---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can think everything is dire, but you…"
description: "\"You can think everything is dire, but you act as if there's possibility. I see children coming into the world as an expression of this. Sometimes, not ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/893/lynne-tillman-5609_abortion_you-can-think-everything-is-dire-but-you_974844.jpg"
---

#  You can think everything is dire, but you act as if…

![“You can think everything is dire, but you act as if there's possibility. I see children coming into the world as an expression of this. Sometimes, not always - it can just be somebody that wasn't on the birth control pill or didn't have access to abortion. But I usually see a wanted child as a…” quote by Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/893/lynne-tillman-5609_abortion_you-can-think-everything-is-dire-but-you_974844.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/893/lynne-tillman-5609_abortion_you-can-think-everything-is-dire-but-you_974844.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/893/lynne-tillman-5609_abortion_you-can-think-everything-is-dire-but-you_974844.jpg)

> “You can think everything is dire, but you act as if there's possibility. I see children coming into the world as an expression of this. Sometimes, not always - it can just be somebody that wasn't on the birth control pill or didn't have access to abortion. But I usually see a wanted child as a sign of optimism, and I like that.”

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Optimism can be found in the arrival of wanted children, symbolizing hope despite hardships.

**In simple terms:** Children can represent hope.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and nurture optimism in everyday life.

Themes

optimism family hope

Mood

hopeful reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- parenting
- social policy
- personal reflection
- public discourse

Key Concepts

existentialism humanism

Questions to Reflect On

- How does seeing children as hopeful symbols affect your outlook?
- What responsibilities arise from this optimism?

A Different Perspective

Not all births are planned; societal factors affect outcomes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Abortion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abortion/) [Abortion Usually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abortion-usually-1897120/) [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Birth control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth-control/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Optimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimism/) [Optimism Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimism-like-961881/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Possibility Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility-children-1362279/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wanted Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-child-1104573/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [It is significant that, as innocent babies are killed, and capital punishment is withheld from their murderers, the same men who plead for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/it-is-significant-that-as-innocent-babies-are-killed-and-capital/)

[R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/)

> [“nothing knee-jerk about their politics. Two out of three of them say that abortion is “always” or “usually” morally wrong. They are far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zogby/nothing-knee-jerk-about-their-politics-two-out-of-three-of-them-say/)

[John Zogby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zogby/)

> [“Children need to see delight in the eyes of adults, if only to give them a sense that happiness is within reach, even when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/children-need-to-see-delight-in-the-eyes-of-adults-if-only-to-give/)

[Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/)

> [Burnout is nature's way of telling you, you've been going through the motions your soul has departed; you're a zombie, a member of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-keen/burnout-is-nature-s-way-of-telling-you-you-ve-been-going-through-the/)

[Sam Keen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-keen/)

> [“It has been estimated that 50 percent of all human conceptions end in spontaneous abortion, usually without a woman even realizing that she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/it-has-been-estimated-that-50-percent-of-all-human-conceptions-end-in/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“My optimism is like an old cat that likes to disappear for days, but I always expect it to return.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/my-optimism-is-like-an-old-cat-that-likes-to-disappear-for-days-but-i/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [“Jimmie would forever be the Renaissance humanist, bearing his faith and optimism like a white light inside a chalice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lee-burke/jimmie-would-forever-be-the-renaissance-humanist-bearing-his-faith/)

[James Lee Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lee-burke/)

> [I guess my whole life, as much as I might have wanted a child for the reason that everybody wants one, I always recognized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/i-guess-my-whole-life-as-much-as-i-might-have-wanted-a-child-for-the/)

[Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/)

> [I can't imagine anything that would signal more clearly that life goes on and joy can follow tragedy than your having a much wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-yoffe/i-can-t-imagine-anything-that-would-signal-more-clearly-that-life/)

[Emily Yoffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-yoffe/)

> [All I've ever wanted, since I was a child, was to do something wonderful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/all-i-ve-ever-wanted-since-i-was-a-child-was-to-do-something-wonderful/)

[Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/)

> [Every child a wanted child; every mother a willing mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-morgentaler/every-child-a-wanted-child-every-mother-a-willing-mother/)

[Henry Morgentaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-morgentaler/)

> [“I didn’t want to invade his privacy; I didn’t want to fight with him; I didn’t want anyone else to ever hurt him. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-didn-t-want-to-invade-his-privacy-i-didn-t-want-to-fight-with-him-i/)

[Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/)

> [I have always wanted my own child... no make that children. And when you find the ideal life partner, you want children all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aditya-narayan/i-have-always-wanted-my-own-child-no-make-that-children-and-when-you/)

[Aditya Narayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aditya-narayan/)

> [I didn't want to get married to somebody just because I was ageing and wanted a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neena-gupta/i-didn-t-want-to-get-married-to-somebody-just-because-i-was-ageing/)

[Neena Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neena-gupta/)

> [That's the worst of growing up, and I'm beginning to realize it. The things you wanted so much when you were a child don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-s-the-worst-of-growing-up-and-i-m-beginning-to-realize-it-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Lynne Tillman

> [There may be an art to conversation, and some are better at it than others, but conversation's virtue lies in randomness and possibility: people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/there-may-be-an-art-to-conversation-and-some-are-better-at-it-than/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [I'd studied English literature and American history, but the English literature, which I thought was going to be helpful to me in an immediate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-d-studied-english-literature-and-american-history-but-the-english/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [I subject my sentences and the words to a kind of Grand Inquisition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-subject-my-sentences-and-the-words-to-a-kind-of-grand-inquisition/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [Laughing and crying are very similar. Sometimes people go from laughing to crying, or crying to laughing. I remember being at someone's wedding and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/laughing-and-crying-are-very-similar-sometimes-people-go-from/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [ \[Reality\] isn't simply the so-called world that you're in. Your reality is a much larger one that takes in all matter of identification and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/reality-isn-t-simply-the-so-called-world-that-you-re-in-your-reality/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [I write about what I'm thinking about. I write about what is bothering me or what is a political, aesthetic, or ethical issue or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-write-about-what-i-m-thinking-about-i-write-about-what-is-bothering/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [My friends and I sometimes laugh at each other that there is so much maintenance of a body. I paid no attention when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/my-friends-and-i-sometimes-laugh-at-each-other-that-there-is-so-much/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [I'm interested in reality but I'm not interested in realism at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-m-interested-in-reality-but-i-m-not-interested-in-realism-at-all/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [In a practical sense, pain kept me from sitting down as much, so that sometimes I would have to stand to write. Not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/in-a-practical-sense-pain-kept-me-from-sitting-down-as-much-so-that/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [I'm bothered, as a reader, when I feel the writer is filling in too much. Again, whether it's nonfiction or fiction, I think writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-m-bothered-as-a-reader-when-i-feel-the-writer-is-filling-in-too/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [It wasn't that I wanted to be an artist. But when I took my first drawing class with the painter Doug Ohlson, I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/it-wasn-t-that-i-wanted-to-be-an-artist-but-when-i-took-my-first/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [I'm interested in reality but I'm not interested in realism at all. I'm interested in the ways that I think people want to relate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-m-interested-in-reality-but-i-m-not-interested-in-realism-at-all-i/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [It's true you have to screen out a lot living in the city. I stayed away from New York for a long time after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/it-s-true-you-have-to-screen-out-a-lot-living-in-the-city-i-stayed/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [Kafka wrote the great line: "my education has damaged me in ways I do not even know." And that's always been a signature motto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/kafka-wrote-the-great-line-my-education-has-damaged-me-in-ways-i-do/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [There are lots of unlikable characters in literature. It doesn't mean they're not fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/there-are-lots-of-unlikable-characters-in-literature-it-doesn-t-mean/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

[Explore all 100 Lynne Tillman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

## More Abortion quotes

> [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/)

[Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/)

> [Hey everyone, in case y'all didn't hear, I'm pregnat, and after discussing it w/ my family, I've decided to get an abortion, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-badesheim/hey-everyone-in-case-y-all-didn-t-hear-i-m-pregnat-and-after/)

[Madison Badesheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-badesheim/)

> [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. Just like it was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/there-was-no-mistake-in-us-making-abortion-legal-and-available-on/)

[Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/)

> [My favorite Founding Fathers, Christians like John Adams, were absolutely appalled by slavery, and did not own slaves. I think we're going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/my-favorite-founding-fathers-christians-like-john-adams-were/)

[Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/)

> [“David Bereit, Founder of Forty Days for Life, points out that any abortion clinic in America should have a sign in its window that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-price/david-bereit-founder-of-forty-days-for-life-points-out-that-any/)

[John Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-price/)

> [The Chinese describe themselves as political refugees. Many base that claim on China's strict population laws, which allow them to have only one child.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/the-chinese-describe-themselves-as-political-refugees-many-base-that/)

[Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/)

> [I'm a pro-life candidate because I believe that science is proving us right every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/i-m-a-pro-life-candidate-because-i-believe-that-science-is-proving-us/)

[Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/)

> [I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion…has been born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-noticed-that-everyone-who-is-for-abortion-has-been-born/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [We talk a lot about how abortion is a medical procedure, but actually if you look at what the other side is doing, they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-northup/we-talk-a-lot-about-how-abortion-is-a-medical-procedure-but-actually/)

[Nancy Northup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-northup/)

> [“The Vatican won't prosecute pedophile priests but I decide I'm not ready for motherhood and it's condemnation for me? These are the same people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-renee-taylor/the-vatican-won-t-prosecute-pedophile-priests-but-i-decide-i-m-not/)

[Sonya Renee Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-renee-taylor/)

> [Pro-lifers have long been castigated for bringing private values into the public square. But actually it is the pro-abortion position that is based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/pro-lifers-have-long-been-castigated-for-bringing-private-values-into/)

[Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/)

> [I am 100 percent pro-life and have been my whole life. That means I am opposed to abortion at any stage of pregnancy, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hawley/i-am-100-percent-pro-life-and-have-been-my-whole-life-that-means-i-am/)

[Josh Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hawley/)

> [Any woman should have the right to a safe and legal abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-ford/any-woman-should-have-the-right-to-a-safe-and-legal-abortion/)

[Betty Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-ford/)

> [“For Republicans, life begins at conception but ends at birth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-adam-snyder/for-republicans-life-begins-at-conception-but-ends-at-birth/)

[J.Adam Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-adam-snyder/)

> [I think fundamentally, the real power behind the anti-choice movement in regard to abortion and the opposition to the rights of LGBT Americans is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-w-lynn/i-think-fundamentally-the-real-power-behind-the-anti-choice-movement/)

[Barry W. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-w-lynn/)

[Browse all 1,629 Abortion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abortion/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You can think everything is dire, but you act as if there's possibility. I see children coming into the world as an expression of this. Sometimes, not always - it can just be somebody that wasn't on the birth control pill or didn't have access to abortion. But I usually see a wanted child as a sign of optimism, and I like that.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lynne Tillman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/you-can-think-everything-is-dire-but-you-act-as-if-there-s/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Abortion"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/you-can-think-everything-is-dire-but-you-act-as-if-there-s/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/893/lynne-tillman-5609_abortion_you-can-think-everything-is-dire-but-you_974844.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/893/lynne-tillman-5609_abortion_you-can-think-everything-is-dire-but-you_974844.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/893/lynne-tillman-5609_abortion_you-can-think-everything-is-dire-but-you_974844.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You can think everything is dire, but you act as if there's possibility. I see children coming into the…” — Lynne Tillman",
                "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": "Lynne Tillman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You can think everything is dire,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/you-can-think-everything-is-dire-but-you-act-as-if-there-s/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/you-can-think-everything-is-dire-but-you-act-as-if-there-s/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
