--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The obstacles are great and the suffering…" description: "\"The obstacles are great and the suffering is great and people have got to make a living.\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a1/leonard-cohen-448_adversity_the-obstacles-are-great-and-the-sufferin_2427963.jpg" --- # The obstacles are great and the suffering is great and… ![“The obstacles are great and the suffering is great and people have got to make a living.” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a1/leonard-cohen-448_adversity_the-obstacles-are-great-and-the-sufferin_2427963.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a1/leonard-cohen-448_adversity_the-obstacles-are-great-and-the-sufferin_2427963.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a1/leonard-cohen-448_adversity_the-obstacles-are-great-and-the-sufferin_2427963.jpg) > “The obstacles are great and the suffering is great and people have got to make a living.” [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s hardships are severe, yet people must continue to earn a living despite them. **In simple terms:** Hardship and survival coexist. Key Takeaway Persist through difficulty. Themes survival hardship economics Mood reflective somber Type literary musical When to use this quote - daily work - financial strain - social inequality Key Concepts existentialism resilience Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance survival with personal values? - What sacrifices are acceptable for livelihood? A Different Perspective Sustaining a livelihood can be morally compromising. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Great people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-people/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Obstacles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obstacles/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [“Amor fati: this is the very core of my being—And as to my prolonged illness, do I not owe much more to it than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/amor-fati-this-is-the-very-core-of-my-being-and-as-to-my-prolonged/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [But not to perish from internal distress and doubt when one inflicts great suffering and hears the cry of suffering : that is great,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/but-not-to-perish-from-internal-distress-and-doubt-when-one-inflicts/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Believe me there is no such thing as great suffering, great regret, great memory…everything is forgotten, even a great love. That's what's sad about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/believe-me-there-is-no-such-thing-as-great-suffering-great-regret/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Thus suffering completely fills the human soul and conscious mind, no matter whether the suffering is great or little. Therefore the 'size' of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/thus-suffering-completely-fills-the-human-soul-and-conscious-mind-no/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [Laughter isn't even the other side of tears. It is tears turned inside out. Truly the suffering is great, here on earth. We blunder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/laughter-isn-t-even-the-other-side-of-tears-it-is-tears-turned-inside-2/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Life this for the living, not the dead, who belong to the past and are at piece and beyond all further pain and suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-this-for-the-living-not-the-dead-who-belong-to-the-past-and-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We have listened here to the delegates who have recalled the terrible human suffering, and the great material destruction of the late war in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-yoshida/we-have-listened-here-to-the-delegates-who-have-recalled-the-terrible/) [Shigeru Yoshida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-yoshida/) > [My suffering became are great at that time when some people are those things me debate on they are not experience themselves,.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/my-suffering-became-are-great-at-that-time-when-some-people-are-those/) Mak\_786 > [I believe that I was lucky to have suffered. Some people don't realize that in suffering there is great potential, because if you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-abu-ghazaleh/i-believe-that-i-was-lucky-to-have-suffered-some-people-don-t-realize/) [Talal Abu-Ghazaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-abu-ghazaleh/) > [Suffering will get you great footage. I don't know about closer to God. Although there have been times when I've suffered to the point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-knoxville/suffering-will-get-you-great-footage-i-don-t-know-about-closer-to-god/) [Johnny Knoxville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-knoxville/) > [“a man’s suffering is similar to the behavior of gas. If a certain quantity of gas is pumped into an empty chamber, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/a-man-s-suffering-is-similar-to-the-behavior-of-gas-if-a-certain-2/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [Laughter isn't even the other side of tears. It is tears turned inside out. Truly the suffering is great, here on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/laughter-isn-t-even-the-other-side-of-tears-it-is-tears-turned-inside/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Life is for the living, not the dead, who belong to the past and are at peace and beyond all further pain and suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-sheldrick/life-is-for-the-living-not-the-dead-who-belong-to-the-past-and-are-at/) [Daphne Sheldrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-sheldrick/) > [For too long, this country has been suffering a great moral and oral decay in spirit and incisors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vermin-supreme/for-too-long-this-country-has-been-suffering-a-great-moral-and-oral/) [Vermin Supreme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vermin-supreme/) > [The relief of suffering is a great good. The curing of illness and disease - these are great human goods. This is the mission…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/the-relief-of-suffering-is-a-great-good-the-curing-of-illness-and/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) ## More by Leonard Cohen > [The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-blizzard-of-the-world-has-crossed-the-threshold-and-it-s/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Don't matter if you're rich and strong Don't matter if you're weak Don't matter if you write a song The nightingales repeat Don't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-matter-if-you-re-rich-and-strong-don-t-matter-if-you-re-weak/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“You don't know me from the wind you never will, you never did I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. I've seen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-don-t-know-me-from-the-wind-you-never-will-you-never-did-i-m-the/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“This is it I’m not coming after you I’m going to lie down for half an hour This is it I’m not going down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-is-it-i-m-not-coming-after-you-i-m-going-to-lie-down-for-half-an/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [My sense of proprietorship has been so weak that actually I didn't pay attention and I lost the copyrights on a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-sense-of-proprietorship-has-been-so-weak-that-actually-i-didn-t/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can... reconcile and embrace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-world-is-full-of-conflicts-and-full-of-things-that-cannot-be/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [ I would say the hummingbird really deserves the royalties on \[some of my songs\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-would-say-the-hummingbird-really-deserves-the-royalties-on-some-of/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [One is given to self-dramatization from time to time. I intend to live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/one-is-given-to-self-dramatization-from-time-to-time-i-intend-to-live/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [The basic function of popular music is to create an environment for courting, lovemaking, and doing the dishes. It's useful because it addresses the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-basic-function-of-popular-music-is-to-create-an-environment-for/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Blessed are you, embrace of the falling, foundation of the light, master of the human accident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/blessed-are-you-embrace-of-the-falling-foundation-of-the-light-master/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I continually blacken pages and scribble away, so I always have a number of songs that are half-finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-continually-blacken-pages-and-scribble-away-so-i-always-have-a/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I have nothing against the Queen of England. Even in my heart I never resented her for not being Jackie Kennedy. She is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-have-nothing-against-the-queen-of-england-even-in-my-heart-i-never/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I loved you when you opened like a lily to the heat; you see I’m just another snowman standing in the rain and sleet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-loved-you-when-you-opened-like-a-lily-to-the-heat-you-see-i-m-just/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [It's time that we began to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/it-s-time-that-we-began-to-laugh-and-cry-and-cry-and-laugh-about-it/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“I followed the course From chaos to art Desire the horse Depression the cart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-followed-the-course-from-chaos-to-art-desire-the-horse-depression/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) [Explore all 543 Leonard Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## More Adversity quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [When we have public success we also have private struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/when-we-have-public-success-we-also-have-private-struggles/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“Friction is necessary. Ease of life leads to complacency and the atrophy of the human will and spirit. Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/) [Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) James Buckham Kennedy > [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [“Watch a man in times of adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/watch-a-man-in-times-of-adversity-to-discover-what-kind-of-man-he-is/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Life is not about less mistakes but about more trials”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-sever/life-is-not-about-less-mistakes-but-about-more-trials/) S.E. SEVER > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The obstacles are great and the suffering is great and people have got to make a living.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonard Cohen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-obstacles-are-great-and-the-suffering-is-great-and-people-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adversity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-obstacles-are-great-and-the-suffering-is-great-and-people-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a1/leonard-cohen-448_adversity_the-obstacles-are-great-and-the-sufferin_2427963.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a1/leonard-cohen-448_adversity_the-obstacles-are-great-and-the-sufferin_2427963.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a1/leonard-cohen-448_adversity_the-obstacles-are-great-and-the-sufferin_2427963.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The obstacles are great and the suffering is great and people have got to make a living.” — Leonard Cohen", "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": "Leonard Cohen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The obstacles are great and the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-obstacles-are-great-and-the-suffering-is-great-and-people-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-obstacles-are-great-and-the-suffering-is-great-and-people-have/#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 } } ] } ```