--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't make it worse by thinking it's more…" description: "\"Don't make it worse by thinking it's more painful than it actually is.\" — John Boyne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/john-boyne-2944_painful_don-t-make-it-worse-by-thinking-it-s-mor_2356666.jpg" --- # Don't make it worse by thinking it's more painful than it… ![“Don't make it worse by thinking it's more painful than it actually is.” quote by John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/john-boyne-2944_painful_don-t-make-it-worse-by-thinking-it-s-mor_2356666.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/john-boyne-2944_painful_don-t-make-it-worse-by-thinking-it-s-mor_2356666.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/john-boyne-2944_painful_don-t-make-it-worse-by-thinking-it-s-mor_2356666.jpg) > “Don't make it worse by thinking it's more painful than it actually is.” [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoid amplifying pain by imagining it worse than reality; stay present with actual feelings. **In simple terms:** Don’t exaggerate suffering. Key Takeaway Ground yourself in reality. Themes mindfulness emotional health resilience Mood calm thoughtful Type psychological self‑help When to use this quote - stress management - therapy - daily journaling Key Concepts cognitive distortion acceptance Questions to Reflect On - What thoughts make pain feel larger? - How can you practice realistic appraisal? A Different Perspective Over‑thinking can intensify distress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Painful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painful/) [Painful Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painful-actually-3971616/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking Painful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-painful-5757005/) [Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse/) [Worse Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse-thinking-556739/) ## Related quotes > [There is nothing worse than thinking you have a chance when you really don't..;$](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-nothing-worse-than-thinking-you-have-a-chance-when-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's really, really painful for me to actually say the words out loud: 'I got beat.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-campbell/it-s-really-really-painful-for-me-to-actually-say-the-words-out-loud/) [Luke Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-campbell/) > [Letting you go was the hardest thing to do, but regretting about it makes it worse, and thinking of you every second doesn't help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/letting-you-go-was-the-hardest-thing-to-do-but-regretting-about-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Pointless thinking is worse than no thinking at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/pointless-thinking-is-worse-than-no-thinking-at-all/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When a man says ‘for better or worse’ he’s thinking of circumstances life brings his way that he and his wife work through together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nesly-clerge/when-a-man-says-for-better-or-worse-he-s-thinking-of-circumstances/) [Nesly Clerge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nesly-clerge/) > [The worse you are at thinking, the better you are at drinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/the-worse-you-are-at-thinking-the-better-you-are-at-drinking/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [I do not think it is permitted that a better man be harmed by a worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/i-do-not-think-it-is-permitted-that-a-better-man-be-harmed-by-a-worse/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [When people are suicidal, their thinking is paralyzed, their options appear spare or nonexistent, their mood is despairing, and hopelessness permeates their entire mental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/when-people-are-suicidal-their-thinking-is-paralyzed-their-options/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [You are quite, quite wrong if you think that ... 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K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [“This was going to be worse than the time I table danced in the diner in high school!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bryson/this-was-going-to-be-worse-than-the-time-i-table-danced-in-the-diner/) [Kathy Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bryson/) ## More by John Boyne > [“One single syllable of intimacy and the world is put to rights.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/one-single-syllable-of-intimacy-and-the-world-is-put-to-rights/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“Bruno was jealous, he had to wear stupid pants en shoes while the boys at the other side of the fence were wearing nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/bruno-was-jealous-he-had-to-wear-stupid-pants-en-shoes-while-the-boys/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [ We all are \[normal\]. Their idea of normal just happens to be different to some other people's idea of normal. But this is the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/we-all-are-normal-their-idea-of-normal-just-happens-to-be-different/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“Maybe there were no villains in my mother’s story at all. Just men and women, trying to do their best by each other. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/maybe-there-were-no-villains-in-my-mother-s-story-at-all-just-men-and/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [I think that books for young people should have serious and important themes, they shouldn't be trivial. 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But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/i-don-t-buy-into-the-idea-that-an-irish-writer-should-write-about/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“For a moment he considered running across the platform to tell people about the empty seats in the carriage, but he decided not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/for-a-moment-he-considered-running-across-the-platform-to-tell-people/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [I move between the two: I write an adult novel, and then I write a children's book. I quite enjoy that. It's a nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/i-move-between-the-two-i-write-an-adult-novel-and-then-i-write-a/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“Pavel is not a doctor any more, Bruno' said Maria quietly. 'But he was. In another life. Before he came here”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/pavel-is-not-a-doctor-any-more-bruno-said-maria-quietly-but-he-was-in/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [You’re my best friend, Shmuel,’ he said. ‘My best friend for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/you-re-my-best-friend-shmuel-he-said-my-best-friend-for-life/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [“Astonishing how everyone is willing to go abroad to fight for the rights of foreigners while having such little concern for those of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/astonishing-how-everyone-is-willing-to-go-abroad-to-fight-for-the/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [Bruno opened his eyes in wonder at the things he saw. In his imagination he had tough that all the huts were full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/bruno-opened-his-eyes-in-wonder-at-the-things-he-saw-in-his/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [I wrote my first book at 20, but my whole focus from about the age of 12 was to be a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/i-wrote-my-first-book-at-20-but-my-whole-focus-from-about-the-age-of/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) [Explore all 135 John Boyne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) ## More Painful quotes > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) > [“I don’t know. We all have to bear things, Ari. 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