--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why bother inflicting enormous pain on…" description: "\"Why bother inflicting enormous pain on yourself when sooner or later Life would certainly get around to doing it for you?\" — Jeff Lindsay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/jeff-lindsay-1259_bother_why-bother-inflicting-enormous-pain-on-y_3126192.png" --- # Why bother inflicting enormous pain on yourself when… ![“Why bother inflicting enormous pain on yourself when sooner or later Life would certainly get around to doing it for you?” quote by Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/jeff-lindsay-1259_bother_why-bother-inflicting-enormous-pain-on-y_3126192.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/jeff-lindsay-1259_bother_why-bother-inflicting-enormous-pain-on-y_3126192.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/jeff-lindsay-1259_bother_why-bother-inflicting-enormous-pain-on-y_3126192.png) > “Why bother inflicting enormous pain on yourself when sooner or later Life would certainly get around to doing it for you?” [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self-inflicted suffering is pointless because life will eventually cause the same pain anyway. **In simple terms:** Avoid unnecessary self-harm. Key Takeaway Choose healthier coping strategies. Themes self‑care psychology pain management Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - mental health - stress relief - personal growth Key Concepts existentialism self‑destruction Questions to Reflect On - What healthier alternatives exist for coping? - How does acceptance affect suffering? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex emotional issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bother/) [Bother Inflicting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bother-inflicting-5509468/) [Enormous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enormous/) [Enormous Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enormous-pain-755873/) [Inflicting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inflicting-3773664/) [Inflicting Enormous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inflicting-enormous-5509469/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Pain Sooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain-sooner-1387017/) [Sooner or later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sooner-or-later/) [Why bother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why-bother/) ## Related quotes > [If something's hurt and you're masking pain, sooner or later you're going to have to do something a little more than a cortisone shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zimmerman/if-something-s-hurt-and-you-re-masking-pain-sooner-or-later-you-re/) [Ryan Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zimmerman/) > [“Power is in inflicting pain and humiliation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/power-is-in-inflicting-pain-and-humiliation/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Fate is not satisfied with inflicting one calamity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/fate-is-not-satisfied-with-inflicting-one-calamity/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [I cannot be with someone who takes pleasure in inflicting pain on me, someone who can't love me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-cannot-be-with-someone-who-takes-pleasure-in-inflicting-pain-on-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“No, no, no. I cannot be with someone who takes pleasure in inflicting pain on me, someone who can’t love me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james/no-no-no-i-cannot-be-with-someone-who-takes-pleasure-in-inflicting/) [E.L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james/) > [Fortune is not satisfied with inflicting one calamity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/fortune-is-not-satisfied-with-inflicting-one-calamity/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [I'm especially interested in relationships since that is a part of life that causes enormous pain for many people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/i-m-especially-interested-in-relationships-since-that-is-a-part-of/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [“I'm so glad we met when we did. Even if you were an enormous pain in my ass you're still the best thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-lauren/i-m-so-glad-we-met-when-we-did-even-if-you-were-an-enormous-pain-in/) [Christina Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-lauren/) > [“Longstreet took a deep breath. In the winter the fever had come to Richmond. In a week they were dead. All within a week,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shaara/longstreet-took-a-deep-breath-in-the-winter-the-fever-had-come-to/) [Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/) > [Around my 40th birthday, I started to have extraordinary pain in my eyes and it was only happening overnight and I couldn't figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-bream/around-my-40th-birthday-i-started-to-have-extraordinary-pain-in-my/) [Shannon Bream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-bream/) > [“What I failed to see was that, by ending my life, I would cause interminable pain to my family and friends. I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hines/what-i-failed-to-see-was-that-by-ending-my-life-i-would-cause/) [Kevin Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hines/) > [Compassion is one of the highest states of consciousness that you can choose to assist you in times of enormous pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/compassion-is-one-of-the-highest-states-of-consciousness-that-you-can/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [I've been to nudist beaches, like twice. But honestly, I just don't want to see these people naked. Most people look better with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-buck/i-ve-been-to-nudist-beaches-like-twice-but-honestly-i-just-don-t-want/) [Peter Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-buck/) > [Middle Age is that perplexing time of life when we hear two voices calling us, one saying, 'Why not?' and the other, 'Why bother?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/middle-age-is-that-perplexing-time-of-life-when-we-hear-two-voices/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [In Britain, it's bred into you, the idea that you can't really change anything, so why bother. When I went to school in America,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/in-britain-it-s-bred-into-you-the-idea-that-you-can-t-really-change/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) ## More by Jeff Lindsay > [It revealed a cruelty that really made one wonder if the universe was such a good idea after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/it-revealed-a-cruelty-that-really-made-one-wonder-if-the-universe-was/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“Rather than see me or have me touch it again, it died.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/rather-than-see-me-or-have-me-touch-it-again-it-died/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“We don't get to pick our kin. The best we can hope for is to survive them...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/we-don-t-get-to-pick-our-kin-the-best-we-can-hope-for-is-to-survive/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [I was never more alive than when the Dark Passenger was driving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-was-never-more-alive-than-when-the-dark-passenger-was-driving/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [I had killed our careful relationship by driving my tongue through its heart and pushing it off a cliff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-had-killed-our-careful-relationship-by-driving-my-tongue-through/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [I had become a perfect fake human, saying the stupid and pointless things that humans say to each other all day long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-had-become-a-perfect-fake-human-saying-the-stupid-and-pointless/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“Deborah led me away from it and over to the far end of the room. “Dexter,” she said, “promise me you didn’t kill this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/deborah-led-me-away-from-it-and-over-to-the-far-end-of-the-room/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [Detective, I don't know where the boyfriend is, really," I said. And it was true, considering tide, current, and the habits of marine scavengers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/detective-i-don-t-know-where-the-boyfriend-is-really-i-said-and-it/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“I came, I saw, I blew chunks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-came-i-saw-i-blew-chunks/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [And what did you do last night, Dexter? Oh, I played with my dolls while a friend chopped up my sister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/and-what-did-you-do-last-night-dexter-oh-i-played-with-my-dolls-while/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [In that tremendous flash of freedom, on my way to do The Thing for the first time, sanctioned by Almighty Harry, I receded, faded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/in-that-tremendous-flash-of-freedom-on-my-way-to-do-the-thing-for-the/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“It would be much too difficult for anyone to get in and out of this area, especially if they were carrying questionable loads of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/it-would-be-much-too-difficult-for-anyone-to-get-in-and-out-of-this/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“I spent the rest of the workday on routine paperwork, snarling at misplaced files and seething at the stupidity of everyone else's report writing--when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-spent-the-rest-of-the-workday-on-routine-paperwork-snarling-at/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [After a long moment I closed the freezer door. I wanted to lie down and press my cheek against the cool linoleum. Instead I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/after-a-long-moment-i-closed-the-freezer-door-i-wanted-to-lie-down/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [I mean, really: what kind of person could possibly dislike me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-mean-really-what-kind-of-person-could-possibly-dislike-me/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) [Explore all 258 Jeff Lindsay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) ## More Bother quotes > [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. 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Im tired of always having to start the conversation and if I dont, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-tired-tired-of-putting-more-effort-than-you-do-im-tired-of-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [I've always been a late bloomer in some ways, and extremely precocious in other ways. When I was twenty I was living in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/i-ve-always-been-a-late-bloomer-in-some-ways-and-extremely-precocious/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [“Shut up. Stand up. Put this on. That’s right . . . if you were the kind of man who found it easy to do that kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/shut-up-stand-up-put-this-on-that-s-right-if-you-were-the-kind-of-man/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [We have reached the point where we can lose a game or two and not drop out of sight in the rankings. I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavell-edwards/we-have-reached-the-point-where-we-can-lose-a-game-or-two-and-not/) [LaVell Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavell-edwards/) > [I've said I want the meanest, toughest SOB I can find to protect America. And so that's why Trump's tone doesn't bother me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/i-ve-said-i-want-the-meanest-toughest-sob-i-can-find-to-protect/) [Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/) > [I was a loner as a child. I had an imaginary friend - I didn't bother with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-was-a-loner-as-a-child-i-had-an-imaginary-friend-i-didn-t-bother/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [This hype word bothers me though It always sounds like an accusation, what does it mean, advertising, column inches in the press? Bands themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-johnson/this-hype-word-bothers-me-though-it-always-sounds-like-an-accusation/) [Holly Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-johnson/) > [Our students wanted to know everything: but only the newest theory seemed to them worth bothering with. 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All that celebrity tagging doesn't bother me at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-price/people-are-people-all-that-celebrity-tagging-doesn-t-bother-me-at-all/) [Katie Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-price/) [Browse all 1,604 Bother quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bother/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why bother inflicting enormous pain on yourself when sooner or later Life would certainly get around to doing it for you?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeff Lindsay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/why-bother-inflicting-enormous-pain-on-yourself-when-sooner-or-later/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bother" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/why-bother-inflicting-enormous-pain-on-yourself-when-sooner-or-later/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/jeff-lindsay-1259_bother_why-bother-inflicting-enormous-pain-on-y_3126192.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/jeff-lindsay-1259_bother_why-bother-inflicting-enormous-pain-on-y_3126192.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/jeff-lindsay-1259_bother_why-bother-inflicting-enormous-pain-on-y_3126192.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Why bother inflicting enormous pain on yourself when sooner or later Life would certainly get around to…” — Jeff Lindsay", "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": "Jeff Lindsay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Why bother inflicting enormous pain on...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/why-bother-inflicting-enormous-pain-on-yourself-when-sooner-or-later/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/why-bother-inflicting-enormous-pain-on-yourself-when-sooner-or-later/#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 } } ] } ```