--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Saying things like \"you must hit rock…" description: "\"“Saying things like \"you must hit rock bottom before you can rise up\" is just an excuse for not doing the effort of rising up earlier. When you hit roc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/fergus-macdermott-94728_addiction-recovery_saying-things-like-you-must-hit-rock-bot_1857146.jpg" --- # Saying things like "you must hit rock bottom before you… ![“Saying things like "you must hit rock bottom before you can rise up" is just an excuse for not doing the effort of rising up earlier. When you hit rock bottom you must rise up - because you have no other option.” quote by Fergus MacDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/fergus-macdermott-94728_addiction-recovery_saying-things-like-you-must-hit-rock-bot_1857146.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/fergus-macdermott-94728_addiction-recovery_saying-things-like-you-must-hit-rock-bot_1857146.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/fergus-macdermott-94728_addiction-recovery_saying-things-like-you-must-hit-rock-bot_1857146.jpg) > ““Saying things like "you must hit rock bottom before you can rise up" is just an excuse for not doing the effort of rising up earlier. When you hit rock bottom you must rise up - because you have no other option.”” [Fergus MacDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-macdermott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excuses like “waiting for rock bottom” delay effort; facing challenges early prevents unnecessary suffering. **In simple terms:** Don’t wait for crisis to act. Key Takeaway Act before hitting rock bottom. Themes motivation self‑improvement resilience Mood determined urgent Type inspirational When to use this quote - career setbacks - addiction recovery - health goals - personal growth Key Concepts personal responsibility early action Questions to Reflect On - What early steps could you take now? - How does fear of failure shape your timing? A Different Perspective Some may argue early action isn’t always feasible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Addiction recovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction-recovery/) [Excuse Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse-doing-1115848/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Rise Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rise-just-2475560/) [Rising Earlier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rising-earlier-2475558/) [Rock Bottom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-bottom/) [Rock Rise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-rise-2475559/) [Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying/) ## Related quotes > [It's gonna be okay, no matter how hard your rock bottom is, you can rise above it and you can come back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/it-s-gonna-be-okay-no-matter-how-hard-your-rock-bottom-is-you-can/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [You kind of have to hit rock bottom to really rise to the top. That's just the way I feel about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlyn-harris/you-kind-of-have-to-hit-rock-bottom-to-really-rise-to-the-top-that-s/) [Ashlyn Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlyn-harris/) > [“When you fall down, rise up. When you fall again, rise up again. This is just a developmental process that makes a healthy baby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/when-you-fall-down-rise-up-when-you-fall-again-rise-up-again-this-is/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“No, I don't die. When I set in your sky, I rise in another. Just because you can't see me, it doesn't mean I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-rivett/no-i-don-t-die-when-i-set-in-your-sky-i-rise-in-another-just-because/) [Rachel Rivett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-rivett/) > [“The fact you can only do a little is no excuse for doing nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-fact-you-can-only-do-a-little-is-no-excuse-for-doing-nothing/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Trying simply provides an excuse for not doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/trying-simply-provides-an-excuse-for-not-doing/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [There is no excuse for doing anything which is not strikingly beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/there-is-no-excuse-for-doing-anything-which-is-not-strikingly/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [Not having hope is not an excuse for not doing something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-thunburg/not-having-hope-is-not-an-excuse-for-not-doing-something/) [Greta Thunburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-thunburg/) > [“Of course you could do more - you can always do more, and you should do more - but still, the important things is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-schwalbe/of-course-you-could-do-more-you-can-always-do-more-and-you-should-do/) [Will Schwalbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-schwalbe/) > [“Maybe you were the inspiration, but inspiration is an excuse for doing something you already want to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/maybe-you-were-the-inspiration-but-inspiration-is-an-excuse-for-doing/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [Nothing you do particularly matters. But I'm not sure that's a great excuse for doing it poorly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-malkovich/nothing-you-do-particularly-matters-but-i-m-not-sure-that-s-a-great/) [John Malkovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-malkovich/) > [“Writing clean code is what you must do in order to call yourself a professional. There is no reasonable excuse for doing anything less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-c-martin/writing-clean-code-is-what-you-must-do-in-order-to-call-yourself-a/) [Robert C. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-c-martin/) > [Not being able to do everything is no excuse for not doing everything you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/not-being-able-to-do-everything-is-no-excuse-for-not-doing-everything/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [Inspiration is an excuse for doing something you already want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/inspiration-is-an-excuse-for-doing-something-you-already-want-to-do/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [There may often be excuse for doing things poorly in this world, but there is never any excuse for calling a poorly done thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/there-may-often-be-excuse-for-doing-things-poorly-in-this-world-but/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) ## More by Fergus MacDermott > [“Stop constantly pity other people for how unfortunate and miserable they are, it's unpleasent to hear that repeadetly. A man who do not pity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-macdermott/stop-constantly-pity-other-people-for-how-unfortunate-and-miserable/) [Fergus MacDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-macdermott/) [Explore all 2 Fergus MacDermott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-macdermott/) ## More Addiction recovery quotes > [My identity shifted when I got into # recovery . That's who I am now, and it actually gives me greater pleasure to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/my-identity-shifted-when-i-got-into-recovery-that-s-who-i-am-now-and/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) > [Some of the burdens we carry include false weight, perhaps to make up for all the horrible stuff we actually did and forgot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-of-the-burdens-we-carry-include-false-weight-perhaps-to-make-up/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Do not let your fire go out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/do-not-let-your-fire-go-out/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Addiction beggins whith the hope that something 'out there' can instantly fill up the emptiness inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kilbourne/addiction-beggins-whith-the-hope-that-something-out-there-can/) [Jean Kilbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kilbourne/) > [It is not heroin or cocaine that makes one an addict, it is the need to escape from a harsh reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/it-is-not-heroin-or-cocaine-that-makes-one-an-addict-it-is-the-need-2/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [It's difficult to believe in yourself because the idea of self is an artificial construction. You are, in fact, part of the glorious oneness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/it-s-difficult-to-believe-in-yourself-because-the-idea-of-self-is-an-2/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [Each generation has to stand up for democracy. It can't take anything for granted and may have to fight fundamental battles anew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/each-generation-has-to-stand-up-for-democracy-it-can-t-take-anything/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [“It is time to embrace mental health and substance use/abuse as illnesses. Addiction is a disease.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kassels/it-is-time-to-embrace-mental-health-and-substance-use-abuse-as/) [Steven Kassels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kassels/) > [The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/the-mind-is-its-own-place-and-in-itself-can-make-heaven-of-hell-and-a/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Do not let your fire go out ... Do not let the Hero in your soul perish ... Check your road and the nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/do-not-let-your-fire-go-out-do-not-let-the-hero-in-your-soul-perish/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Happiness is where we find it, but rarely where we seek it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-antoine-petit-senn/happiness-is-where-we-find-it-but-rarely-where-we-seek-it/) [Jean Antoine Petit-Senn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-antoine-petit-senn/) > [As one goes through life, one learns that if you don't paddle your own canoe, you don't move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/as-one-goes-through-life-one-learns-that-if-you-don-t-paddle-your-own/) [Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/) > [No one's happiness but my own is in my power to achieve or to destroy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/no-one-s-happiness-but-my-own-is-in-my-power-to-achieve-or-to-destroy/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [No man or woman is uniformly successful... we must all expect a rather high percentage of failure in the things we attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-man-or-woman-is-uniformly-successful-we-must-all-expect-a-rather/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You are the artist of your recovery, and you get to create and sculpt it any way you like.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-burgunder/you-are-the-artist-of-your-recovery-and-you-get-to-create-and-sculpt/) [Brittany Burgunder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-burgunder/) [Browse all 31 Addiction recovery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction-recovery/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Saying things like \"you must hit rock bottom before you can rise up\" is just an excuse for not doing the effort of rising up earlier. 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