--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We live in a society running from pain…" description: "\"We live in a society running from pain through alcohol, through too much exercise, through sugar, through drugs - as opposed to realizing that these th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d42/mariel-hemingway-8965_alcohol_we-live-in-a-society-running-from-pain-t_437838.jpg" --- # We live in a society running from pain through alcohol… ![“We live in a society running from pain through alcohol, through too much exercise, through sugar, through drugs - as opposed to realizing that these things come up because they are lessons. It's a way to wake you up.” quote by Mariel Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d42/mariel-hemingway-8965_alcohol_we-live-in-a-society-running-from-pain-t_437838.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d42/mariel-hemingway-8965_alcohol_we-live-in-a-society-running-from-pain-t_437838.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d42/mariel-hemingway-8965_alcohol_we-live-in-a-society-running-from-pain-t_437838.jpg) > “We live in a society running from pain through alcohol, through too much exercise, through sugar, through drugs - as opposed to realizing that these things come up because they are lessons. It's a way to wake you up.” [Mariel Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariel-hemingway/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People use substances and extremes to avoid pain, but these are lessons meant to awaken awareness. **In simple terms:** People escape pain with habits, yet these are lessons to awaken. Key Takeaway Embrace discomfort as learning, not escape. Themes pain addiction self-awareness growth Mood reflective empathetic Type self‑help philosophical When to use this quote - Therapy sessions - rehab programs - personal journaling - mindful exercise - support groups Key Concepts Lesson learning mindfulness self-reflection Questions to Reflect On - What discomfort can you face today? - How can you transform pain into insight? A Different Perspective Escapism can become addiction; not all pain leads to growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alcohol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcohol/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drugs/) [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) ## Related quotes > [“You can become just as hooked on sugar as on drugs, tobacco or alcohol. The sugar affects the same areas in your brain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorbj-rg-hafsteinsdottir/you-can-become-just-as-hooked-on-sugar-as-on-drugs-tobacco-or-alcohol/) [Thorbjörg Hafsteinsdottir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorbj-rg-hafsteinsdottir/) > [There's nothing new under the sun. All the roads lead to Rome. 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So when you get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariel-hemingway/i-think-that-things-like-curses-or-whatever-those-labels-come-from/) [Mariel Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariel-hemingway/) > [Starting out in a beginner class and really understanding the fundamentals of yoga is really important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariel-hemingway/starting-out-in-a-beginner-class-and-really-understanding-the/) [Mariel Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariel-hemingway/) > [We do have the ability to shift our paradigms - by shifting our belief systems, by working on ourselves, by looking very closely at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariel-hemingway/we-do-have-the-ability-to-shift-our-paradigms-by-shifting-our-belief/) [Mariel Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariel-hemingway/) > [We live in a society that is afraid of ways of being it doesn't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariel-hemingway/we-live-in-a-society-that-is-afraid-of-ways-of-being-it-doesn-t/) [Mariel Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariel-hemingway/) > [If you're an addict, if you drink and you're putting a depressant into your body, it's going to cause serious problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariel-hemingway/if-you-re-an-addict-if-you-drink-and-you-re-putting-a-depressant-into/) [Mariel Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariel-hemingway/) > [Since I come from a family of mental instability, and I have suffered depression myself, I knew that living in shame is senseless and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariel-hemingway/since-i-come-from-a-family-of-mental-instability-and-i-have-suffered/) [Mariel Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariel-hemingway/) > [I was taken by the romanticism of being thought of as an adult and living in a world that was completely new to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariel-hemingway/i-was-taken-by-the-romanticism-of-being-thought-of-as-an-adult-and/) [Mariel Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariel-hemingway/) > [I think talent, especially in acting, is being wholly yourself within the context of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariel-hemingway/i-think-talent-especially-in-acting-is-being-wholly-yourself-within/) [Mariel Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariel-hemingway/) > [Well, I was passionately curious about what my body was doing, and when I got the lessons on how to meditate, it seemed really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariel-hemingway/well-i-was-passionately-curious-about-what-my-body-was-doing-and-when/) [Mariel Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariel-hemingway/) > [When child actors act well they're just reacting to situations, and they're acting very real because their life experience is so short; 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