--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must be willing to encounter darkness…" description: "\"We must be willing to encounter darkness and despair when they come up and face them, over and over again if need be, without running away or numbing o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_come-up_we-must-be-willing-to-encounter-darkness_685052.png" --- # We must be willing to encounter darkness and despair when… ![“We must be willing to encounter darkness and despair when they come up and face them, over and over again if need be, without running away or numbing ourselves in the thousands of ways we conjure up to avoid the unavoidable.” quote by Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_come-up_we-must-be-willing-to-encounter-darkness_685052.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_come-up_we-must-be-willing-to-encounter-darkness_685052.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_come-up_we-must-be-willing-to-encounter-darkness_685052.png) > “We must be willing to encounter darkness and despair when they come up and face them, over and over again if need be, without running away or numbing ourselves in the thousands of ways we conjure up to avoid the unavoidable.” [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Facing darkness and despair repeatedly, without avoidance, builds resilience and authentic presence. **In simple terms:** Confront pain instead of fleeing. Key Takeaway Embrace discomfort to grow. Themes resilience mindfulness acceptance Mood reflective determined hopeful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - grief counseling - stress management - personal growth - addiction recovery Key Concepts psychology spirituality emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - What fears do you repeatedly avoid? - How can staying present change your relationship with pain? A Different Perspective Avoidance may provide temporary relief but hinders long‑term healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Encounters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Running away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running-away/) ## Related quotes > [If it is not possible for me to go somewhere and to be willing to encounter people with different views, then I'm really not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/if-it-is-not-possible-for-me-to-go-somewhere-and-to-be-willing-to/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Celebrate your family's bleakest moments and how your relatives overcame them. 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