--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perhaps it’s better to be unhappy than…" description: "\"“Perhaps it’s better to be unhappy than not to feel anything at all,’ I said.”\" — Barbara Pym" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ef/barbara-pym-7049_quote_perhaps-it-s-better-to-be-unhappy-than-n_2141790.jpg" --- # Perhaps it’s better to be unhappy than not to feel… ![“Perhaps it’s better to be unhappy than not to feel anything at all,’ I said.” quote by Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ef/barbara-pym-7049_quote_perhaps-it-s-better-to-be-unhappy-than-n_2141790.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ef/barbara-pym-7049_quote_perhaps-it-s-better-to-be-unhappy-than-n_2141790.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ef/barbara-pym-7049_quote_perhaps-it-s-better-to-be-unhappy-than-n_2141790.jpg) > ““Perhaps it’s better to be unhappy than not to feel anything at all,’ I said.”” [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. by Barbara Pym, 1977 **In simple terms:** Feeling any emotion, even unhappiness, is preferable to emotional numbness. Key Takeaway Feeling is better than feeling nothing. Themes Embrace emotions, even painful ones. Mood melancholic reflective Type literary emotional When to use this quote - emotional awareness - psychological health Key Concepts emotion authenticity pain Practical Applications - relationships - self‑care - creative work Questions to Reflect On - Why might people prefer numbness? - How can we safely experience discomfort? A Different Perspective Numbness can be protective in some contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) ## Related quotes > [It used to be so easy living here with you. You were light and breezy and I knew just what to do. Now you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-king/it-used-to-be-so-easy-living-here-with-you-you-were-light-and-breezy/) [Carole King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-king/) > [It is better that some should be unhappy rather than that none should be happy, which would be the case in a general state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-better-that-some-should-be-unhappy-rather-than-that-none-should/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It's better to be unhappy alone than than unhappy with someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-peaches-2/it-s-better-to-be-unhappy-alone-than-than-unhappy-with-someone/) PrInCeSs PeAcHeS > [It's better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone - so far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/it-s-better-to-be-unhappy-alone-than-unhappy-with-someone-so-far/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [People will spoil your happiness just because they have nothing better to do and because they are unhappy with their own life. Stand your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moores/people-will-spoil-your-happiness-just-because-they-have-nothing/) [Sarah Moores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moores/) > [It is always so, when we are unhappy we feel more strongly the unhappiness of others; our feeling is not shattered, but becomes concentrated...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/it-is-always-so-when-we-are-unhappy-we-feel-more-strongly-the/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [You've only got to walk into a pub or a café or anything and you'll find people talking about topics they're very unhappy with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-bean/you-ve-only-got-to-walk-into-a-pub-or-a-caf-or-anything-and-you-ll/) [Sean Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-bean/) > [Remember that for someone to be so mean, something must be going on with them. Something must be happening to make them so unhappy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-michelle-kelly/remember-that-for-someone-to-be-so-mean-something-must-be-going-on/) [Laura Michelle Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-michelle-kelly/) > [I could see no reason for being sad. It´s just that it makes me unhappy not to feel happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/i-could-see-no-reason-for-being-sad-it-s-just-that-it-makes-me/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [Nothing the desert produces expresses it better than the unhappy growth of the tree yuccas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-hunter-austin/nothing-the-desert-produces-expresses-it-better-than-the-unhappy/) [Mary Hunter Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-hunter-austin/) > [Its better to be unhappy alone then to be unhappy with someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-better-to-be-unhappy-alone-then-to-be-unhappy-with-someone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Better to keep the unhappy, mad, bad, unpleasant words separate, where you can watch them and make sure they don't surprise you when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/better-to-keep-the-unhappy-mad-bad-unpleasant-words-separate-where/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [It is better to be unhappy alone than to be unhappy with someone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-better-to-be-unhappy-alone-than-to-be-unhappy-with-someone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Its better to be unhappy alone, than to be unhappy with someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/its-better-to-be-unhappy-alone-than-to-be-unhappy-with-someone/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [It is better to be unhappy in love than unhappy in marriage, but some people manage to be both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/it-is-better-to-be-unhappy-in-love-than-unhappy-in-marriage-but-some/) [Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/) ## More by Barbara Pym > [“She had been feeling that things were pretty desperate if one found oneself talking about and almost quoting Matthew Arnold to comparative strangers, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/she-had-been-feeling-that-things-were-pretty-desperate-if-one-found/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [“He is a brilliant man, said Miss Doggett. She helped him a good deal in his work, I think. Mrs. Bonner says that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/he-is-a-brilliant-man-said-miss-doggett-she-helped-him-a-good-deal-in/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [Life is cruel and we do terrible things to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/life-is-cruel-and-we-do-terrible-things-to-each-other/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [“One wouldn't believe there could be so many people, and one must love them all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/one-wouldn-t-believe-there-could-be-so-many-people-and-one-must-love/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [“-Hoy no pareces tú misma- dijo él en tono censurador-. Espero que no haya sido el Nuits Saint Georges. -Ya sabes que no estoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/hoy-no-pareces-t-misma-dijo-l-en-tono-censurador-espero-que-no-haya/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [I stretched out my hand towards the little bookshelf where I kept cookery and devotional books, the most comfortable bedside reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/i-stretched-out-my-hand-towards-the-little-bookshelf-where-i-kept/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [“Jane felt that he would write from the depths of a wretchedness that would not necessarily be insincere because its outward signs were so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/jane-felt-that-he-would-write-from-the-depths-of-a-wretchedness-that/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [“You lose your sense of perspective when you get too close, and the charm goes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/you-lose-your-sense-of-perspective-when-you-get-too-close-and-the/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [“I hope you don’t mind tea in mugs,’ she said, coming in with a tray. ‘I told you I was a slut.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/i-hope-you-don-t-mind-tea-in-mugs-she-said-coming-in-with-a-tray-i/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [“Let me hasten to add that I am not at all like Jane Eyre, who must have given hope to so many plain women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/let-me-hasten-to-add-that-i-am-not-at-all-like-jane-eyre-who-must/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [“However romantically ill John might look, it seemed that he had nothing worse than an unromantic cold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/however-romantically-ill-john-might-look-it-seemed-that-he-had/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [The burden of keeping three people in toilet paper seemed to me rather a heavy one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/the-burden-of-keeping-three-people-in-toilet-paper-seemed-to-me/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [“How could she explain to him what her love was like? That although it was a love stronger than death, it wasn’t the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/how-could-she-explain-to-him-what-her-love-was-like-that-although-it/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [“I have often wondered whether it is really a good thing to be honest by nature and upbringing; certainly it is not a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/i-have-often-wondered-whether-it-is-really-a-good-thing-to-be-honest/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [“Oh, yes, men are very simple and obvious in some ways, you know. They generally react in the way one would expect and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/oh-yes-men-are-very-simple-and-obvious-in-some-ways-you-know-they/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) [Explore all 95 Barbara Pym quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) ## More Feel quotes > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [I feel I handle the pressure situations well, and that's why I want to be there at the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ab-de-villiers/i-feel-i-handle-the-pressure-situations-well-and-that-s-why-i-want-to/) [AB de Villiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ab-de-villiers/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I feel as though I've fooled the world into thinking I'm an adult and now they're letting me procreate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-feel-as-though-i-ve-fooled-the-world-into-thinking-i-m-an-adult-and/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [I feel like I could eat the world raw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-feel-like-i-could-eat-the-world-raw/) [Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/) > [I like to wear bodysuits and things that make me feel really active and athletic and also really sensual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-hawley-weld/i-like-to-wear-bodysuits-and-things-that-make-me-feel-really-active/) [Sophie Hawley-Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-hawley-weld/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [You make me feel brand new today. Even my day is full of trials and pain…Thanks for everything...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lantapi/you-make-me-feel-brand-new-today-even-my-day-is-full-of-trials-and/) [Richard Lantapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lantapi/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I don't know how people feel,that's the beauty of TV, is they can see us, but we can't see them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-don-t-know-how-people-feel-that-s-the-beauty-of-tv-is-they-can-see/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) Browse all 26,675 Feel quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Perhaps it’s better to be unhappy than not to feel anything at all,’ I said.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barbara Pym" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/perhaps-it-s-better-to-be-unhappy-than-not-to-feel-anything-at-all-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feel" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/perhaps-it-s-better-to-be-unhappy-than-not-to-feel-anything-at-all-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ef/barbara-pym-7049_quote_perhaps-it-s-better-to-be-unhappy-than-n_2141790.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ef/barbara-pym-7049_quote_perhaps-it-s-better-to-be-unhappy-than-n_2141790.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ef/barbara-pym-7049_quote_perhaps-it-s-better-to-be-unhappy-than-n_2141790.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Perhaps it’s better to be unhappy than not to feel anything at all,’ I said.” — Barbara Pym", "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": "Barbara Pym", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Perhaps it’s better to be unhappy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/perhaps-it-s-better-to-be-unhappy-than-not-to-feel-anything-at-all-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/perhaps-it-s-better-to-be-unhappy-than-not-to-feel-anything-at-all-i/#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 } } ] } ```