--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's very humbling to imagine somebody…" description: "\"It's very humbling to imagine somebody else's really life and their pain ... It's my drug.\" — Meryl Streep" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/meryl-streep-1078_drug_it-s-very-humbling-to-imagine-somebody-e_1210403.jpg" --- # It's very humbling to imagine somebody else's really life… ![“It's very humbling to imagine somebody else's really life and their pain ... It's my drug.” quote by Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/meryl-streep-1078_drug_it-s-very-humbling-to-imagine-somebody-e_1210403.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/meryl-streep-1078_drug_it-s-very-humbling-to-imagine-somebody-e_1210403.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/meryl-streep-1078_drug_it-s-very-humbling-to-imagine-somebody-e_1210403.jpg) > “It's very humbling to imagine somebody else's really life and their pain ... It's my drug.” [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Empathy for others' suffering can become a personal coping mechanism or addiction. **In simple terms:** Feeling others' pain can be a personal escape. Key Takeaway Recognize when empathy turns into self‑destructive reliance. Themes empathy addiction compassion Mood reflective somber Type personal psychological emotional When to use this quote - therapy - caregiving - activism - self‑care Key Concepts psychology emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance empathy with self‑preservation? - What boundaries protect you from emotional overload? A Different Perspective May neglect one's own wellbeing while focusing on others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Humbling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humbling/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) ## Related quotes > [Just going along with this, what I did, or what I do is I imagine not being myself seeing it, but imagine somebody else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-muren/just-going-along-with-this-what-i-did-or-what-i-do-is-i-imagine-not/) [Dennis Muren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-muren/) > [It's a hard thing to imagine how somebody copes with grief and at the same time has to build a new life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitriona-balfe/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-imagine-how-somebody-copes-with-grief-and-at-the/) [Caitriona Balfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitriona-balfe/) > [“imagine somebody exactly like you on a small island somewhere, and that you are writing for them and them alone. Find simple ways to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-davis/imagine-somebody-exactly-like-you-on-a-small-island-somewhere-and/) [Jane Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-davis/) > [When I was a little kid, I loved imagining things. I'd go outside and put on a cape and just imagine I was somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/when-i-was-a-little-kid-i-loved-imagining-things-i-d-go-outside-and/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [Imagine if somebody was like, 'Who's the next Timothee Chalamet?' 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Anyone who says differently is selling something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/life-is-pain-anyone-who-says-differently-is-selling-something/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [I wonder when someone will grow the testicles to say to americans everywhere, 'Enough with the self-medicating.' Seriously. What ever happened to dealing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-beal/i-wonder-when-someone-will-grow-the-testicles-to-say-to-americans/) [Anthony Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-beal/) > [Everyone suffers; life is pain; and death is the final punctuation at the end of that sentence, so deal with it. I really think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/everyone-suffers-life-is-pain-and-death-is-the-final-punctuation-at/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [Life is pain...anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/life-is-pain-anyone-who-tells-you-otherwise-is-selling-something/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) ## More by Meryl Streep > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [I do honestly think that if women were running the world there would be more investment in peace, because basically as women we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/i-do-honestly-think-that-if-women-were-running-the-world-there-would/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [My feeling about fears is, if you voice your fears, they may come true. 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