--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And I find I must remember that the pain…" description: "\"“And I find I must remember that the pain is not its own reason for being. It is a part of living. And the only kind of pain that is intolerable is pai..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4f/audre-lorde-758_art-of-living_and-i-find-i-must-remember-that-the-pain_235892.jpg" --- # And I find I must remember that the pain is not its own… ![“And I find I must remember that the pain is not its own reason for being. It is a part of living. And the only kind of pain that is intolerable is pain that is wasteful, pain from which we do not learn. And I think that we must learn to distinguish between the two.” quote by Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4f/audre-lorde-758_art-of-living_and-i-find-i-must-remember-that-the-pain_235892.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4f/audre-lorde-758_art-of-living_and-i-find-i-must-remember-that-the-pain_235892.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4f/audre-lorde-758_art-of-living_and-i-find-i-must-remember-that-the-pain_235892.jpg) > ““And I find I must remember that the pain is not its own reason for being. It is a part of living. And the only kind of pain that is intolerable is pain that is wasteful, pain from which we do not learn. And I think that we must learn to distinguish between the two.”” [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pain is inevitable, but only suffering that yields no growth is truly harmful; we should learn from pain. **In simple terms:** Pain is natural; useless pain hurts more. Key Takeaway Learn from pain, avoid wasteful suffering. Themes growth resilience self-awareness Mood reflective determined hopeful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - grief counseling - personal development - health recovery - creative work - education Key Concepts existentialism psychology mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn painful experiences into lessons? - What pain in your life feels wasteful? A Different Perspective Pain without learning can become destructive, leading to stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art of living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-of-living/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) ## Related quotes > [In the case of most pains let this remark of Epicurus aid thee, that the pain is neither intolerable nor everlasting, if thou bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/in-the-case-of-most-pains-let-this-remark-of-epicurus-aid-thee-that/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [You have to be an ally in a difficult time and not turn on yourself with self-shaming thoughts, which makes facing pain intolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/you-have-to-be-an-ally-in-a-difficult-time-and-not-turn-on-yourself/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) > [He is the reason I live. He is the reason I breathe. He is the reason my wrist are bare of cuts and pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-is-the-reason-i-live-he-is-the-reason-i-breathe-he-is-the-reason/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Your Pain May Be The Reason For Somebody's Laugh, But Your Laugh Must Never Be The Reason For Somebody's Pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/your-pain-may-be-the-reason-for-somebody-s-laugh-but-your-laugh-must/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [God has purpose for your pain, a reason for your struggle, and a gift for your faithfulness. Don't give up!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-has-purpose-for-your-pain-a-reason-for-your-struggle-and-a-gift/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let My Pain May Be The Reason for Someones Laugh, But My Laugh Must Never Be The Reason for theres Pain!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-my-pain-may-be-the-reason-for-someones-laugh-but-my-laugh-must/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Pain is beyond reason, an obliterating giant stupidity to which all your history of jokes and nuance and ideas and caresses is nothing, simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/pain-is-beyond-reason-an-obliterating-giant-stupidity-to-which-all/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [God has a purpose for your pain, a reason for your struggles, and a reward for your faithfulness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-has-a-purpose-for-your-pain-a-reason-for-your-struggles-and-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It was incomprehensible to me that someone who had never seen me before, someone who knew absolutely nothing about me, would want to inflict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/it-was-incomprehensible-to-me-that-someone-who-had-never-seen-me/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [It's Hard To Remember, Anything In Life, Except Pain And The Reason Behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-andy/it-s-hard-to-remember-anything-in-life-except-pain-and-the-reason/) [Nikhil Andy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-andy/) > [My Pain May Be The Reason For Somebody's Laug.But My Laugh Must Never Be The Reason For Somebody's Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-pain-may-be-the-reason-for-somebody-s-laug-but-my-laugh-must-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Pain. 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Memories will make you the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/in-life-something-from-everything-will-leave-a-mark-on-your-heart-it/) Myself ## More by Audre Lorde > [Every woman I have ever loved has left her print upon me, where I loved some invaluable piece of myself apart from me-so different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/every-woman-i-have-ever-loved-has-left-her-print-upon-me-where-i/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [There are many kinds of open. . . Love is a word, another kind of open. . . Take my word for jewel in your open light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/there-are-many-kinds-of-open-love-is-a-word-another-kind-of-open-take/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Your silence will not protect you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/your-silence-will-not-protect-you/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [I can't really define it in sexual terms alone although our sexuality is so energizing why not enjoy it too?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-can-t-really-define-it-in-sexual-terms-alone-although-our-sexuality/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“For once we begin to feel deeply all the aspects of our lives, we begin to demand from ourselves and from our life-pursuits that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/for-once-we-begin-to-feel-deeply-all-the-aspects-of-our-lives-we/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [the fear of death is that you are dying too soon. 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If that was the only good deed that lady ever did in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-learned-to-read-from-mrs-augusta-baker-the-children-s-librarian-if/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Poetry is not only dream and vision; it is the skeleton architecture of our lives. It lays the foundations for a future of change,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/poetry-is-not-only-dream-and-vision-it-is-the-skeleton-architecture/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“I think that in America there are certain kinds of problems and in Russia there are certain kinds of problems, but basically, when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-think-that-in-america-there-are-certain-kinds-of-problems-and-in/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Institutionalized rejection of differences is an absolute necessity in a profit economy which needs outsiders as surplus people. As members of such an economy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/institutionalized-rejection-of-differences-is-an-absolute-necessity/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [The sharing of joy, whether physical, emotional, psychic, or intellectual, forms a bridge between the sharers which can be the basis for understanding much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/the-sharing-of-joy-whether-physical-emotional-psychic-or-intellectual/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“I forgot what we were celebrating. Because we were always celebrating something, a new job, a new poem, a new love, a new dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-forgot-what-we-were-celebrating-because-we-were-always-celebrating/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [How a diamond comes into a knot of flame How a sound comes into a word, coloured By who pays what for speaking. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/how-a-diamond-comes-into-a-knot-of-flame-how-a-sound-comes-into-a/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) [Explore all 377 Audre Lorde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) ## More Art of living quotes > [ “I realized Jack \[Kerouac\] was deeply committed to writing. Kesey was just as deeply committed to living and experiencing the lives of others; for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-lord/i-realized-jack-kerouac-was-deeply-committed-to-writing-kesey-was/) [Sterling Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-lord/) > [because everybody lies. 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Pastor and author Max Lucado says, “Lower your expectations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inc-barbour-publishing/trials-and-troubles-are-an-everyday-part-of-living-here-in-a-fallen/) [Inc. Barbour Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inc-barbour-publishing/) > [“He knew it would take as many years as he could think of now to forget the tracks, no matter how deeply buried. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/he-knew-it-would-take-as-many-years-as-he-could-think-of-now-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Maturity implies otherness... The art of living is the art of living with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-gordon/maturity-implies-otherness-the-art-of-living-is-the-art-of-living-with/) Julius Gordon > [The Art of Living course is designed to detox the body, and in this process the body is left calmer, and people are left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhea-pillai/the-art-of-living-course-is-designed-to-detox-the-body-and-in-this/) [Rhea Pillai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhea-pillai/) > [If workers are overworked, or companies hire temps at low wages, this fundamentally comes down to the quality of life for a person. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/if-workers-are-overworked-or-companies-hire-temps-at-low-wages-this/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [There's no such thing as civilization. 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