--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing is a refuge from unhappiness, but…" description: "\"Writing is a refuge from unhappiness, but has its own sorrows.\" — Mason Cooley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/mason-cooley-92_grief_writing-is-a-refuge-from-unhappiness-but_2954871.png" --- # Writing is a refuge from unhappiness, but has its own… ![“Writing is a refuge from unhappiness, but has its own sorrows.” quote by Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/mason-cooley-92_grief_writing-is-a-refuge-from-unhappiness-but_2954871.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/mason-cooley-92_grief_writing-is-a-refuge-from-unhappiness-but_2954871.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/mason-cooley-92_grief_writing-is-a-refuge-from-unhappiness-but_2954871.png) > “Writing is a refuge from unhappiness, but has its own sorrows.” [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing provides an escape from personal unhappiness, yet it brings its own challenges and sorrows **In simple terms:** Writing is both a refuge and a source of sorrow Key Takeaway Recognize both the comfort and the cost of creative work Themes creativity escape pain artistic struggle Mood contemplative melancholic introspective Type essay quote When to use this quote - personal journaling - therapy through writing - artist burnout - emotional processing Key Concepts self‑reflection mental health creative process Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of writing bring you comfort? - How do you cope with the sorrows it evokes? A Different Perspective Creative work can intensify personal struggles if not managed ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Refuge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refuge/) [Refuge Unhappiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refuge-unhappiness-4471683/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Unhappiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappiness/) [Unhappiness Sorrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappiness-sorrows-1785304/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Refuge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-refuge-4023062/) ## Related quotes > [Writing is my refuge. It's where I go. It's where I find that integrity I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bartlett-johnson/writing-is-my-refuge-it-s-where-i-go-it-s-where-i-find-that-integrity/) [Charles Bartlett Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bartlett-johnson/) > [A little artist has all the tragic unhappiness and the sorrows of a great artist and he is not a great artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/a-little-artist-has-all-the-tragic-unhappiness-and-the-sorrows-of-a/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [When science drove the gods out of nature, they took refuge in poetry and the porticos of civic buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/when-science-drove-the-gods-out-of-nature-they-took-refuge-in-poetry/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [We take refuge in illness and then are trapped there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/we-take-refuge-in-illness-and-then-are-trapped-there/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Unhappiness is too common to call for special measures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/unhappiness-is-too-common-to-call-for-special-measures/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Children enjoy inflicting pain until unhappiness teaches them tenderness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/children-enjoy-inflicting-pain-until-unhappiness-teaches-them/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [This was one of the greatest test of his faith he had ever experienced. The thought of deceiving the kind and faithful wife of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-f-whitney/this-was-one-of-the-greatest-test-of-his-faith-he-had-ever/) [Orson F. Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-f-whitney/) > [The unhappy are egoistic, spiteful, unjust, cruel, and less capable of understanding each other than fools. Unhappiness does not bring people together but draws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/the-unhappy-are-egoistic-spiteful-unjust-cruel-and-less-capable-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“As ofttimes as it rains on my little spot of earth, you'd think I'd grow accustomed to the gloom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/as-ofttimes-as-it-rains-on-my-little-spot-of-earth-you-d-think-i-d/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. Honors can be bought with fine words, respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-tao-is-the-center-of-the-universe-the-good-man-s-treasure-the-bad/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [The great gift of a spiritual path is coming to trust that you can find a way to true refuge. You realize that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/the-great-gift-of-a-spiritual-path-is-coming-to-trust-that-you-can/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [Be lamps unto yourselves. Be refuges unto yourselves. Take yourself no external refuge. Hold fast to the truth as a lamp. Hold fast to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/be-lamps-unto-yourselves-be-refuges-unto-yourselves-take-yourself-no/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“...the haunted always take refuge in stillness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-dodd/the-haunted-always-take-refuge-in-stillness/) [Christina Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-dodd/) > [Surely, God could have caused birds to fly with their bones made of solid gold, with their veins full of quicksilver, with their flesh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/surely-god-could-have-caused-birds-to-fly-with-their-bones-made-of/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) ## More by Mason Cooley > [Nostalgia keeps dissolving the ironic narratives in which I have contained my past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/nostalgia-keeps-dissolving-the-ironic-narratives-in-which-i-have/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The modernist writers found despair inspirational.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-modernist-writers-found-despair-inspirational/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Even the most abject have a sense of superiority based on powerful though undefined merits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/even-the-most-abject-have-a-sense-of-superiority-based-on-powerful/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Money comes to life as it is spent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/money-comes-to-life-as-it-is-spent/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Even the most fickle are faithful to a few bad habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/even-the-most-fickle-are-faithful-to-a-few-bad-habits/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Rage is exciting, but leaves me confused and exhausted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/rage-is-exciting-but-leaves-me-confused-and-exhausted/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Literary tradition is full of lies about poverty-the jolly beggar, the poor but happy milkmaid, the wholesome diet of porridge, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/literary-tradition-is-full-of-lies-about-poverty-the-jolly-beggar-the/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Experience teaches us, but we scarcely know what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/experience-teaches-us-but-we-scarcely-know-what/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The body has a mind of its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-body-has-a-mind-of-its-own/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [In retirement, I look for days off from my days off. Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/in-retirement-i-look-for-days-off-from-my-days-off-mason-cooley/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [My intentions go one way, my desires another. Thus I feel both self-indulgent and deprived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/my-intentions-go-one-way-my-desires-another-thus-i-feel-both-self/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The Puritan sours his pleasures by disguising them as duties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-puritan-sours-his-pleasures-by-disguising-them-as-duties/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Unlike the actual, the fictional explains itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/unlike-the-actual-the-fictional-explains-itself/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Vacations prove that a life of pleasure is overrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/vacations-prove-that-a-life-of-pleasure-is-overrated/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Outside literature, high-flown sentiments are merely exasperating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/outside-literature-high-flown-sentiments-are-merely-exasperating/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) [Explore all 1,401 Mason Cooley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) ## More Grief quotes > [“...they had lived, they'd lived intensely. But no matter how deeply you live, it comes to this in the end: one of you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-morton/they-had-lived-they-d-lived-intensely-but-no-matter-how-deeply-you/) [Brian Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-morton/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [... how much of our inner substance is it good for us to give to public griefs? The whole modern tendency to agonize over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bogan/how-much-of-our-inner-substance-is-it-good-for-us-to-give-to-public/) [Louise Bogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bogan/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“When we learn to attribute meaning to the events in our lives, we connect with our Higher Purpose, Higher Wisdom, or Source; we become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-barbara-apollon/when-we-learn-to-attribute-meaning-to-the-events-in-our-lives-we/) [Susan Barbara Apollon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-barbara-apollon/) > [Only to have a grief equal to all these tears!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/only-to-have-a-grief-equal-to-all-these-tears/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [Suppressed grief suffocates, it rages within the breast, and is forced to multiply its strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/suppressed-grief-suffocates-it-rages-within-the-breast-and-is-forced/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [That Woman is in love with her own grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/that-woman-is-in-love-with-her-own-grief/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“You've been my beacon of light in my storm of grief, and I don't know if I could live without you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-ashley/you-ve-been-my-beacon-of-light-in-my-storm-of-grief-and-i-don-t-know/) [Katie Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-ashley/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) [Browse all 8,012 Grief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing is a refuge from unhappiness, but has its own sorrows.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mason Cooley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/writing-is-a-refuge-from-unhappiness-but-has-its-own-sorrows/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Grief" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/writing-is-a-refuge-from-unhappiness-but-has-its-own-sorrows/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/mason-cooley-92_grief_writing-is-a-refuge-from-unhappiness-but_2954871.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/mason-cooley-92_grief_writing-is-a-refuge-from-unhappiness-but_2954871.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/mason-cooley-92_grief_writing-is-a-refuge-from-unhappiness-but_2954871.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Writing is a refuge from unhappiness, but has its own sorrows.” — Mason Cooley", "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": "Mason Cooley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Writing is a refuge from unhappiness,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/writing-is-a-refuge-from-unhappiness-but-has-its-own-sorrows/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/writing-is-a-refuge-from-unhappiness-but-has-its-own-sorrows/#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 } } ] } ```