--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Suffering has been greater than all other…" description: "\"“Suffering has been greater than all other teachings. I have been bent and broken, but I hope into a better shape.”\" — Charles Dickinson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d7/charles-dickinson-226909_bent_suffering-has-been-greater-than-all-othe_3072232.jpg" --- # Suffering has been greater than all other teachings. I… ![“Suffering has been greater than all other teachings. I have been bent and broken, but I hope into a better shape.” quote by Charles Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d7/charles-dickinson-226909_bent_suffering-has-been-greater-than-all-othe_3072232.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d7/charles-dickinson-226909_bent_suffering-has-been-greater-than-all-othe_3072232.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d7/charles-dickinson-226909_bent_suffering-has-been-greater-than-all-othe_3072232.jpg) > ““Suffering has been greater than all other teachings. I have been bent and broken, but I hope into a better shape.”” Charles Dickinson ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suffering teaches profound lessons; though broken, one can reshape themselves into something better. **In simple terms:** Pain teaches; brokenness can be rebuilt. Key Takeaway Transform suffering into growth. Themes suffering growth resilience Mood hopeful reflective Type philosophical self‑help When to use this quote - therapy - mindfulness - creative expression Key Concepts personal development psychology spiritual healing Questions to Reflect On - How can pain become a teacher? - What steps help reshape after hardship? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [“i am bent and brooken but i hope into a better shape”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-stohl-kami-garcia/i-am-bent-and-brooken-but-i-hope-into-a-better-shape/) Margaret Stohl Kami Garcia > [I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-been-bent-and-broken-but-i-hope-into-a-better-shape/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [ “No pain can be greater than the pain of one person. \[...\] In other words, no suffering can be greater than that of one… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/no-pain-can-be-greater-than-the-pain-of-one-person-in-other-words-no/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [You will be consoled according to the greatness of your sorrow and affliction; the greater the suffering, the greater will be the reward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-de-pazzi/you-will-be-consoled-according-to-the-greatness-of-your-sorrow-and/) Magdalena de Pazzi > [All people believe their suffering is greater than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/all-people-believe-their-suffering-is-greater-than-others/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [The belief that one's suffering has a greater cosmic purpose, and is thus more exciting and more noble, well, it made a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-julavits/the-belief-that-one-s-suffering-has-a-greater-cosmic-purpose-and-is/) [Heidi Julavits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-julavits/) > [“More and more, it seems to me that compassion dwells in the tough, not the tender-hearted, because it requires us to come to terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-nietzke/more-and-more-it-seems-to-me-that-compassion-dwells-in-the-tough-not/) Ann Nietzke > [Charity is a cop-out so traditionally female in its apparent self-effacement that there seems resonant comfort in it. We're no longer supposed to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-rule/charity-is-a-cop-out-so-traditionally-female-in-its-apparent-self/) [Jane Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-rule/) > [“This part of the story shows something of the suffering of a true prophet. It is true that the greater the suffering the greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/this-part-of-the-story-shows-something-of-the-suffering-of-a-true/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [I can very well do without God both in my life and in my painting, but I cannot, suffering as I am, do without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/i-can-very-well-do-without-god-both-in-my-life-and-in-my-painting-but/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [I think there is no suffering greater than what is caused by the doubts of those who want to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/i-think-there-is-no-suffering-greater-than-what-is-caused-by-the/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [It's very confusing when fame comes early on in your career. You get a little bit bent out of shape in terms of what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clayton/it-s-very-confusing-when-fame-comes-early-on-in-your-career-you-get-a/) [Adam Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clayton/) > [The Lord expects us to enjoy our lives. He says there will be some brutal times, but we shouldn't get all bent out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-henderson/the-lord-expects-us-to-enjoy-our-lives-he-says-there-will-be-some/) [Paul Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-henderson/) > [I hope to become a better teacher. I love teaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-clinton/i-hope-to-become-a-better-teacher-i-love-teaching/) [Chelsea Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-clinton/) > [“Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/forgiveness-means-giving-up-all-hope-for-a-better-past/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) ## More Bent quotes > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [The longer I live, the more it grieves me to see man, who occupies his supreme place for the very purpose of imposing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-longer-i-live-the-more-it-grieves-me-to-see-man-who-occupies-his/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Old age likes to dwell in the recollections of the past, and, mistaking, the speedy march of years, often is inclined to take the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lajos-kossuth/old-age-likes-to-dwell-in-the-recollections-of-the-past-and-mistaking/) [Lajos Kossuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lajos-kossuth/) > [The Lord expects us to enjoy our lives. He says there will be some brutal times, but we shouldn't get all bent out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-henderson/the-lord-expects-us-to-enjoy-our-lives-he-says-there-will-be-some/) [Paul Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-henderson/) > [I was married to a law student, and I used to attend classes with him at Georgetown University Law Center. Being of dramatic bent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/i-was-married-to-a-law-student-and-i-used-to-attend-classes-with-him/) [Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/) > [The person who is bent on killing you will follow you wherever you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/the-person-who-is-bent-on-killing-you-will-follow-you-wherever-you-are/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) > [My heart is like a singing bird Whose nest is in a water'd shoot; My heart is like an apple-tree Whose boughs are bent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-rossetti/my-heart-is-like-a-singing-bird-whose-nest-is-in-a-water-d-shoot-my/) [Christina Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-rossetti/) > [If art is singular expression, then by nature, the best art is controversial. But when art stirs debate for reasons besides its artistic integrity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/if-art-is-singular-expression-then-by-nature-the-best-art-is/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [I refer to the misunderstanding of Soviet Russia as an aggressive power, militaristically and ideologically bent upon world domination 'seeing', to quote a recent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enoch-powell/i-refer-to-the-misunderstanding-of-soviet-russia-as-an-aggressive/) [Enoch Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch-powell/) > [Blessed are the flexible for they will not allow themselves to become bent out of shape!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ludlum/blessed-are-the-flexible-for-they-will-not-allow-themselves-to-become/) [Robert Ludlum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ludlum/) > [But how carve way i' the life that lies before, If bent on groaning ever for the past?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/but-how-carve-way-i-the-life-that-lies-before-if-bent-on-groaning/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) > [Be Yourself -The man who is neither bent upon pleasing his fellows nor afraid of offending them will enjoy great peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/be-yourself-the-man-who-is-neither-bent-upon-pleasing-his-fellows-nor/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [When the world grinds you down, bent to tear you apart, cling to what you hold dear, and stay true to your heart. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-fesler/when-the-world-grinds-you-down-bent-to-tear-you-apart-cling-to-what/) [Wes Fesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-fesler/) > [At the drabber moments of my life (swilling some excrement from the steps, for instance, or rooting with a bent coat-hanger down a blocked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/at-the-drabber-moments-of-my-life-swilling-some-excrement-from-the/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [It's very confusing when fame comes early on in your career. You get a little bit bent out of shape in terms of what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clayton/it-s-very-confusing-when-fame-comes-early-on-in-your-career-you-get-a/) [Adam Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clayton/) Browse all 641 Bent quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Suffering has been greater than all other teachings. I have been bent and broken, but I hope into a better shape.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Dickinson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickinson/suffering-has-been-greater-than-all-other-teachings-i-have-been-bent/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bent" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickinson/suffering-has-been-greater-than-all-other-teachings-i-have-been-bent/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d7/charles-dickinson-226909_bent_suffering-has-been-greater-than-all-othe_3072232.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d7/charles-dickinson-226909_bent_suffering-has-been-greater-than-all-othe_3072232.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d7/charles-dickinson-226909_bent_suffering-has-been-greater-than-all-othe_3072232.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Suffering has been greater than all other teachings. I have been bent and broken, but I hope into a better…” — Charles Dickinson", "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": "Charles Dickinson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickinson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Suffering has been greater than all...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickinson/suffering-has-been-greater-than-all-other-teachings-i-have-been-bent/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickinson/suffering-has-been-greater-than-all-other-teachings-i-have-been-bent/#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 } } ] } ```