--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's easier to deny the reality of the…" description: "\"It's easier to deny the reality of the problem altogether than acknowledge that it is real.\" — Katharine Hayhoe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/katharine-hayhoe-15846_acknowledge_it-s-easier-to-deny-the-reality-of-the-p_997233.jpg" --- # It's easier to deny the reality of the problem altogether… ![“It's easier to deny the reality of the problem altogether than acknowledge that it is real.” quote by Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/katharine-hayhoe-15846_acknowledge_it-s-easier-to-deny-the-reality-of-the-p_997233.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/katharine-hayhoe-15846_acknowledge_it-s-easier-to-deny-the-reality-of-the-p_997233.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/katharine-hayhoe-15846_acknowledge_it-s-easier-to-deny-the-reality-of-the-p_997233.jpg) > “It's easier to deny the reality of the problem altogether than acknowledge that it is real.” [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Denial of a problem’s existence is easier than confronting its reality, but avoidance hinders solutions. **In simple terms:** Denial is easier than facing reality. Key Takeaway Face the problem. Themes climate change denial psychology Mood concerned urgent Type motivational educational When to use this quote - policy making - education - personal behavior Key Concepts cognitive bias environmental policy Questions to Reflect On - Why do we prefer denial? - How can we encourage acceptance of hard truths? A Different Perspective Denial can delay necessary action and worsen outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) ## Related quotes > [It's very irresponsible to deny the reality of a problem to see whether it might stop existing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/it-s-very-irresponsible-to-deny-the-reality-of-a-problem-to-see/) [Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/) > [Reality became for me a problem after my experience with LSD. Before, I had believed there was only one reality, the reality of everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-hofmann/reality-became-for-me-a-problem-after-my-experience-with-lsd-before-i/) [Albert Hofmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-hofmann/) > [Hip-hop is not the problem, our reality is the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/hip-hop-is-not-the-problem-our-reality-is-the-problem/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [There is no explanation you can give that will explain away all the sufferings and evil and torture and destruction and hunger in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/there-is-no-explanation-you-can-give-that-will-explain-away-all-the/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Problems and Reality are different. Every Problem has a solution, while Reality has none. A Problem is meant to be solved and Reality is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/problems-and-reality-are-different-every-problem-has-a-solution-while/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is always easier to deny reality than to allow our worldview to be shattered, a fact that was as true of die-hard Stalinists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-is-always-easier-to-deny-reality-than-to-allow-our-worldview-to-be/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [It's CNN's bigger problem that CNN wants to deny reality. I, too, used to drink the Kool-Aid that it was a top journalism operation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryn-kagan/it-s-cnn-s-bigger-problem-that-cnn-wants-to-deny-reality-i-too-used/) [Daryn Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryn-kagan/) > [It is not necessary to deny another's reality in order to affirm your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-wilson-schaef/it-is-not-necessary-to-deny-another-s-reality-in-order-to-affirm-your/) [Anne Wilson Schaef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-wilson-schaef/) > [To bracket form and finality out of one's investigations as far as reason allows is a matter of method, but to deny their reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-bracket-form-and-finality-out-of-one-s-investigations-as-far-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“To deny the reality of things is to miss their reality; to assert the emptiness of things is to miss their reality. The more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-deny-the-reality-of-things-is-to-miss-their-reality-to-assert-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“No. That you shouldn’t deny a reality just because you don’t have the evidence for it yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-garc-a-s-enz/no-that-you-shouldn-t-deny-a-reality-just-because-you-don-t-have-the/) [Eva García Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-garc-a-s-enz/) > [Procrastinators who say, 'There's always tomorrow' deny the reality that one day, they will be wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/procrastinators-who-say-there-s-always-tomorrow-deny-the-reality-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“To deny the reality of a mind because it was born of silicon instead of flesh is to repeat the oldest injustice: the refusal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-coates/to-deny-the-reality-of-a-mind-because-it-was-born-of-silicon-instead/) James S. Coates > [To break a promise is to deny the reality of the past. Therefore it is to deny the hope of a real future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-break-a-promise-is-to-deny-the-reality-of-the-past-therefore-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“you shouldn’t deny a reality just because you don’t have the evidence for it yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-garc-a-s-enz/you-shouldn-t-deny-a-reality-just-because-you-don-t-have-the-evidence/) [Eva García Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-garc-a-s-enz/) ## More by Katharine Hayhoe > [Our carbon emissions have to eventually go to zero. We have to. Otherwise we're never going to have a stable climate and that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/our-carbon-emissions-have-to-eventually-go-to-zero-we-have-to/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [If we smoke, there's no magic number of cigarettes, or number of years, that we can smoke before we know we'll get lung cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/if-we-smoke-there-s-no-magic-number-of-cigarettes-or-number-of-years/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [We're not paying a real price for carbon. If we were, we wouldn't be using as much. We need to have the right perspective.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/we-re-not-paying-a-real-price-for-carbon-if-we-were-we-wouldn-t-be/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [It's easier to discredit the science than to say that climate change is a genuine issue but we don't want to do anything about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/it-s-easier-to-discredit-the-science-than-to-say-that-climate-change/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [People have taken advantage of the very well-trodden pathways that divide science and faith on other issues, such as creation, evolution, and the age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/people-have-taken-advantage-of-the-very-well-trodden-pathways-that/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [When I look around, the biggest way in which we are failing to care for those in need is through ignoring climate change and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/when-i-look-around-the-biggest-way-in-which-we-are-failing-to-care/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [I think it's interesting that the United States and Australia are two of the most individualistic nations in the entire world in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/i-think-it-s-interesting-that-the-united-states-and-australia-are-two/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [The first thing we can do as individuals and as communities, like a school or a university or a church, is cut our energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/the-first-thing-we-can-do-as-individuals-and-as-communities-like-a/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [I don't have to change the world all by myself, I just need to partner in the work God wants us to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/i-don-t-have-to-change-the-world-all-by-myself-i-just-need-to-partner/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [I feel that one of the most important things I can do is connect climate change to the values, the faith, and the issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/i-feel-that-one-of-the-most-important-things-i-can-do-is-connect/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [We have to reach out to churches and schools and help people understand science, and we have to build rapport between scientists and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/we-have-to-reach-out-to-churches-and-schools-and-help-people/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [I've even had people tell me that I must not be a Christian because I think climate change is real. But you know, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/i-ve-even-had-people-tell-me-that-i-must-not-be-a-christian-because-i/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [When I talk to my neighbor, or to someone at church who doesn't accept that the planet is changing, I know that they don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/when-i-talk-to-my-neighbor-or-to-someone-at-church-who-doesn-t-accept/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [One of the biggest issues with renewables right now is the fact that if the wind isn't blowing, if the sun isn't shining, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/one-of-the-biggest-issues-with-renewables-right-now-is-the-fact-that/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [A person of faith who shares conservative values and who says very clearly that climate change is real - and here's why we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/a-person-of-faith-who-shares-conservative-values-and-who-says-very/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) [Explore all 41 Katharine Hayhoe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) ## More Acknowledge quotes > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. 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