--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I treated despair in terms of hierarchy…" description: "\"I treated despair in terms of hierarchy: if there was a more important pain in the world, it meant my own was negated. I thought I simply had to accept..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/lucy-grealy-24985_accepting_i-treated-despair-in-terms-of-hierarchy_3020903.jpg" --- # I treated despair in terms of hierarchy: if there was a… ![“I treated despair in terms of hierarchy: if there was a more important pain in the world, it meant my own was negated. I thought I simply had to accept the fact that I was ugly, and that to feel despair about it was simply wrong.” quote by Lucy Grealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/lucy-grealy-24985_accepting_i-treated-despair-in-terms-of-hierarchy_3020903.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/lucy-grealy-24985_accepting_i-treated-despair-in-terms-of-hierarchy_3020903.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/lucy-grealy-24985_accepting_i-treated-despair-in-terms-of-hierarchy_3020903.jpg) > “I treated despair in terms of hierarchy: if there was a more important pain in the world, it meant my own was negated. I thought I simply had to accept the fact that I was ugly, and that to feel despair about it was simply wrong.” [Lucy Grealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-grealy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Despair can be reframed by recognizing larger suffering, reducing personal suffering’s significance. **In simple terms:** Seeing bigger pain eases personal despair. Key Takeaway Place personal struggles in broader perspective. Themes perspective suffering hierarchy acceptance Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - grief counseling - personal setbacks - health crises - creative writing Key Concepts existentialism comparative empathy psychological resilience Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing others’ pain affect your own? - When is it helpful to view suffering hierarchically? A Different Perspective Comparing pain may invalidate individual experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Hierarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hierarchy/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“When I see those sad, abused and neglected animals on those commercials I feel despair for the human race. Too many people repay loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/when-i-see-those-sad-abused-and-neglected-animals-on-those/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [These terrifying forms which advance on me, I feel that the despair they bring is alive. It slips into this nucleus of life beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-artaud/these-terrifying-forms-which-advance-on-me-i-feel-that-the-despair/) [Antonin Artaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-artaud/) > [If there's more that you can do, then do it. If there's not more that you can do, then be content with what you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/if-there-s-more-that-you-can-do-then-do-it-if-there-s-not-more-that/) [Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/) > [Every once in a while I feel despair over the fate of the planet. If you've been following climate science, you know what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/every-once-in-a-while-i-feel-despair-over-the-fate-of-the-planet-if/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [“The air in my home is heavy with my mom's unhappiness. And her exhaustion. And her sheer dissatisfaction with her life. 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Faced with a woman reaching a correct conclusion and unable to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/feminine-intuition-is-that-what-you-wanted-the-robot-for-you-men/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [Accept the fact that you're never gonna be someone else and embrace the fact that the world needs you as God made you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/accept-the-fact-that-you-re-never-gonna-be-someone-else-and-embrace/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [Families are like friends at school, at first you have no idea about them, but right after you talk talking and getting attach to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asiya-sasika-khan/families-are-like-friends-at-school-at-first-you-have-no-idea-about/) Asiya Sasika Khan > [One must accept the fact that we have only one companion in this world, a companion who accompanies us from the cradle to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/one-must-accept-the-fact-that-we-have-only-one-companion-in-this/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) ## More by Lucy Grealy > [Does something which exists on the edge have no true relevance to the stable center, or does it, by being on the edge, become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-grealy/does-something-which-exists-on-the-edge-have-no-true-relevance-to-the/) [Lucy Grealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-grealy/) > [“When dealing with my mother, one always had to act in a delicate and prescribed way, though the exact rules of protocol seemed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-grealy/when-dealing-with-my-mother-one-always-had-to-act-in-a-delicate-and/) [Lucy Grealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-grealy/) > [The general plot of life is sometimes shaped by the different ways genuine intelligence combines with equally genuine ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-grealy/the-general-plot-of-life-is-sometimes-shaped-by-the-different-ways/) [Lucy Grealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-grealy/) > [ Through \[my friends\] I discovered what it was to love people. 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It became the launching pad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-grealy/this-singularity-of-meaning-i-was-my-face-i-was-ugliness-though/) [Lucy Grealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-grealy/) > [Part of the job of being human is to consistently underestimate our effect on other people...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-grealy/part-of-the-job-of-being-human-is-to-consistently-underestimate-our/) [Lucy Grealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-grealy/) > [“The school year progressed slowly. I felt as if I had been in the sixth grade for years, yet it was only October. Halloween…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-grealy/the-school-year-progressed-slowly-i-felt-as-if-i-had-been-in-the/) [Lucy Grealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-grealy/) [Explore all 23 Lucy Grealy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-grealy/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! 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Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. 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