--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Living with hope is like rubbing up…" description: "\"“Living with hope is like rubbing up against a cheese grater. It keeps taking slices off you until there's so little left you just crumble.”\" — Catheri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/catherine-austen-68911_creative_living-with-hope-is-like-rubbing-up-agai_2129078.jpg" --- # Living with hope is like rubbing up against a cheese… ![“Living with hope is like rubbing up against a cheese grater. It keeps taking slices off you until there's so little left you just crumble.” quote by Catherine Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/catherine-austen-68911_creative_living-with-hope-is-like-rubbing-up-agai_2129078.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/catherine-austen-68911_creative_living-with-hope-is-like-rubbing-up-agai_2129078.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/catherine-austen-68911_creative_living-with-hope-is-like-rubbing-up-agai_2129078.jpg) > ““Living with hope is like rubbing up against a cheese grater. It keeps taking slices off you until there's so little left you just crumble.”” Catherine Austen ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hope can be painful when it erodes resilience, leaving one fragile. **In simple terms:** Hope can wear you down. Key Takeaway Guard against hope’s excess. Themes hope fragility resilience Mood cautious reflective Type advice cautionary When to use this quote - personal setbacks - relationship strain - career disappointment - health challenges Key Concepts psychology emotional endurance Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance hope with realistic action? - When does hope become harmful? A Different Perspective Hope alone may not solve problems; action is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Depressing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depressing/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) ## Related quotes > [Who wants to be riding high when you'll just crumble back on down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele/who-wants-to-be-riding-high-when-you-ll-just-crumble-back-on-down/) [Adele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele/) > [“When you can just crumble up and throw your past in the trash can, then we'll figure out who you're going to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/when-you-can-just-crumble-up-and-throw-your-past-in-the-trash-can/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Our recovery of hope - full colour, three-dimensional, hard working, clear thinking, wildly radical, living hope - is our key to liberation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/our-recovery-of-hope-full-colour-three-dimensional-hard-working-clear/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) > [We are all children of the same mother, and the same fate awaits us all. We, too, have our religion, and it is this:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/we-are-all-children-of-the-same-mother-and-the-same-fate-awaits-us/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“ECC9.4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ecc9-4-for-to-him-that-is-joined-to-all-the-living-there-is-hope-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Living in hope is a really terrible thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/living-in-hope-is-a-really-terrible-thing/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [“But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. Ecclesiastes 9:4”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esv-bible/but-he-who-is-joined-with-all-the-living-has-hope-for-a-living-dog-is/) ESV Bible > [“For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-to-him-that-is-joined-to-all-the-living-there-is-hope-for-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“For one who is chosen to be among all the living, there is hope. For a living dog is better than a dead lion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-burgess/for-one-who-is-chosen-to-be-among-all-the-living-there-is-hope-for-a/) Gina Burgess > [“There is always hope for the living. Keep hope alive. Never give in to fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/there-is-always-hope-for-the-living-keep-hope-alive-never-give-in-to/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [We speak today because we have a living hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adaeze-agbai/we-speak-today-because-we-have-a-living-hope/) [Adaeze Agbai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adaeze-agbai/) > [“Where do you find hope, and in what shape or form does it rest? I say to you now that absolute and genuine hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-zelenka/where-do-you-find-hope-and-in-what-shape-or-form-does-it-rest-i-say/) [Cheryl Zelenka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-zelenka/) > [Living on hope is like being hungry all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-sullivan/living-on-hope-is-like-being-hungry-all-the-time/) [Faith Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-sullivan/) > [I know I would crumble if I lost you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/i-know-i-would-crumble-if-i-lost-you/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [“Sometimes your world falls apart. And it’s okay for you to let people in and let them see you crumble”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaci-burton/sometimes-your-world-falls-apart-and-it-s-okay-for-you-to-let-people/) [Jaci Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaci-burton/) ## More by Catherine Austen > [“So who do you think would win in a fight, Max? Us or the rest of the world?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-austen/so-who-do-you-think-would-win-in-a-fight-max-us-or-the-rest-of-the/) Catherine Austen > [“...it saddens me that she has to grow up and make friends with humans. I hear the future coming for her. Stomp, stomp, stomp.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-austen/it-saddens-me-that-she-has-to-grow-up-and-make-friends-with-humans-i/) Catherine Austen > [“I can do it, Max. I still have my thoughts. I just can't say them out loud. I still have my friends. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-austen/i-can-do-it-max-i-still-have-my-thoughts-i-just-can-t-say-them-out/) Catherine Austen Explore all 4 Catherine Austen quotes ## More Creative quotes > [An artist's creative energy is ephemeral as a flower. It blooms and soon dies. No artist is great forever. Personally, I think I reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ki-duk/an-artist-s-creative-energy-is-ephemeral-as-a-flower-it-blooms-and/) [Kim Ki-duk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ki-duk/) > [When you're being truly creative, time stands still, and you enter a dimension that can carry you beyond the ordinariness of everyday life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-linn/when-you-re-being-truly-creative-time-stands-still-and-you-enter-a/) [Denise Linn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-linn/) > [I started off playing by ear, and being around a bunch of musicians and playing in the streets and in the different parades and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-andrews/i-started-off-playing-by-ear-and-being-around-a-bunch-of-musicians/) [Troy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-andrews/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [Money is only used for two things. One, it's to make you comfortable, and the more comfortable you are the more creative you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/money-is-only-used-for-two-things-one-it-s-to-make-you-comfortable/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/beware-of-self-indulgence-the-romance-surrounding-the-writing/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [The creative strength is good enough and deep enough to bring itself to flower and to grow in spite of this sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-greenberg/the-creative-strength-is-good-enough-and-deep-enough-to-bring-itself/) [Joanne Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-greenberg/) > [Anytime I get the chance to sing or work with Michael John, it is such an incredibly fertile and incredibly creative and safe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/anytime-i-get-the-chance-to-sing-or-work-with-michael-john-it-is-such/) [Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/) > [What Sri Chinmoy does is God-given! He has a tremendous, a fantastic creative urge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/what-sri-chinmoy-does-is-god-given-he-has-a-tremendous-a-fantastic/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/majority-decisions-tend-to-be-made-without-engaging-the-systematic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [when times are tough, the weak bail and the tough get creative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/when-times-are-tough-the-weak-bail-and-the-tough-get-creative/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [Teasing out the way the world might look through another's eyes is what makes the creative process so fascinating and enjoyable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-l-carter/teasing-out-the-way-the-world-might-look-through-another-s-eyes-is/) [Stephen L. Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-l-carter/) > [The creation lives as genesis beneath the visible surface of the work. All intelligent people see this after the fact, but only the creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-creation-lives-as-genesis-beneath-the-visible-surface-of-the-work/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) [Browse all 7,284 Creative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Living with hope is like rubbing up against a cheese grater. 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