--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To deal with reality you must first…" description: "\"To deal with reality you must first recognize it as such.\" — Laurence Gonzales" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4b/laurence-gonzales-24634_deals_to-deal-with-reality-you-must-first-reco_1494930.jpg" --- # To deal with reality you must first recognize it as such. ![“To deal with reality you must first recognize it as such.” quote by Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4b/laurence-gonzales-24634_deals_to-deal-with-reality-you-must-first-reco_1494930.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4b/laurence-gonzales-24634_deals_to-deal-with-reality-you-must-first-reco_1494930.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4b/laurence-gonzales-24634_deals_to-deal-with-reality-you-must-first-reco_1494930.jpg) > “To deal with reality you must first recognize it as such.” [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing reality as it is is the first step to dealing with it effectively. **In simple terms:** Accept reality first. Key Takeaway Acknowledge facts before acting. Themes self-awareness acceptance psychology Mood reflective serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal decision - conflict resolution - stress management Key Concepts cognitive bias mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How often do you deny uncomfortable facts? - What helps you see things clearly? A Different Perspective Ignoring reality leads to misguided actions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deal/) [Deal Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deal-reality-894817/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Recognize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-recognize-1587185/) [Recognize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognize/) ## Related quotes > [See the prince of dreams, but when in reality we do not recognize them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/see-the-prince-of-dreams-but-when-in-reality-we-do-not-recognize-them/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [Either you deal with what is the reality, or you can be sure that the reality is going to deal with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-haley/either-you-deal-with-what-is-the-reality-or-you-can-be-sure-that-the/) [Alex Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-haley/) > [Knowledge is what we get when an observer, preferably a scientifically trained observer, provides us with a copy of reality that we can all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/knowledge-is-what-we-get-when-an-observer-preferably-a-scientifically/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [I don't deal with hypotheticals. I deal with reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-ward/i-don-t-deal-with-hypotheticals-i-deal-with-reality/) [Clarissa Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-ward/) > [We need realism to deal with reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slick-rick/we-need-realism-to-deal-with-reality/) [Slick Rick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slick-rick/) > [It's a big deal to bring your family on the road, you know? I'd love to do it sometime, but you have to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-filan/it-s-a-big-deal-to-bring-your-family-on-the-road-you-know-i-d-love-to/) [Shane Filan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-filan/) > [I like films that deal with some of those questions that you can never answer: 'Why are we here? What's it about? What happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-monaghan/i-like-films-that-deal-with-some-of-those-questions-that-you-can/) [Dominic Monaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-monaghan/) > [If elected, I shall see to it that every man has a square deal, no less and no more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/if-elected-i-shall-see-to-it-that-every-man-has-a-square-deal-no-less/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Real choice is clear information and the right to walk away from a bad deal without leaving your wallet behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/real-choice-is-clear-information-and-the-right-to-walk-away-from-a/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [If you don't have a deal, you wind up losing money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-zheng-wu/if-you-don-t-have-a-deal-you-wind-up-losing-money/) [Bruno Zheng Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-zheng-wu/) > [It's difficult for them to do a deal at these levels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lakshmi-mittal/it-s-difficult-for-them-to-do-a-deal-at-these-levels/) [Lakshmi Mittal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lakshmi-mittal/) > [You only mature when you face problems you can't deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waite/you-only-mature-when-you-face-problems-you-can-t-deal-with/) [Ralph Waite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waite/) > [When people see you have a song on MTV, they think you are doing well - but you know, the way the traditional label…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-sobule/when-people-see-you-have-a-song-on-mtv-they-think-you-are-doing-well/) [Jill Sobule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-sobule/) > [What's the worst that could happen? Everyone turned me down; big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/what-s-the-worst-that-could-happen-everyone-turned-me-down-big-deal/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I deal with more practical issues of the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-deal-with-more-practical-issues-of-the-bible/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) ## More by Laurence Gonzales > [Bureaucracies force us to practice nonsense. And if you rehearse nonsense, you may one day find yourself the victim of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/bureaucracies-force-us-to-practice-nonsense-and-if-you-rehearse/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [“I cast myself across the land in search of enlightenment, and here is what I found: that matter and energy are one continuous flow.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/i-cast-myself-across-the-land-in-search-of-enlightenment-and-here-is/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [“How, I wondered, can we wake up for this amazing journey that is so quickly ended? How can we experience the live performance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/how-i-wondered-can-we-wake-up-for-this-amazing-journey-that-is-so/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [The word 'experienced' often refers to someone who's gotten away with doing the wrong thing more frequently than you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/the-word-experienced-often-refers-to-someone-who-s-gotten-away-with/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [We don't understand the power of nature and the world because we don't live with it. Our environment is designed to sustain us. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/we-don-t-understand-the-power-of-nature-and-the-world-because-we-don/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [The maddening thing for someone with a Western scientific turn of mind is that it’s not what’s in your pack that separates the quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/the-maddening-thing-for-someone-with-a-western-scientific-turn-of/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [“What does brace mean, anyway? Brace. Such an odd word. It comes from the Latin brachium, meaning arm. It means, as its heart, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/what-does-brace-mean-anyway-brace-such-an-odd-word-it-comes-from-the/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [Survival is the celebration of choosing life over death. We know we're going to die. We all die. But survival is saying: perhaps not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/survival-is-the-celebration-of-choosing-life-over-death-we-know-we-re/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [The summit is not the only place on the mountain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/the-summit-is-not-the-only-place-on-the-mountain/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [“With the illusion that we have dominion over the earth we conclude we have nothing to fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/with-the-illusion-that-we-have-dominion-over-the-earth-we-conclude-we/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [As you run out of options and energy you must become resigned to your plight. Like it or not you must make a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/as-you-run-out-of-options-and-energy-you-must-become-resigned-to-your/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [We think we believe what we know, but we only truly believe what we feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/we-think-we-believe-what-we-know-but-we-only-truly-believe-what-we/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [But what is the way forward? I know what it isn't. It's not, as we once believed, plenty to eat and a home with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/but-what-is-the-way-forward-i-know-what-it-isn-t-it-s-not-as-we-once/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [The sun beams are always there. The trick is in seeing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/the-sun-beams-are-always-there-the-trick-is-in-seeing-them/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) > [Success is a dangerous element in any endeavor. Embrace the struggle. Beware the achievement. For it steals your caution even as it leads you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/success-is-a-dangerous-element-in-any-endeavor-embrace-the-struggle/) [Laurence Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) [Explore all 24 Laurence Gonzales quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/) ## More Deal quotes > [“Perspective is everything. If your “why” is big enough, you can deal with almost any “what.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/perspective-is-everything-if-your-why-is-big-enough-you-can-deal-with/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/) [Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/) > [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) > [“Duty is a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/duty-is-a-done-deal/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Well of course there's been a great deal of progress over the last 40 years. We don't have laws that segregate black people within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/well-of-course-there-s-been-a-great-deal-of-progress-over-the-last-40/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [On 'Workaholics,' I feel like I'm just hanging out with my buddies being filmed, but on 'Mindy,' I'm around professional funny people who act.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-holm/on-workaholics-i-feel-like-i-m-just-hanging-out-with-my-buddies-being/) [Anders Holm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-holm/) > [Since FDR's New Deal, corporations and wealthy families have been non-stop finding new ways to get tax breaks, deregulation and entitlements from the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mckay/since-fdr-s-new-deal-corporations-and-wealthy-families-have-been-non/) [Adam McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mckay/) > [If you don't think about or deal with an issue, it gets bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-heughan/if-you-don-t-think-about-or-deal-with-an-issue-it-gets-bigger/) [Sam Heughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-heughan/) > [Had Elijah Muhammad tried to introduce an orthodox form of Arab-oriented Islam, I doubt if he would have attracted 500 people, but he introduced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henrik-clarke/had-elijah-muhammad-tried-to-introduce-an-orthodox-form-of-arab/) [John Henrik Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henrik-clarke/) > [I think some people think I'm, like, anti-label, and I'm not. I just wanted to sign a deal when the time was right. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-azalea/i-think-some-people-think-i-m-like-anti-label-and-i-m-not-i-just/) [Iggy Azalea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-azalea/) > [To truly repent of a big thing, you have to go into it with your heart open and force yourself to deal with it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-wilkinson/to-truly-repent-of-a-big-thing-you-have-to-go-into-it-with-your-heart/) [Bruce Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-wilkinson/) > [Throughout my years, I've had the pleasure of assembling and training what I believe to be the best group of people in the world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-adair/throughout-my-years-i-ve-had-the-pleasure-of-assembling-and-training/) [Red Adair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-adair/) > [I deal with more practical issues of the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-deal-with-more-practical-issues-of-the-bible/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [There's a lot of activism that doesn't deal with empowerment, and you have to empower yourself in order to be relevant to any type…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/there-s-a-lot-of-activism-that-doesn-t-deal-with-empowerment-and-you/) [Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/) > [There's so many careers that didn't happen because women are like, 'I can't deal with this harassment. I'm going to leave this industry.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/there-s-so-many-careers-that-didn-t-happen-because-women-are-like-i/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) [Browse all 2,107 Deal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To deal with reality you must first recognize it as such.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laurence Gonzales" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/to-deal-with-reality-you-must-first-recognize-it-as-such/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/to-deal-with-reality-you-must-first-recognize-it-as-such/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4b/laurence-gonzales-24634_deals_to-deal-with-reality-you-must-first-reco_1494930.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4b/laurence-gonzales-24634_deals_to-deal-with-reality-you-must-first-reco_1494930.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4b/laurence-gonzales-24634_deals_to-deal-with-reality-you-must-first-reco_1494930.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To deal with reality you must first recognize it as such.” — Laurence Gonzales", "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": "Laurence Gonzales", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gonzales/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To deal with reality you must...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/to-deal-with-reality-you-must-first-recognize-it-as-such/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gonzales/to-deal-with-reality-you-must-first-recognize-it-as-such/#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 } } ] } ```