--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: it is neither helpful nor accurate to…" description: "\"“it is neither helpful nor accurate to assume that other people are always responsible for our pain.”\" — Karen Armstrong" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/karen-armstrong-1053_pain_it-is-neither-helpful-nor-accurate-to-as_1089401.jpg" --- # it is neither helpful nor accurate to assume that other… ![“it is neither helpful nor accurate to assume that other people are always responsible for our pain.” quote by Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/karen-armstrong-1053_pain_it-is-neither-helpful-nor-accurate-to-as_1089401.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/karen-armstrong-1053_pain_it-is-neither-helpful-nor-accurate-to-as_1089401.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/karen-armstrong-1053_pain_it-is-neither-helpful-nor-accurate-to-as_1089401.jpg) > ““it is neither helpful nor accurate to assume that other people are always responsible for our pain.”” [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It cautions against blaming others for our suffering, urging personal responsibility for emotional pain. **In simple terms:** Don’t blame others for your pain; own it. Key Takeaway Take responsibility for your emotions. Themes responsibility emotional health accountability Mood reflective serious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - conflict resolution - personal growth - therapy sessions Key Concepts psychology mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - Who do you blame for your discomfort? - How can you own your feelings? A Different Perspective Assuming others are always at fault can oversimplify complex dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) ## Related quotes > [Real power comes when we stop holding others responsible for our pain, and we take responsibility for all our feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/real-power-comes-when-we-stop-holding-others-responsible-for-our-pain/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [“I always assume people are hiding parts of themselves from each other. People do that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-milford/i-always-assume-people-are-hiding-parts-of-themselves-from-each-other/) [Kate Milford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-milford/) > [“The biggest problems we have in this world are because of what we assume about each other. People make decisions based on appearance or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-mallery/the-biggest-problems-we-have-in-this-world-are-because-of-what-we/) [Susan Mallery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-mallery/) > [Please do not be a fortune teller and assume people's life. You have no idea on how they move their lives!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ungkalyn/please-do-not-be-a-fortune-teller-and-assume-people-s-life-you-have/) [UngkaLyN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ungkalyn/) > [When talking about Venezuela, Jeremy Corbyn's questionable track record, free markets and so on we assume that people know what we mean without any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemi-badenoch/when-talking-about-venezuela-jeremy-corbyn-s-questionable-track/) [Kemi Badenoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemi-badenoch/) > [“I automatically assume people won't like me, so I don't talk to them unless they approach me first. I can't become a part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-kuehnert/i-automatically-assume-people-won-t-like-me-so-i-don-t-talk-to-them/) [Stephanie Kuehnert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-kuehnert/) > [I assume that people get in trouble when they do a bait and switch, when they say something to get the job and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-strauss-schulson/i-assume-that-people-get-in-trouble-when-they-do-a-bait-and-switch/) [Todd Strauss-Schulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-strauss-schulson/) > [“I always assume that people I admire are single.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tottenham/i-always-assume-that-people-i-admire-are-single/) [John Tottenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tottenham/) > [“When you assume that people know what‟s expected of them, you are creating an ineffective form of bowling”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-assume-that-people-know-what-s-expected-of-them-you-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“we don’t assume that people are perfectly sensible, calculating machines. Instead, we observe how people actually behave, and quite often our observations lead us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/we-don-t-assume-that-people-are-perfectly-sensible-calculating/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [My naivety is to assume people will think there's compassion and solidarity in wanting to play someone even though we are not them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/my-naivety-is-to-assume-people-will-think-there-s-compassion-and/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [“An ID number is only there to 'identify' human beings. Use it to assume people’s intellect or wisdom at your own risk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-id-number-is-only-there-to-identify-human-beings-use-it-to-assume/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“People, in general, tend to project onto others their own state of mind. Well-meaning people inevitably assume other people are well meaning. People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-salter/people-in-general-tend-to-project-onto-others-their-own-state-of-mind/) [Anna Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-salter/) > [It is a vast, and pervasive, cognitive mistake to assume that people who agree with you (or disagree) do so on the same criteria…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/it-is-a-vast-and-pervasive-cognitive-mistake-to-assume-that-people/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [It is always safe to assume that people are more subtle and less sensitive than they seem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-is-always-safe-to-assume-that-people-are-more-subtle-and-less/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## More by Karen Armstrong > [If it is written and read with serious attention, a novel, like a myth or any great work of art, can become an initiation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/if-it-is-written-and-read-with-serious-attention-a-novel-like-a-myth/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [A gentleman is not born but crafted. He had to work on himself in the same way as a sculptor shaped a rough stone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/a-gentleman-is-not-born-but-crafted-he-had-to-work-on-himself-in-the/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [I was a lousy nun. I couldn't do it. I couldn't find God. It wasn't suitable for me. It is suitable for very few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-was-a-lousy-nun-i-couldn-t-do-it-i-couldn-t-find-god-it-wasn-t/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [I have become convinced, through my studies, that the only way to achieve a safe, just and viable world is to live by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-have-become-convinced-through-my-studies-that-the-only-way-to/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [In the past some of the most influential Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologians, such as Maimonides, Aquinas and Ibn Sina, made it clear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/in-the-past-some-of-the-most-influential-jewish-christian-and-muslim/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [The great task of our time is to build a global society, where people can live together in peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/the-great-task-of-our-time-is-to-build-a-global-society-where-people/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [We want to create, never mind the leaders or the bishops or chief rabbis or imams, or Popes. We want to create a grassroots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/we-want-to-create-never-mind-the-leaders-or-the-bishops-or-chief/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [If we don't manage to implement the Golden Rule globally, so that we treat all peoples, wherever and whoever they may be, as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/if-we-don-t-manage-to-implement-the-golden-rule-globally-so-that-we/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [After I left the convent, for 15 years I was worn out with religion, I wanted nothing whatever to do with it. I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/after-i-left-the-convent-for-15-years-i-was-worn-out-with-religion-i/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“As we have seen, so many of the things we once took for granted have proved unreliable that we may have to “forget” old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/as-we-have-seen-so-many-of-the-things-we-once-took-for-granted-have/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Yet a personal God can become a grave liability. He can be a mere idol carved in our own image, a projection of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/yet-a-personal-god-can-become-a-grave-liability-he-can-be-a-mere-idol/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“I discovered that I felt at home and alive in the silence, which compelled me to enter my interior world and around there. Without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-discovered-that-i-felt-at-home-and-alive-in-the-silence-which/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Each of the world religions has its own particular genius, its own special insight into the nature and requirements of compassion, and has something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/each-of-the-world-religions-has-its-own-particular-genius-its-own/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“all rightly guided religion that submitted wholly to God, refused to worship man-made deities and preached that justice and equality came from the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/all-rightly-guided-religion-that-submitted-wholly-to-god-refused-to/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“advocates of evolutionary theory since Thomas H. Huxley (1825–95) have found altruism problematic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/advocates-of-evolutionary-theory-since-thomas-h-huxley-1825-95-have/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) [Explore all 296 Karen Armstrong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) ## 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": "“it is neither helpful nor accurate to assume that other people are always responsible for our pain.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Karen Armstrong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/it-is-neither-helpful-nor-accurate-to-assume-that-other-people-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Pain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/it-is-neither-helpful-nor-accurate-to-assume-that-other-people-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/karen-armstrong-1053_pain_it-is-neither-helpful-nor-accurate-to-as_1089401.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/karen-armstrong-1053_pain_it-is-neither-helpful-nor-accurate-to-as_1089401.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/karen-armstrong-1053_pain_it-is-neither-helpful-nor-accurate-to-as_1089401.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“it is neither helpful nor accurate to assume that other people are always responsible for our pain.” — Karen Armstrong", "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": "Karen Armstrong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“it is neither helpful nor accurate...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/it-is-neither-helpful-nor-accurate-to-assume-that-other-people-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/it-is-neither-helpful-nor-accurate-to-assume-that-other-people-are/#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 } } ] } ```