--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If your goal is to avoid pain and escape…" description: "\"If your goal is to avoid pain and escape suffering, I would not advise you to seek higher levels of consciousness or spiritual evolution.\" — M. Scott Peck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/m-scott-peck-1921_advise_if-your-goal-is-to-avoid-pain-and-escape_472916.png" --- # If your goal is to avoid pain and escape suffering, I… ![“If your goal is to avoid pain and escape suffering, I would not advise you to seek higher levels of consciousness or spiritual evolution.” quote by M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/m-scott-peck-1921_advise_if-your-goal-is-to-avoid-pain-and-escape_472916.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/m-scott-peck-1921_advise_if-your-goal-is-to-avoid-pain-and-escape_472916.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/m-scott-peck-1921_advise_if-your-goal-is-to-avoid-pain-and-escape_472916.png) > “If your goal is to avoid pain and escape suffering, I would not advise you to seek higher levels of consciousness or spiritual evolution.” [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Chasing higher consciousness to avoid pain is counterproductive; confronting suffering directly leads to growth. **In simple terms:** Avoiding pain by seeking enlightenment fails. Key Takeaway Face discomfort to evolve. Themes pain avoidance spirituality growth Mood introspective serious Type psychological motivational When to use this quote - therapy - personal development - spiritual practice Key Concepts psychology mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What pain are you avoiding? - Can acceptance replace escape? A Different Perspective Higher consciousness alone does not resolve underlying suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advise/) [Avoid Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoid-pain/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Escape Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/escape-suffering-630318/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Higher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher/) [Higher level](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-level/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Pain Escape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain-escape-2414244/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Spiritual evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-evolution/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering Advise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-advise-4083645/) ## Related quotes > [We cant escape pain; we cant escape the essential nature of our lives. But we do have a choice. We can give in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-held/we-cant-escape-pain-we-cant-escape-the-essential-nature-of-our-lives/) [Jacob Held](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-held/) > [Comedy can simultaneously allow you to dive headfirst into the world's pain and escape it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbi-jacobson/comedy-can-simultaneously-allow-you-to-dive-headfirst-into-the-world/) [Abbi Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbi-jacobson/) > [The difficulty we have in accepting responsibility for our behavior lies in the desire to avoid the pain of the consequences of that behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/the-difficulty-we-have-in-accepting-responsibility-for-our-behavior/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Discipline, it has been suggested, is the means of human spiritual evolution. What provides the motive, the energy for discipline? This force I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/discipline-it-has-been-suggested-is-the-means-of-human-spiritual/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [The inferno of the living is not something that will be; if there is one, it is what is already here, the inferno where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/the-inferno-of-the-living-is-not-something-that-will-be-if-there-is/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“To become the spectator of one’s own life, as Harry says, is to escape the suffering of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-become-the-spectator-of-one-s-own-life-as-harry-says-is-to-escape/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“My considerate friend insists on hearing about my troubles first, and after several minutes of excavation, I'm drowning in them and can't sufficiently attend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/my-considerate-friend-insists-on-hearing-about-my-troubles-first-and/) [Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/) > [Laughter is Humanity's mechanism to escape suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/laughter-is-humanity-s-mechanism-to-escape-suffering/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [You have to grieve in order to move on .We run from emotional pain to escape from suffering, unaware of the fact that it'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/you-have-to-grieve-in-order-to-move-on-we-run-from-emotional-pain-to/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [“God doesn’t promise us escape from suffering or pain. Rather, He promises to miraculously use even bad situations for your ultimate good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-george/god-doesn-t-promise-us-escape-from-suffering-or-pain-rather-he/) [Jim George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-george/) > [To become a spectator of one's own life is to escape the suffering of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-become-a-spectator-of-one-s-own-life-is-to-escape-the-suffering-of/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Like many others, I'm deeply sympathetic to the huge numbers of people looking to come here today to escape suffering and poverty in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/like-many-others-i-m-deeply-sympathetic-to-the-huge-numbers-of-people/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) > [Those desiring to escape from suffering hasten right toward suffering. With the very desire for happiness, out of delusion they destroy their own happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shantideva/those-desiring-to-escape-from-suffering-hasten-right-toward-suffering/) [Shantideva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shantideva/) > [There's no way that I know of to avoid pain absolutely, but suffering is the interpretation we choose to place on the pain we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florynce-kennedy/there-s-no-way-that-i-know-of-to-avoid-pain-absolutely-but-suffering/) [Florynce Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florynce-kennedy/) > [There is a great deal of pain in life and perhaps the only pain that can be avoided is the pain that comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-laing/there-is-a-great-deal-of-pain-in-life-and-perhaps-the-only-pain-that/) [R. D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) ## More by M. Scott Peck > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [As I grow through love, so grows my joy, ever more present, ever more constant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/as-i-grow-through-love-so-grows-my-joy-ever-more-present-ever-more/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [“Life is difficult.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/life-is-difficult/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [“The second most common misconception about love is the idea that dependency is love...Its effect is seen most dramatically in an individual who makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/the-second-most-common-misconception-about-love-is-the-idea-that/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Although I was raised in a profoundly secular home, I had a belief, an awareness of God, from as far back as I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/although-i-was-raised-in-a-profoundly-secular-home-i-had-a-belief-an/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [I've gone to great lengths not to be a guru. I think the notion of guruhood is utterly pathological, and I couldn't live that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/i-ve-gone-to-great-lengths-not-to-be-a-guru-i-think-the-notion-of/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [The whole course of human history may depend on a change of heart in one solitary and even humble individual - for it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/the-whole-course-of-human-history-may-depend-on-a-change-of-heart-in/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [The act of loving is an act of self-evolution even when the purpose of the act is someone else's growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/the-act-of-loving-is-an-act-of-self-evolution-even-when-the-purpose/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [“Benjamin Franklin said, “Those things that hurt, instruct.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/benjamin-franklin-said-those-things-that-hurt-instruct/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Abandon the urge to simplify everything, to look for formulas and easy answers, and to begin to think multidimensionally, to glory in the mystery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/abandon-the-urge-to-simplify-everything-to-look-for-formulas-and-easy/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Listening well is an exercise of attention and by necessity hard work. It is because they do not realize this or because they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/listening-well-is-an-exercise-of-attention-and-by-necessity-hard-work/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [“It is not selfishness or unselfishness that distinguishes love from non-love; it is the aim of the action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/it-is-not-selfishness-or-unselfishness-that-distinguishes-love-from/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Love is too large, too deep ever to be truly understood or measured or limited within the framework of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/love-is-too-large-too-deep-ever-to-be-truly-understood-or-measured-or/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [There is no act of love that is not an act of work or courage. No exceptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/there-is-no-act-of-love-that-is-not-an-act-of-work-or-courage-no/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [To be free people we must assume total responsibility for ourselves, but in doing so must possess the capacity to reject responsibility that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/to-be-free-people-we-must-assume-total-responsibility-for-ourselves/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) [Explore all 198 M. Scott Peck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) ## More Advise quotes > [Choosing a job or business is the same thing. I'm not the best one to advise someone how to make billions of dollars; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-roy/choosing-a-job-or-business-is-the-same-thing-i-m-not-the-best-one-to/) [Rachel Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-roy/) > [Buddhism advises you not to implant feelings that you don’t really have or avoid feelings that you do have. If you are miserable you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/buddhism-advises-you-not-to-implant-feelings-that-you-don-t-really/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Sometimes curiosity is a poison, not only for those who drink it but for everyone around it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-norman-lippert/sometimes-curiosity-is-a-poison-not-only-for-those-who-drink-it-but/) [G. Norman Lippert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-norman-lippert/) > [Dont ever wrestle with a pig u'll both get dirty but the pig will enj0y it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udechukwu-d0navan/dont-ever-wrestle-with-a-pig-u-ll-both-get-dirty-but-the-pig-will/) [Udechukwu D0navan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udechukwu-d0navan/) > [Some writing courses will advise you to write what you know. I've always thought this is very odd advice ... because it means, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/some-writing-courses-will-advise-you-to-write-what-you-know-i-ve/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [I advise women to invest in real estate. It is the collateral to be preferred above all others, and the safest means of investing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hetty-green/i-advise-women-to-invest-in-real-estate-it-is-the-collateral-to-be/) [Hetty Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hetty-green/) > [You bomb ISIL. You're not trying to bomb innocent people. And that requires intelligence and confidence in our military to be able to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-bomb-isil-you-re-not-trying-to-bomb-innocent-people-and-that/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [God is a spirit. Jesus was led up of the Spirit to be tempted of the Devil; and it is also true that spirits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bradlaugh/god-is-a-spirit-jesus-was-led-up-of-the-spirit-to-be-tempted-of-the/) [Charles Bradlaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bradlaugh/) > [I do not allow fan-fiction. The characters are copyrighted. It upsets me terribly to even think about fan-fiction with my characters. I advise my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/i-do-not-allow-fan-fiction-the-characters-are-copyrighted-it-upsets/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [Only a foolish man wil keep on doing one ting and expect another result](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordons/only-a-foolish-man-wil-keep-on-doing-one-ting-and-expect-another/) [Gordons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordons/) > [I do believe that where there is a choice between cowardice and non-violence I would advise violence. Thus when my eldest son asked me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-believe-that-where-there-is-a-choice-between-cowardice-and-non/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [You are lucky in life if you have the right heroes. I advise all of you, to the extent you can, to pick out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/you-are-lucky-in-life-if-you-have-the-right-heroes-i-advise-all-of/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [“I don't advise. You mutn't give any weight to what I say, except in so far as your own judgment approves it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/i-don-t-advise-you-mutn-t-give-any-weight-to-what-i-say-except-in-so/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [Parents can only advise their children or point them in the right direction. Ultimately people shape their own characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/parents-can-only-advise-their-children-or-point-them-in-the-right/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) [Browse all 507 Advise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advise/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If your goal is to avoid pain and escape suffering, I would not advise you to seek higher levels of consciousness or spiritual evolution.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "M. Scott Peck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/if-your-goal-is-to-avoid-pain-and-escape-suffering-i-would-not-advise/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/if-your-goal-is-to-avoid-pain-and-escape-suffering-i-would-not-advise/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/m-scott-peck-1921_advise_if-your-goal-is-to-avoid-pain-and-escape_472916.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/m-scott-peck-1921_advise_if-your-goal-is-to-avoid-pain-and-escape_472916.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/m-scott-peck-1921_advise_if-your-goal-is-to-avoid-pain-and-escape_472916.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If your goal is to avoid pain and escape suffering, I would not advise you to seek higher levels of…” — M. Scott Peck", "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": "M. Scott Peck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If your goal is to avoid...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/if-your-goal-is-to-avoid-pain-and-escape-suffering-i-would-not-advise/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/if-your-goal-is-to-avoid-pain-and-escape-suffering-i-would-not-advise/#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 } } ] } ```