--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What separates people is not the presence…" description: "\"“What separates people is not the presence or absence of difficulty, but how they deal with the inevitable difficulties of life.”\" — Jim Collins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/jim-collins-23358_adversity_what-separates-people-is-not-the-presenc_1320200.jpg" --- # What separates people is not the presence or absence of… ![“What separates people is not the presence or absence of difficulty, but how they deal with the inevitable difficulties of life.” quote by Jim Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/jim-collins-23358_adversity_what-separates-people-is-not-the-presenc_1320200.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/jim-collins-23358_adversity_what-separates-people-is-not-the-presenc_1320200.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/jim-collins-23358_adversity_what-separates-people-is-not-the-presenc_1320200.jpg) > ““What separates people is not the presence or absence of difficulty, but how they deal with the inevitable difficulties of life.”” [Jim Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-collins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success depends more on coping strategies for inevitable hardships than on the presence of challenges themselves. **In simple terms:** How you handle inevitable difficulties matters more than their presence. Key Takeaway Focus on resilient responses. Themes resilience leadership adversity Mood determined reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career setbacks - personal loss - health crises - relationship conflicts Key Concepts psychology growth mindset stress management Questions to Reflect On - What strategies do you use when faced with unavoidable challenges? - How can you strengthen your coping mechanisms? A Different Perspective Resilience alone may not overcome systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Difficulties Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficulties-life-257716/) [Difficulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficulty/) [Inevitable Difficulties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inevitable-difficulties-707332/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Separates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separates/) [Separates People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separates-people-595921/) ## Related quotes > [Life sometimes separates people so that they can realize how much they mean to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/life-sometimes-separates-people-so-that-they-can-realize-how-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Life sometimes separates people so that they may realize how much they mean to each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/life-sometimes-separates-people-so-that-they-may-realize-how-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I don't belong in the world. That's what it is. Something separates me from other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-clifford/i-don-t-belong-in-the-world-that-s-what-it-is-something-separates-me/) [John Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-clifford/) > [If you concern yourself mainly with others, the broader your thinking becomes, and life’s inevitable difficulties disturb you less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/if-you-concern-yourself-mainly-with-others-the-broader-your-thinking/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Difficulties in your life don't come to destroy you,but to help you realize your hidden potintial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/difficulties-in-your-life-don-t-come-to-destroy-you-but-to-help-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Without difficulties, life would be like a stream without rocks and curves – about as interesting as concrete. 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Without hindrances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyongho/so-an-ancient-once-said-accept-the-anxieties-and-difficulties-of-this/) [Kyongho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyongho/) > [The difficulties of life do not keep you from greatness. They show you to its door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/the-difficulties-of-life-do-not-keep-you-from-greatness-they-show-you/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Keep your motivation high, it will help you overcome difficulties in life. Don't expect people to come and solve your problems. 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National pride separates people. All people need the same thing. When you really get down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/self-centeredness-will-bring-on-the-destruction-of-our-world-national/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) ## More by Jim Collins > [“Visionary companies make some of their best moves by experimentation, trial and error, opportunism, and—quite literally—accident. 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Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/) [Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) [James Buckham Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-buckham-kennedy/) > [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [“Watch a man in times of adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/watch-a-man-in-times-of-adversity-to-discover-what-kind-of-man-he-is/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Life is not about less mistakes but about more trials”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-sever/life-is-not-about-less-mistakes-but-about-more-trials/) [S.E. SEVER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-sever/) > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What separates people is not the presence or absence of difficulty, but how they deal with the inevitable difficulties of life.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jim Collins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-collins/what-separates-people-is-not-the-presence-or-absence-of-difficulty/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adversity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-collins/what-separates-people-is-not-the-presence-or-absence-of-difficulty/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/jim-collins-23358_adversity_what-separates-people-is-not-the-presenc_1320200.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/jim-collins-23358_adversity_what-separates-people-is-not-the-presenc_1320200.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9f/jim-collins-23358_adversity_what-separates-people-is-not-the-presenc_1320200.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What separates people is not the presence or absence of difficulty, but how they deal with the inevitable…” — Jim Collins", "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": "Jim Collins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-collins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“What separates people is not the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-collins/what-separates-people-is-not-the-presence-or-absence-of-difficulty/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-collins/what-separates-people-is-not-the-presence-or-absence-of-difficulty/#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 } } ] } ```