--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: True optimism is not the prospect of…" description: "\"True optimism is not the prospect of control over pain or elimination of it but survival through it.\" — David Richo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/david-richo-10322_elimination_true-optimism-is-not-the-prospect-of-con_2853496.png" --- # True optimism is not the prospect of control over pain or… ![“True optimism is not the prospect of control over pain or elimination of it but survival through it.” quote by David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/david-richo-10322_elimination_true-optimism-is-not-the-prospect-of-con_2853496.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/david-richo-10322_elimination_true-optimism-is-not-the-prospect-of-con_2853496.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/david-richo-10322_elimination_true-optimism-is-not-the-prospect-of-con_2853496.png) > “True optimism is not the prospect of control over pain or elimination of it but survival through it.” [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Optimism is not about erasing pain but learning to survive and grow through it. **In simple terms:** Optimism means surviving pain, not removing it. Key Takeaway Cultivate resilience amid hardship. Themes optimism resilience pain survival growth Mood hopeful reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy - personal development - adversity coping Key Concepts psychological flexibility mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance optimism with realistic assessment? - What practices help transform pain into growth? A Different Perspective Optimism may overlook systemic causes of suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-pain-3810858/) [Elimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elimination/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Optimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimism/) [Optimism Prospect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimism-prospect-3810857/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [True Optimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-optimism-3131507/) ## Related quotes > [Control your pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-lucas/control-your-pain/) [Catherine Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-lucas/) > [ In every culture, \[there are those\] shamans or medicine men who endured incredible physical pain, because it's a door opening to the subconsciousness. And… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/in-every-culture-there-are-those-shamans-or-medicine-men-who-endured/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [Our degeneration, when it is traced back to its origin in our view of the world really consists in the fact that true optimism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/our-degeneration-when-it-is-traced-back-to-its-origin-in-our-view-of/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [When you believe, the impossible becomes possible. What you believe will become what is true. Your optimism today will determine your level of success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/when-you-believe-the-impossible-becomes-possible-what-you-believe/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [I do not believe that true optimism can come about except through tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-do-not-believe-that-true-optimism-can-come-about-except-through/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [With despair, true optimism begins: the optimism of the man who expects nothing, who knows he has no rights and nothing coming to him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/with-despair-true-optimism-begins-the-optimism-of-the-man-who-expects/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Optimism is an alienated form of faith, pessimism an alienated form of despair. If one truly responds to man and his future, ie ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/optimism-is-an-alienated-form-of-faith-pessimism-an-alienated-form-of/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [One of the primary necessities of the world for the maintenance of peace is the elimination of the frictions which arise from competitive armament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/one-of-the-primary-necessities-of-the-world-for-the-maintenance-of/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Simple messages travel faster, simpler designs reach the market faster and the elimination of clutter allows faster decision making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/simple-messages-travel-faster-simpler-designs-reach-the-market-faster/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [There is no satisfying the senses, not even with a shower of money. "The senses are of slight pleasure and really suffering." 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And so, that's why one of the things that groups like mine that work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/maybe-that-will-happen-with-other-countries-as-well-and-so-that-s-why/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) ## More by David Richo > [In the hero stories, the call to go on a journey takes the form of a loss, an error, a wound, an unexplainable longing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/in-the-hero-stories-the-call-to-go-on-a-journey-takes-the-form-of-a/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [“It took just such evil and painful things for the great emancipation to occur,” Nietzsche said. He is also the one who said that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/it-took-just-such-evil-and-painful-things-for-the-great-emancipation/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [The most exciting part of finding out who we are is discovering our own uniqueness, who we are outside the box, beyond the categories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/the-most-exciting-part-of-finding-out-who-we-are-is-discovering-our/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [The human heart holds much more love than it can ever disburse in one lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/the-human-heart-holds-much-more-love-than-it-can-ever-disburse-in-one/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [The Five A’s (attention, appreciation, acceptance, affection, allowing) are simultaneously the fulfillment of our earliest needs, the requirements of adult intimacy and of universal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/the-five-a-s-attention-appreciation-acceptance-affection-allowing-are/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [In mindful grief, we become the landing strip that allows any feelings to arrive. Some crash, some land softly. Some harm us, but none…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/in-mindful-grief-we-become-the-landing-strip-that-allows-any-feelings/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/our-wounds-are-often-the-openings-into-the-best-and-most-beautiful/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [Fate often allows a future to take shape with no regard for our expectation, plan, or readiness. Fate's skillful editing of our life choices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/fate-often-allows-a-future-to-take-shape-with-no-regard-for-our/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [Trust in someone means that we no longer have to protect ourselves. We believe we will not be hurt or harmed by the other,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/trust-in-someone-means-that-we-no-longer-have-to-protect-ourselves-we/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [Relationships are not about how two people can survive each other but about how the whole world becomes more capable of love, with all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/relationships-are-not-about-how-two-people-can-survive-each-other-but/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [Mindfulness is both a state of being and a daily spiritual practice, a form of meditation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/mindfulness-is-both-a-state-of-being-and-a-daily-spiritual-practice-a/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [Love is the possibility of possibilities. Its farthest reach is beyond us, no matter how long we love or how much. It will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/love-is-the-possibility-of-possibilities-its-farthest-reach-is-beyond/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [“The foundation of adult trust is not "You will never hurt me." It is "I trust myself with whatever you do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/the-foundation-of-adult-trust-is-not-you-will-never-hurt-me-it-is-i/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [Early fear was felt cellularly and was indeed real. Defensive postures were necessary, but defenses generalize cellularly in adulthood and do not expire. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/early-fear-was-felt-cellularly-and-was-indeed-real-defensive-postures/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) > [“Patriotism comes from the same Latin word as father. Blind patriotism is collective transference. In it the state becomes a parent and we citizens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/patriotism-comes-from-the-same-latin-word-as-father-blind-patriotism/) [David Richo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) [Explore all 66 David Richo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/) ## More Elimination quotes > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [Maybe that will happen with other countries as well. And so, that's why one of the things that groups like mine that work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/maybe-that-will-happen-with-other-countries-as-well-and-so-that-s-why/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [Black gay activists should try to build coalitions of people for the elimination of all injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-rustin/black-gay-activists-should-try-to-build-coalitions-of-people-for-the/) [Bayard Rustin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-rustin/) > [“Washing your hands of something requires soap.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough-2/washing-your-hands-of-something-requires-soap/) [Craig D Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough-2/) > [During the time I was in office we have seen the beginning of the elimination of the fire season completely and are having fires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/during-the-time-i-was-in-office-we-have-seen-the-beginning-of-the/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [There is no satisfying the senses, not even with a shower of money. "The senses are of slight pleasure and really suffering." When a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/there-is-no-satisfying-the-senses-not-even-with-a-shower-of-money-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Simple messages travel faster, simpler designs reach the market faster and the elimination of clutter allows faster decision making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/simple-messages-travel-faster-simpler-designs-reach-the-market-faster/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [One of the primary necessities of the world for the maintenance of peace is the elimination of the frictions which arise from competitive armament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/one-of-the-primary-necessities-of-the-world-for-the-maintenance-of/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [I wrote a study about this question, The Lessons of October, which served as a pretext for my elimination from the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/i-wrote-a-study-about-this-question-the-lessons-of-october-which/) [Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/) > [What we now want is closer contact and better understanding between individuals and communities all over the earth, and the elimination of egoism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/what-we-now-want-is-closer-contact-and-better-understanding-between/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [Creativity has more to do with the elimination of the inessential than with inventing something new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/creativity-has-more-to-do-with-the-elimination-of-the-inessential/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [Throughout my work, my subjects are being told that they must change their diet in order to make the adjustment into the new world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolores-cannon/throughout-my-work-my-subjects-are-being-told-that-they-must-change/) [Dolores Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolores-cannon/) > [ The \[liberals\] consider profits as objectionable. The very existence of profits is in their eyes a proof that wage rates could be raised without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-liberals-consider-profits-as-objectionable-the-very-existence-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Those who begin coercive elimination of dissent soon find themselves exterminating dissenters. Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/those-who-begin-coercive-elimination-of-dissent-soon-find-themselves/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The road now stretched across open country, and it occured to me - not by way of protest, not as a symbol, or anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/the-road-now-stretched-across-open-country-and-it-occured-to-me-not/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) [Browse all 221 Elimination quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elimination/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "True optimism is not the prospect of control over pain or elimination of it but survival through it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Richo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/true-optimism-is-not-the-prospect-of-control-over-pain-or-elimination/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Elimination" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/true-optimism-is-not-the-prospect-of-control-over-pain-or-elimination/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/david-richo-10322_elimination_true-optimism-is-not-the-prospect-of-con_2853496.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/david-richo-10322_elimination_true-optimism-is-not-the-prospect-of-con_2853496.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/david-richo-10322_elimination_true-optimism-is-not-the-prospect-of-con_2853496.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“True optimism is not the prospect of control over pain or elimination of it but survival through it.” — David Richo", "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": "David Richo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-richo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "True optimism is not the prospect...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/true-optimism-is-not-the-prospect-of-control-over-pain-or-elimination/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-richo/true-optimism-is-not-the-prospect-of-control-over-pain-or-elimination/#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 } } ] } ```