--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Behind the flinch is pain avoidance, and…" description: "\"“Behind the flinch is pain avoidance, and dealing with pain demands strength you may not think you have.”\" — Julien Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09a/julien-smith-39489_pain_behind-the-flinch-is-pain-avoidance-and_1715441.jpg" --- # Behind the flinch is pain avoidance, and dealing with pain… ![“Behind the flinch is pain avoidance, and dealing with pain demands strength you may not think you have.” quote by Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09a/julien-smith-39489_pain_behind-the-flinch-is-pain-avoidance-and_1715441.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09a/julien-smith-39489_pain_behind-the-flinch-is-pain-avoidance-and_1715441.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09a/julien-smith-39489_pain_behind-the-flinch-is-pain-avoidance-and_1715441.jpg) > ““Behind the flinch is pain avoidance, and dealing with pain demands strength you may not think you have.”” [Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoiding pain leads to hidden avoidance; confronting pain reveals inner strength we often underestimate. **In simple terms:** Facing pain reveals hidden strength. Key Takeaway Confront pain to grow stronger. Themes pain strength self‑discovery Mood introspective encouraging Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy - sports training - personal crisis - creative work Key Concepts psychology resilience Questions to Reflect On - What pain are you avoiding? - How might confronting it help? A Different Perspective Pain avoidance can be protective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) ## Related quotes > [Neurosis is the natural by-product of pain avoidance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/neurosis-is-the-natural-by-product-of-pain-avoidance/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The thing about pain is that it demands to be felt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-thing-about-pain-is-that-it-demands-to-be-felt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The ability to withstand the flinch comes with the knowledge that the future will be better than the past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/the-ability-to-withstand-the-flinch-comes-with-the-knowledge-that-the/) [Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/) > [I would use sport as an escape from the pain of what was real. Instead of dealing with the pain, instead of being honest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-dickey/i-would-use-sport-as-an-escape-from-the-pain-of-what-was-real-instead/) [R.A. Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-dickey/) > [I think it's what art should do: make you feel less alone - either in the quest for truth or in dealing with any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-gleeson/i-think-it-s-what-art-should-do-make-you-feel-less-alone-either-in/) [Brendan Gleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-gleeson/) > [“Sure, we'd faced some things as children that a lot of kids don't. Sure, Justin had qualified for his Junior de Sade Badge in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/sure-we-d-faced-some-things-as-children-that-a-lot-of-kids-don-t-sure/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [I'm fucking fed up with having a terrible ass attitude , not being myself & dealing with pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-fucking-fed-up-with-having-a-terrible-ass-attitude-not-being/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Say she gotta friend, and word is she really dig him. Im dealing with the pain. I lost her and I know it, Im…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-krit/say-she-gotta-friend-and-word-is-she-really-dig-him-im-dealing-with/) Big KRIT > [I don't really have a problem with the pain of life. Perhaps that is because I am a martial artist and I am used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-don-t-really-have-a-problem-with-the-pain-of-life-perhaps-that-is/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [One of the principle qualities of pain is that it demands an explanation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/one-of-the-principle-qualities-of-pain-is-that-it-demands-an/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) > [“Le truc avec la souffrance, c'est qu'elle exige d'être ressentie. That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/le-truc-avec-la-souffrance-c-est-qu-elle-exige-d-tre-ressentie-that-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Torture presupposes, it requires, it craves the abrogation of our capacity to imagine others suffering, dehumanizing them so much that their pain is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-dorfman/torture-presupposes-it-requires-it-craves-the-abrogation-of-our/) [Ariel Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-dorfman/) > [That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-s-the-thing-about-pain-it-demands-to-be-felt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Pain demands to be felt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pain-demands-to-be-felt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Thats the thing about pain, it demands to be felt”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-van-houten/thats-the-thing-about-pain-it-demands-to-be-felt/) Peter Van Houten ## More by Julien Smith > [“If you think you can do it, or you think you can’t do it, you are right. Henry Ford”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/if-you-think-you-can-do-it-or-you-think-you-can-t-do-it-you-are-right/) [Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/) > [“Krishnamurti, a great Indian sage, once said: “You can take a piece of wood that you brought back from your garden, and each day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/krishnamurti-a-great-indian-sage-once-said-you-can-take-a-piece-of/) [Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/) > [“You don’t know anyone at the party, so you don’t want to go. You don’t like cottage cheese, so you haven’t eaten it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/you-don-t-know-anyone-at-the-party-so-you-don-t-want-to-go-you-don-t/) [Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/) > [“You can't settle for reaching other people's limits. You have to reach yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/you-can-t-settle-for-reaching-other-people-s-limits-you-have-to-reach/) [Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/) > [“Everything you are used to, once done long enough, starts to seem natural, even though it might not be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/everything-you-are-used-to-once-done-long-enough-starts-to-seem/) [Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/) > [“So if you see no one like you, no one who agrees, don't worry. There are actually hundreds of people like you, and they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/so-if-you-see-no-one-like-you-no-one-who-agrees-don-t-worry-there-are/) [Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/) > [“Getting lost is not fatal. Almost every time, it will make your world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/getting-lost-is-not-fatal-almost-every-time-it-will-make-your-world-2/) [Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/) > [“be careful what lessons you avoid and whom you listen to. Decide carefully what’s dangerous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/be-careful-what-lessons-you-avoid-and-whom-you-listen-to-decide/) [Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/) > [“The ability to withstand the flinch comes with the knowledge that the future will be better than the past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/the-ability-to-withstand-the-flinch-comes-with-the-knowledge-that-the/) [Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/) > [“No one has a problem with the first mile of a journey. Even an infant could do fine for a while. But it isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/no-one-has-a-problem-with-the-first-mile-of-a-journey-even-an-infant/) [Julien Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/) [Explore all 11 Julien Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/) ## More Pain quotes > [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/pain-is-meant-to-wake-us-up-people-try-to-hide-their-pain-but-they-re/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [“If I let myself think of it the pain and anger were still fresh, adrenalin racing down my limbs to pool, hot and itchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-ladd/if-i-let-myself-think-of-it-the-pain-and-anger-were-still-fresh/) [Kylie Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-ladd/) > [“I locked the door and turned on the water to fill the tub. I made it so hot that I had to get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-crandall/i-locked-the-door-and-turned-on-the-water-to-fill-the-tub-i-made-it/) [Susan Crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-crandall/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want people to hear my lyrics and my melodies and say, 'That dude's in pain.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/i-want-people-to-hear-my-lyrics-and-my-melodies-and-say-that-dude-s/) [Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/) > [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [It hurts wanting the best for someone you love, even if they feel the best isn't you. That's real love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-hurts-wanting-the-best-for-someone-you-love-even-if-they-feel-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tryna hide this pain with these pain killers, she said the storms only will last a little while but shit it got me feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/tryna-hide-this-pain-with-these-pain-killers-she-said-the-storms-only/) Myself > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“What is there, in the mention of Time To Come, that is so quick to wrench at the heart, to inflict a pain in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-llewellyn/what-is-there-in-the-mention-of-time-to-come-that-is-so-quick-to/) [Richard Llewellyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-llewellyn/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Stop trying to give me hope ... I have no room left for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-f/stop-trying-to-give-me-hope-i-have-no-room-left-for-it/) [Jenn F](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenn-f/) > [There's only so much for a man to take...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gilchrist/there-s-only-so-much-for-a-man-to-take/) Kirsten Gilchrist > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) [Browse all 17,919 Pain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Behind the flinch is pain avoidance, and dealing with pain demands strength you may not think you have.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Julien Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/behind-the-flinch-is-pain-avoidance-and-dealing-with-pain-demands/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Pain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/behind-the-flinch-is-pain-avoidance-and-dealing-with-pain-demands/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09a/julien-smith-39489_pain_behind-the-flinch-is-pain-avoidance-and_1715441.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09a/julien-smith-39489_pain_behind-the-flinch-is-pain-avoidance-and_1715441.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09a/julien-smith-39489_pain_behind-the-flinch-is-pain-avoidance-and_1715441.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Behind the flinch is pain avoidance, and dealing with pain demands strength you may not think you have.” — Julien Smith", "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": "Julien Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Behind the flinch is pain avoidance,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/behind-the-flinch-is-pain-avoidance-and-dealing-with-pain-demands/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-smith/behind-the-flinch-is-pain-avoidance-and-dealing-with-pain-demands/#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 } } ] } ```