--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is only when we stand up, with all our…" description: "\"It is only when we stand up, with all our failings and sufferings, and try to support others rather than withdraw into ourselves, that we can fully liv..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/jean-vanier-3367_community_it-is-only-when-we-stand-up-with-all-our_544681.jpg" --- # It is only when we stand up, with all our failings and… ![“It is only when we stand up, with all our failings and sufferings, and try to support others rather than withdraw into ourselves, that we can fully live the life of community.” quote by Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/jean-vanier-3367_community_it-is-only-when-we-stand-up-with-all-our_544681.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/jean-vanier-3367_community_it-is-only-when-we-stand-up-with-all-our_544681.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/jean-vanier-3367_community_it-is-only-when-we-stand-up-with-all-our_544681.jpg) > “It is only when we stand up, with all our failings and sufferings, and try to support others rather than withdraw into ourselves, that we can fully live the life of community.” [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True community arises when we acknowledge our flaws and actively help others, rather than retreating into self‑absorption. **In simple terms:** Helping others despite our own struggles builds real community. Key Takeaway Embrace vulnerability and support others. Themes community compassion vulnerability service interdependence Mood hopeful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - volunteering - support groups - neighborhood initiatives - family care Key Concepts altruism shared humanity collective well‑being Questions to Reflect On - What does “standing up” look like in your daily life? - How can we balance personal healing with helping others? A Different Perspective Self‑focus can feel safer, limiting communal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Failings Sufferings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failings-sufferings-4546525/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Fully Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fully-live-1158983/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-community-272548/) [Live life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-life/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [The only way to live free, the only way to live your life as an offering of love, is to feel everything fully and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/the-only-way-to-live-free-the-only-way-to-live-your-life-as-an/) [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) > [To live fully is to live with an awareness of the rumble of terror that underlies everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/to-live-fully-is-to-live-with-an-awareness-of-the-rumble-of-terror/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [“Zen is also the art of disciplining oneself to fully live life in every way possible on a daily basis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/zen-is-also-the-art-of-disciplining-oneself-to-fully-live-life-in/) [Alexis G. 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You can spend your life on Wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/it-s-worth-noting-that-you-can-devote-your-life-to-community-service/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [A sense of being part of the great all-inclusive life prompts us to reflect on our own place and on how we ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/a-sense-of-being-part-of-the-great-all-inclusive-life-prompts-us-to/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) ## More by Jean Vanier > [When we start helping the weak and the poor to rise everyone will begin to change. Those who have power and riches will start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/when-we-start-helping-the-weak-and-the-poor-to-rise-everyone-will/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [...Individualistic material progress and the desire to gain prestige by coming out on top have taken over from the sense of fellowship, compassion and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/individualistic-material-progress-and-the-desire-to-gain-prestige-by/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [To invite others to live with us is a sign that we aren't afraid, that we have a treasure of truth and of peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/to-invite-others-to-live-with-us-is-a-sign-that-we-aren-t-afraid-that/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [People are longing to rediscover true community. 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We are not the masters of our own feelings of attraction or revulsion; these come from places in ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/have-patience-we-are-not-the-masters-of-our-own-feelings-of/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [The people with the best sense of what is essential to a community, of what gives and maintains its spirit, are often doing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/the-people-with-the-best-sense-of-what-is-essential-to-a-community-of/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) [Explore all 132 Jean Vanier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) ## More Community quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. 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Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-reich/) [Browse all 13,840 Community quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is only when we stand up, with all our failings and sufferings, and try to support others rather than withdraw into ourselves, that we can fully live the life of community.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean Vanier" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/it-is-only-when-we-stand-up-with-all-our-failings-and-sufferings-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Community" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/it-is-only-when-we-stand-up-with-all-our-failings-and-sufferings-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/jean-vanier-3367_community_it-is-only-when-we-stand-up-with-all-our_544681.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/jean-vanier-3367_community_it-is-only-when-we-stand-up-with-all-our_544681.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/jean-vanier-3367_community_it-is-only-when-we-stand-up-with-all-our_544681.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is only when we stand up, with all our failings and sufferings, and try to support others rather than…” — Jean Vanier", "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": "Jean Vanier", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is only when we stand...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/it-is-only-when-we-stand-up-with-all-our-failings-and-sufferings-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/it-is-only-when-we-stand-up-with-all-our-failings-and-sufferings-and/#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 } } ] } ```