--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Meaningful stories have lots and lots of…" description: "\"Meaningful stories have lots and lots of conflict. If we avoid conflict, our stories won't be meaningful.\" — Donald Miller" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/donald-miller-607_conflict_meaningful-stories-have-lots-and-lots-of_1814030.png" --- # Meaningful stories have lots and lots of conflict. If we… ![“Meaningful stories have lots and lots of conflict. If we avoid conflict, our stories won't be meaningful.” quote by Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/donald-miller-607_conflict_meaningful-stories-have-lots-and-lots-of_1814030.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/donald-miller-607_conflict_meaningful-stories-have-lots-and-lots-of_1814030.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6db/donald-miller-607_conflict_meaningful-stories-have-lots-and-lots-of_1814030.png) > “Meaningful stories have lots and lots of conflict. If we avoid conflict, our stories won't be meaningful.” [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories need conflict to be engaging; without tension, narratives lack meaning. **In simple terms:** Conflict fuels meaningful stories. Key Takeaway Embrace conflict in storytelling. Themes storytelling conflict meaning Mood inspirational analytical Type educational creative When to use this quote - marketing - film - personal narratives Key Concepts narrative theory creative writing Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance conflict and resolution? - What conflicts resonate most with your audience? A Different Perspective Too much conflict can alienate audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [The richest most meaningful stories are found in small places: made, carried, crafted, told, and retold by apparently unimportant people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-brown/the-richest-most-meaningful-stories-are-found-in-small-places-made/) [Louise Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-brown/) > [To me, when you have people trying to put their best foot forward but facing conflict, that's when stories are the most interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-katims/to-me-when-you-have-people-trying-to-put-their-best-foot-forward-but/) [Jason Katims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-katims/) > [“Most short fiction falls into one of three categories: stories of conflict, stories of decision, or stories of discovery…The story of conflict is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-sakaduski/most-short-fiction-falls-into-one-of-three-categories-stories-of/) Nancy Sakaduski > [One of the things I love about our source text as Christians, the Bible, is that it teaches us not to avoid conflict. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/one-of-the-things-i-love-about-our-source-text-as-christians-the/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Self-centeredness will bring on the destruction of our world. National pride separates people. All people need the same thing. When you really get down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/self-centeredness-will-bring-on-the-destruction-of-our-world-national/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [An unconscious, gentle process whereby people who want to be loving attempt to be so by telling little white lies, by withholding some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/an-unconscious-gentle-process-whereby-people-who-want-to-be-loving/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [It's important to tell meaningful stories and to find new ways to communicate those stories to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karyn-kusama/it-s-important-to-tell-meaningful-stories-and-to-find-new-ways-to/) [Karyn Kusama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karyn-kusama/) > [Any story worth telling relates to real life in some meaningful way. Scifi allows you to tell meaningful stories without seeming too preachy -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/any-story-worth-telling-relates-to-real-life-in-some-meaningful-way/) [Jane Espenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-espenson/) > [“In order to tell you a story about who I am and why I am here, I must spend a little time asking myself...questions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-simmons/in-order-to-tell-you-a-story-about-who-i-am-and-why-i-am-here-i-must/) Annette Simmons > [I want to keep doing projects that speak for people within the community and tell different types of meaningful stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-sanders/i-want-to-keep-doing-projects-that-speak-for-people-within-the/) [Ashton Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-sanders/) > [My goals are to tell meaningful stories through songs and touch people's lives... and hopefully make a living doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordin-sparks/my-goals-are-to-tell-meaningful-stories-through-songs-and-touch/) [Jordin Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordin-sparks/) > [Use them tools GOD put at the end of your legs to avoid conflict!...Walk away!...Its that simple...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaysha-green/use-them-tools-god-put-at-the-end-of-your-legs-to-avoid-conflict-walk/) [Alaysha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaysha-green/) > [To avoid the conflict , we need to make ourselves aware of it before it erupts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/to-avoid-the-conflict-we-need-to-make-ourselves-aware-of-it-before-it/) Senoraroy > [I try to avoid conflict. I don't want people to be unhappy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/i-try-to-avoid-conflict-i-don-t-want-people-to-be-unhappy/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [“The Swiss, in addition to being self-righteous and unyielding, will do anything to avoid conflict. Decorum and civility define their culture. Although they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-haas/the-swiss-in-addition-to-being-self-righteous-and-unyielding-will-do/) [Scott Haas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-haas/) ## More by Donald Miller > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [I think each of us can, through our writing, discover our super power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-think-each-of-us-can-through-our-writing-discover-our-super-power/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [If you don't feel free and be yourself, you can't connect. Find people who accept your quirks. They'll heal your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/if-you-don-t-feel-free-and-be-yourself-you-can-t-connect-find-people/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [And so I have come to understand that strength, inner strength, comes from receiving love as much as it comes from giving it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-so-i-have-come-to-understand-that-strength-inner-strength-comes/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“Humans, as a species, are constantly, and in every way, comparing themselves to one another, which, given the brief nature of their existence, seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/humans-as-a-species-are-constantly-and-in-every-way-comparing/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“alone, lonely, and loneliness are three of the most powerful words in the English language... Those words say that we are human; they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/alone-lonely-and-loneliness-are-three-of-the-most-powerful-words-in/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“It isn't about what you don't get done; it's about what you do get done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/it-isn-t-about-what-you-don-t-get-done-it-s-about-what-you-do-get-done/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“Most Christians have enormous respect for the space and freedom of others, it is only that they have found a joy in Jesus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/most-christians-have-enormous-respect-for-the-space-and-freedom-of/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“The soul needs to interact with other people to be healthy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-soul-needs-to-interact-with-other-people-to-be-healthy/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Don't let go of your strength or your beauty. It was given to you by God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/don-t-let-go-of-your-strength-or-your-beauty-it-was-given-to-you-by/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [There's a lot of letters, and a lot of people come say "hi" at book signings, but I'm amazed at how normal everybody is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-a-lot-of-letters-and-a-lot-of-people-come-say-hi-at-book/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [I am something of a recluse by nature. I am that cordless screwdriver that has to charge for twenty hours to earn ten minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-am-something-of-a-recluse-by-nature-i-am-that-cordless-screwdriver/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [The most important thing that happens within Christian spirituality is when a person falls in love with Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-most-important-thing-that-happens-within-christian-spirituality/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Every day you live is a page. Every year, a chapter. Your life, a book. What is it about?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/every-day-you-live-is-a-page-every-year-a-chapter-your-life-a-book/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“And that’s the first time I realized that the idea a character is what he does makes as much sense in life as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-that-s-the-first-time-i-realized-that-the-idea-a-character-is/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) [Explore all 448 Donald Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) ## More Conflict quotes > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [There is a conflict in the Middle East between two entities, and they're both right, each in their own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reuven-rivlin/there-is-a-conflict-in-the-middle-east-between-two-entities-and-they/) [Reuven Rivlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reuven-rivlin/) > [Conflict isn't negative, it just is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-crum/conflict-isn-t-negative-it-just-is/) [Thomas Crum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-crum/) > [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Africa, being the major target of colonial plunder, therefore becomes a major source of conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/africa-being-the-major-target-of-colonial-plunder-therefore-becomes-a/) [Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/) > [All drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, there is no character. Without character, there is no story. And without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-field/all-drama-is-conflict-without-conflict-there-is-no-action-without/) [Syd Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-field/) > [The irrepressible conflict propounded by abolitionism has produced now its legitimate fruits - disunion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-irrepressible-conflict-propounded-by-abolitionism-has-produced/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. I don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-understand-the-formula-that-producers-hire-directors-and-directors/) [Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/) > [“While there is battle and hatred men have eyes for nothing save the fact that the enemy is the cause of all the troubles;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-butterfield/while-there-is-battle-and-hatred-men-have-eyes-for-nothing-save-the/) [Herbert Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-butterfield/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [All men have an instinct for conflict: at least, all healthy men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/all-men-have-an-instinct-for-conflict-at-least-all-healthy-men/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [I didnt like the Survivor shows because of the mean-spirited aspect, and women certainly were part of whatever conflict they would create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lawrence/i-didnt-like-the-survivor-shows-because-of-the-mean-spirited-aspect/) [Sharon Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lawrence/) > [“How we traverse the space between us when conflict arises has a profound effect on the health and longevity of our relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/how-we-traverse-the-space-between-us-when-conflict-arises-has-a/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) [Browse all 3,969 Conflict quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Meaningful stories have lots and lots of conflict. 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