--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dukkha is not the self-inflicted stress…" description: "\"“Dukkha is not the self-inflicted stress of a technology executive; it’s the real stuff, the kind of suffering that merits the Pali word’s original mea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c0/jay-michaelson-15590_real-stuff_dukkha-is-not-the-self-inflicted-stress_298307.jpg" --- # Dukkha is not the self-inflicted stress of a technology… ![“Dukkha is not the self-inflicted stress of a technology executive; it’s the real stuff, the kind of suffering that merits the Pali word’s original meaning: brokenness, stuckness.” quote by Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c0/jay-michaelson-15590_real-stuff_dukkha-is-not-the-self-inflicted-stress_298307.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c0/jay-michaelson-15590_real-stuff_dukkha-is-not-the-self-inflicted-stress_298307.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c0/jay-michaelson-15590_real-stuff_dukkha-is-not-the-self-inflicted-stress_298307.jpg) > ““Dukkha is not the self-inflicted stress of a technology executive; it’s the real stuff, the kind of suffering that merits the Pali word’s original meaning: brokenness, stuckness.”” [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suffering in modern life often stems from systemic pressures, not just personal failings, reflecting deep existential brokenness. **In simple terms:** Suffering is systemic, not just personal. Key Takeaway Address structural causes of distress. Themes suffering technology executive stress existential brokenness Mood empathetic serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - corporate burnout - personal crisis - social alienation Key Concepts systemic pressure mental health mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What systemic issues contribute to your stress? - How can you find meaning beyond brokenness? A Different Perspective Not all suffering is linked to technology; personal factors matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dukkha Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dukkha-self-1444659/) [Kind Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-suffering-530024/) [Pali Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pali-word-2855550/) [Real stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-stuff/) [Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering Merits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-merits-2855551/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [I registered the dukkha of self-aversion with such clarity that I knew there was no freedom unless I could love this life without holding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/i-registered-the-dukkha-of-self-aversion-with-such-clarity-that-i/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [Not knowing whether to wait or to forget is the worst kind of suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/not-knowing-whether-to-wait-or-to-forget-is-the-worst-kind-of/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [This is the core of the human spirit ... If we can find something to live for - if we can find some meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/this-is-the-core-of-the-human-spirit-if-we-can-find-something-to-live/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“Letting him go There is a particular kind of suffering to be experienced when you love something greater than yourself. A tender sacrifice. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lang-leav/letting-him-go-there-is-a-particular-kind-of-suffering-to-be/) [Lang Leav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lang-leav/) > [“... money should not be spent according to what the West considers the most dramatic kind of suffering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-easterly/money-should-not-be-spent-according-to-what-the-west-considers-the/) [William Easterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-easterly/) > [Is suffering so very serious? ...I'm referring to the kind of suffering a man inflicts on a woman or a woman on a man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidonie-gabrielle-colette/is-suffering-so-very-serious-i-m-referring-to-the-kind-of-suffering-a/) [Sidonie Gabrielle Colette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidonie-gabrielle-colette/) > [It is often said that having gone through any kind of suffering tends to makes you appreciate life more and live more in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/it-is-often-said-that-having-gone-through-any-kind-of-suffering-tends/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [“Anyhow, I had found something out about an unknown privation, and I realized how a general love or craving, before it is explicit or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/anyhow-i-had-found-something-out-about-an-unknown-privation-and-i/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Is suffering so very serious? 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I don't like fiction. I read about stuff that's real, stuff that's goin' on in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prodigy/i-read-certain-things-about-history-i-don-t-like-fiction-i-read-about/) [Prodigy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prodigy/) > [The future could go this way, that way. The future's futures have never looked so rocky. Don't put money on it. Take my advice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/the-future-could-go-this-way-that-way-the-future-s-futures-have-never/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) ## More by Jay Michaelson > [ Except in these latter-day songs, \[Bob\] Dylan is a grizzled old prophet who's already been to hell and back. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/except-in-these-latter-day-songs-bob-dylan-is-a-grizzled-old-prophet/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [ The most recent incarnation of \[Bob\] Dylan has been the traveling journeyman/ charlatan who sings roots music, snarls dark lyrics that make "All Along… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/the-most-recent-incarnation-of-bob-dylan-has-been-the-traveling/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [We in the Jewish community are comparatively lucky. All of traditions have anti-gay pieces but the Jewish tradition doesn't have as many anti-sexuality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/we-in-the-jewish-community-are-comparatively-lucky-all-of-traditions/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [ Probably the high-watermark of \[Bob\] Dylan's career came after he plugged in his guitar ("Judas!" one fan shouted during a concert) and exploded American… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/probably-the-high-watermark-of-bob-dylan-s-career-came-after-he/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [ "Masters of War" \[of Bob Dylan\] wasn't peacenik, anti-war stuff. 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And they're directly opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/people-should-support-equality-because-of-their-religion-not-despite/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [Funny thing about Bob Dylan, the newest Nobel laureate in literature: He's been a master of self-invention for more than 50 years, creating personae,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/funny-thing-about-bob-dylan-the-newest-nobel-laureate-in-literature/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [“It is possible to refine awareness itself so much that the emptiness of things, and the role mental construction plays, becomes a directly apprehended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/it-is-possible-to-refine-awareness-itself-so-much-that-the-emptiness/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [ In late \[Bob\] Dylan, music is the key to immortality, even though the summer days are long gone. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/in-late-bob-dylan-music-is-the-key-to-immortality-even-though-the/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [“For the Buddha of the Pali Canon, the goal is liberation: the cessation of suffering, the end of the endless hamster-wheel of dependent origination,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/for-the-buddha-of-the-pali-canon-the-goal-is-liberation-the-cessation/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [ I suspect many readers might associate \[Bob Dylan\] with one of the shortest phases of his career, the time from 1963 to '65 when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/i-suspect-many-readers-might-associate-bob-dylan-with-one-of-the/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [ While \[Bob\] Dylan's folk fans thought he was selling out \[in 1965-67\], actually Dylan was lodging a stronger, deeper critique of American hypocrisy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/while-bob-dylan-s-folk-fans-thought-he-was-selling-out-in-1965-67/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [ \[Bob\] Dylan, like Johnny Cash and only a handful of others, simultaneously embodies the American dream and the harsh wake-up call that comes after… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/bob-dylan-like-johnny-cash-and-only-a-handful-of-others/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [There has been a ton of excellent music in this period (along with a few misses), evoking scenes like a bar-room brawl at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/there-has-been-a-ton-of-excellent-music-in-this-period-along-with-a/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) [Explore all 42 Jay Michaelson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) ## More Real stuff quotes > [The future could go this way, that way. The future's futures have never looked so rocky. Don't put money on it. Take my advice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/the-future-could-go-this-way-that-way-the-future-s-futures-have-never/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [I read certain things about history. I don't like fiction. I read about stuff that's real, stuff that's goin' on in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prodigy/i-read-certain-things-about-history-i-don-t-like-fiction-i-read-about/) [Prodigy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prodigy/) > [“Light mayonnaise is like masturbation—it approximates the real thing but leaves you unfulfilled, ultimately leading to fantasies about diving face-first into a big-ass jar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-donovan/light-mayonnaise-is-like-masturbation-it-approximates-the-real-thing/) [Susan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-donovan/) > [Yeah, I was a brother on the streets of Compton doing a lot of things most people look down on but it did pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eazy-e/yeah-i-was-a-brother-on-the-streets-of-compton-doing-a-lot-of-things/) [Eazy-E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eazy-e/) > [I'll often use my real stuff in my writing because it comes across as more authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebel-wilson/i-ll-often-use-my-real-stuff-in-my-writing-because-it-comes-across-as/) [Rebel Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebel-wilson/) > [This is not a sham, not a game. This is the real stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-barry/this-is-not-a-sham-not-a-game-this-is-the-real-stuff/) [Marion Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-barry/) > [Disrespect is real stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-wonder/disrespect-is-real-stuff/) [Stevie Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-wonder/) > [In the end, a commitment to the economic health of the country will go a long way in showing voters who is focused on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/in-the-end-a-commitment-to-the-economic-health-of-the-country-will-go/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [About the time you might start to think that science fiction - the real stuff, not the species of fantasy that goes under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-tilton/about-the-time-you-might-start-to-think-that-science-fiction-the-real/) [Lois Tilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-tilton/) > [“I’m a storyteller. I’ll work to make you believe me. Throw in some real stuff, change a few details, add the certainty of outrage.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/i-m-a-storyteller-i-ll-work-to-make-you-believe-me-throw-in-some-real/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [When you blow away the foam, you get down to the real stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-boone-pickens/when-you-blow-away-the-foam-you-get-down-to-the-real-stuff/) [T. Boone Pickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-boone-pickens/) > [I feel like the albums I grew up listening to - for example, Eminem, Lauryn Hill, Christina Aguilera - they all spoke about real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie/i-feel-like-the-albums-i-grew-up-listening-to-for-example-eminem/) [Anne-Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie/) > [Some real stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-real-stuff/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gentile smoked salmon is all... muscular and smells of smoke. It's not very fatty. They don't understand - smoked salmon should be almost spreadable!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-coren/gentile-smoked-salmon-is-all-muscular-and-smells-of-smoke-it-s-not/) [Giles Coren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-coren/) > [Earlier films were meant only for entertainment, but now filmmakers, who are products of these times, do not compromise on real stuff. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manoj-bajpayee/earlier-films-were-meant-only-for-entertainment-but-now-filmmakers/) [Manoj Bajpayee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manoj-bajpayee/) [Browse all 73 Real stuff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-stuff/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Dukkha is not the self-inflicted stress of a technology executive; it’s the real stuff, the kind of suffering that merits the Pali word’s original meaning: brokenness, stuckness.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jay Michaelson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/dukkha-is-not-the-self-inflicted-stress-of-a-technology-executive-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Real stuff" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/dukkha-is-not-the-self-inflicted-stress-of-a-technology-executive-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c0/jay-michaelson-15590_real-stuff_dukkha-is-not-the-self-inflicted-stress_298307.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c0/jay-michaelson-15590_real-stuff_dukkha-is-not-the-self-inflicted-stress_298307.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c0/jay-michaelson-15590_real-stuff_dukkha-is-not-the-self-inflicted-stress_298307.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Dukkha is not the self-inflicted stress of a technology executive; it’s the real stuff, the kind of…” — Jay Michaelson", "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": "Jay Michaelson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Dukkha is not the self-inflicted stress...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/dukkha-is-not-the-self-inflicted-stress-of-a-technology-executive-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/dukkha-is-not-the-self-inflicted-stress-of-a-technology-executive-it/#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 } } ] } ```