--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a survival instinct to find the…" description: "\"It's a survival instinct to find the lighter side of things, especially when the reality you're faced with is quite dark.\" — Jamie-Lee O'Donnell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/jamie-lee-o-donnell-11099_dark_it-s-a-survival-instinct-to-find-the-lig_2226856.jpg" --- # It's a survival instinct to find the lighter side of… ![“It's a survival instinct to find the lighter side of things, especially when the reality you're faced with is quite dark.” quote by Jamie-Lee O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/jamie-lee-o-donnell-11099_dark_it-s-a-survival-instinct-to-find-the-lig_2226856.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/jamie-lee-o-donnell-11099_dark_it-s-a-survival-instinct-to-find-the-lig_2226856.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/jamie-lee-o-donnell-11099_dark_it-s-a-survival-instinct-to-find-the-lig_2226856.jpg) > “It's a survival instinct to find the lighter side of things, especially when the reality you're faced with is quite dark.” [Jamie-Lee O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-o-donnell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests using humor as a coping mechanism to lighten bleak circumstances. **In simple terms:** Find humor in dark times. Key Takeaway Use humor to survive tough moments. Themes resilience humor mental health optimism Mood hopeful lighthearted practical Type psychological self‑help inspirational When to use this quote - daily stress - grief coping - creative work Key Concepts cognitive reframing emotional regulation positivity Questions to Reflect On - When is humor appropriate? - How does laughter affect stress hormones? A Different Perspective Humor may downplay seriousness of issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Survival instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival-instinct/) ## Related quotes > [There was the natural human survival instinct to be optimistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-demick/there-was-the-natural-human-survival-instinct-to-be-optimistic/) [Barbara Demick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-demick/) > [What the media are telling you to be afraid of are the wrong things. Fear is a necessary ingredient of our survival instincts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/what-the-media-are-telling-you-to-be-afraid-of-are-the-wrong-things/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [Survival instincts are one of those things that never die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/survival-instincts-are-one-of-those-things-that-never-die/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [Fear is a survival instinct; fear in its way is a comfort for it means that somewhere hope is alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/fear-is-a-survival-instinct-fear-in-its-way-is-a-comfort-for-it-means/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [If a man is a man and not a sheep in the flock, he has a survival instinct in him that leads him to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriana-fallaci/if-a-man-is-a-man-and-not-a-sheep-in-the-flock-he-has-a-survival/) [Oriana Fallaci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriana-fallaci/) > [I think the biggest survival instinct that Midwesterners possess is self deprecation, it's almost a Buddha-like sense of humor in anything that is difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-pietz/i-think-the-biggest-survival-instinct-that-midwesterners-possess-is/) Amy Pietz > [“I’m a survivor. And like the moon, I have a feeling it would take a truly spectacular event to keep me from taking my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-rebhan/i-m-a-survivor-and-like-the-moon-i-have-a-feeling-it-would-take-a/) Janet Rebhan > [When I make a film about a physically challenged person, I come away with so much. I learn to value what I have. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-leela-bhansali/when-i-make-a-film-about-a-physically-challenged-person-i-come-away/) [Sanjay Leela Bhansali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-leela-bhansali/) > [“I choose to live by choice, not by chance; to make changes, not excuses; to be motivated, not manipulated; to be useful, not used;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-marrott/i-choose-to-live-by-choice-not-by-chance-to-make-changes-not-excuses/) Miranda Marrott > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. 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Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My wife would probably tell you I'm quite a dark person all the time!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-thorne/my-wife-would-probably-tell-you-i-m-quite-a-dark-person-all-the-time/) [Jack Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-thorne/) > [Adverbs is a book about love, and I thought that was pretty cheerful, but people who are reading it now are telling me that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/adverbs-is-a-book-about-love-and-i-thought-that-was-pretty-cheerful/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [I'm a big fan of British cinema; I think we make some unbelievably brilliant films, but they can quite often have a dark feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-speleers/i-m-a-big-fan-of-british-cinema-i-think-we-make-some-unbelievably/) [Ed Speleers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-speleers/) > [“The room into which Ivan Ivanovich stepped was quite dark, because the shutters were closed and the sunbeam that penetrated through a hole in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/the-room-into-which-ivan-ivanovich-stepped-was-quite-dark-because-the/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [“Sometimes it gets old, living in the shadows. Somehow they’re not quite so dark when you’re around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-l-jackson/sometimes-it-gets-old-living-in-the-shadows-somehow-they-re-not-quite/) [A.L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-l-jackson/) ## More by Jamie-Lee O'Donnell > [There's this guy, it's so funny, who sends me DMs which are always a random picture of him with a glass of wine or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/there-s-this-guy-it-s-so-funny-who-sends-me-dms-which-are-always-a/) [Jamie-Lee O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-o-donnell/) > [Being a struggling actor was a huge part of who I was. Now I've realised I'm not terrified of what comes next any more.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/being-a-struggling-actor-was-a-huge-part-of-who-i-was-now-i-ve/) [Jamie-Lee O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-o-donnell/) > [I remember believing that I just wouldn't get work, so I just consciously had to practise other accents, but I enjoyed doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/i-remember-believing-that-i-just-wouldn-t-get-work-so-i-just/) [Jamie-Lee O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-o-donnell/) > [Derry Girls' is about more than just growing up in Derry. I think the humour translates to anywhere, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/derry-girls-is-about-more-than-just-growing-up-in-derry-i-think-the/) [Jamie-Lee O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-o-donnell/) > [We didn't know 'Derry Girls' was going to take off. 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But once you start to achieve it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/it-s-just-my-identity-was-shaped-entirely-by-being-a-working-class/) [Jamie-Lee O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-o-donnell/) > [Derry Girls' is about more than just growing up in Derry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/derry-girls-is-about-more-than-just-growing-up-in-derry/) [Jamie-Lee O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-o-donnell/) > [I would describe Bloody Sunday as a day in Derry history, Irish history, that changed the course of history. It was a civil rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/i-would-describe-bloody-sunday-as-a-day-in-derry-history-irish/) [Jamie-Lee O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-o-donnell/) > [I went through a period where people kept sending me videos and pictures of random women with curly hair and being like, 'I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/i-went-through-a-period-where-people-kept-sending-me-videos-and/) [Jamie-Lee O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-o-donnell/) > [I love putting on the Christmas jumpers and big coats and going out for Christmas pints. Or brandy - Christmas is the time of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/i-love-putting-on-the-christmas-jumpers-and-big-coats-and-going-out/) [Jamie-Lee O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-o-donnell/) > [There are times that I have to say no to a photograph, like at 8:30 A.M. when I'm out to buy bread and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/there-are-times-that-i-have-to-say-no-to-a-photograph-like-at-8-30-a/) [Jamie-Lee O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-o-donnell/) > [I imagine a lot of people from my background would feel like this too - when the tides start to turn, it feels like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/i-imagine-a-lot-of-people-from-my-background-would-feel-like-this-too/) [Jamie-Lee O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-o-donnell/) > [I didn't go to drama school. It wasn't in the pay grade of my family at all. 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Stroube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-stroube/) > [The soul wanders in the dark, until it finds love. And so, wherever our love goes, there we find our soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-zimmerman/the-soul-wanders-in-the-dark-until-it-finds-love-and-so-wherever-our/) [Mary Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-zimmerman/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [All comedy comes from a dark place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katt-williams/all-comedy-comes-from-a-dark-place/) [Katt Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katt-williams/) > [It's a really dark, emotionally wrenching world that we've created on 'The Walking Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-holden/it-s-a-really-dark-emotionally-wrenching-world-that-we-ve-created-on/) [Laurie Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-holden/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Once upon a time, there was a naïve and innocent girl who thought she could tame the beast and live happily ever after. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-na-ve-and-innocent-girl-who-thought-she/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [Memory revises me. Even now a letter comes from a place I don’t know, from someone with my name and postmarked years ago, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-young-lee/memory-revises-me-even-now-a-letter-comes-from-a-place-i-don-t-know/) [Li-Young Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-young-lee/) > [Like the water of a deep stream, love is always too much. We did not make it. Though we drink till we burst, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/like-the-water-of-a-deep-stream-love-is-always-too-much-we-did-not/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Let death bless me with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-death-bless-me-with-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“what do you call/that space between the dark geographies of sex?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethaway/what-do-you-call-that-space-between-the-dark-geographies-of-sex/) Natasha Trethaway > [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/) Nicole Gentile > [Even in the dark your shadow is like a guide to me! you are my rising sun that brings forth hope just as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkemjika-linus/even-in-the-dark-your-shadow-is-like-a-guide-to-me-you-are-my-rising/) [Nkemjika Linus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkemjika-linus/) [Browse all 10,198 Dark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's a survival instinct to find the lighter side of things, especially when the reality you're faced with is quite dark.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jamie-Lee O'Donnell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/it-s-a-survival-instinct-to-find-the-lighter-side-of-things/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dark" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/it-s-a-survival-instinct-to-find-the-lighter-side-of-things/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/jamie-lee-o-donnell-11099_dark_it-s-a-survival-instinct-to-find-the-lig_2226856.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/jamie-lee-o-donnell-11099_dark_it-s-a-survival-instinct-to-find-the-lig_2226856.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/jamie-lee-o-donnell-11099_dark_it-s-a-survival-instinct-to-find-the-lig_2226856.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's a survival instinct to find the lighter side of things, especially when the reality you're faced with…” — Jamie-Lee O'Donnell", "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": "Jamie-Lee O'Donnell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-o-donnell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's a survival instinct to find...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/it-s-a-survival-instinct-to-find-the-lighter-side-of-things/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-o-donnell/it-s-a-survival-instinct-to-find-the-lighter-side-of-things/#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 } } ] } ```