeed-is-the-relationship-in-which-the-other-is-not-cultivated/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) [Explore all 253 Anthony de Mello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## More Inability quotes > [Our real illiteracy is our inability to create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedensreich-hundertwasser/our-real-illiteracy-is-our-inability-to-create/) [Friedensreich Hundertwasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedensreich-hundertwasser/) > [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“The inability to recruit recognition from others cripples an identity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-fuller/the-inability-to-recruit-recognition-from-others-cripples-an-identity/) [Robert W. Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-fuller/) > [God does not ask your ability Or your inability. He asks only your availability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/god-does-not-ask-your-ability-or-your-inability-he-asks-only-your/) [Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/) > [No one seems to have learned, or can remember, the magic words that calm people when they are frightened or threatened: "I'm sorry; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-tavris/no-one-seems-to-have-learned-or-can-remember-the-magic-words-that/) [Carol Tavris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-tavris/) > [“insanity is the inability to communicate your ideas. It’s as if you were in a foreign country, able to see and understand everything that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/insanity-is-the-inability-to-communicate-your-ideas-it-s-as-if-you/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“I could never rule out my own inability to focus on things that didn’t interest me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-ciana-doidge/i-could-never-rule-out-my-own-inability-to-focus-on-things-that-didn/) [Meghan Ciana Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-ciana-doidge/) > [In issues of recent ethnic wars and genocides - particularly if you look at Darfur - one of the most remarkable things is our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-daldry/in-issues-of-recent-ethnic-wars-and-genocides-particularly-if-you/) [Stephen Daldry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-daldry/) > [The inability to lie is far from the love of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-inability-to-lie-is-far-from-the-love-of-truth/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Well, I think everybody is frustrated by the finances of the U.N. and the inability to solve problems of war and peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/well-i-think-everybody-is-frustrated-by-the-finances-of-the-u-n-and/) [George H. 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That is what we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/it-pleases-our-heavenly-father-when-we-acknowledge-and-confess-to-him/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) [Browse all 587 Inability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All suffering comes from a person's inability to sit still and be alone.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anthony de Mello" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/all-suffering-comes-from-a-person-s-inability-to-sit-still-and-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Inability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/all-suffering-comes-from-a-person-s-inability-to-sit-still-and-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/anthony-de-mello-1331_inability_all-suffering-comes-from-a-person-s-inab_2214626.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/anthony-de-mello-1331_inability_all-suffering-comes-from-a-person-s-inab_2214626.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/anthony-de-mello-1331_inability_all-suffering-comes-from-a-person-s-inab_2214626.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All suffering comes from a person's inability to sit still and be alone.” — Anthony de Mello", "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": "Anthony de Mello", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "All suffering comes from a person's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/all-suffering-comes-from-a-person-s-inability-to-sit-still-and-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/all-suffering-comes-from-a-person-s-inability-to-sit-still-and-be/#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 } } ] } ```