--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think [Parkinson's] is Gothic…" description: "\"I don't think [Parkinson's] is Gothic nastiness. There's nothing on the surface that's horrible about someone with a shaky hand. There's nothing horrib..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ad/michael-j-fox-1653_gothic_i-don-t-think-parkinson-s-is-gothic-nast_1792394.jpg" --- # I don't think \[Parkinson's\] is Gothic nastiness. There's… ![“I don't think [Parkinson's] is Gothic nastiness. There's nothing on the surface that's horrible about someone with a shaky hand. There's nothing horrible about someone in their life saying, "God, I'm really tired of this shaky hand thing" and me saying, "Me, too." That's our reality. We have no…” quote by Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ad/michael-j-fox-1653_gothic_i-don-t-think-parkinson-s-is-gothic-nast_1792394.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ad/michael-j-fox-1653_gothic_i-don-t-think-parkinson-s-is-gothic-nast_1792394.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ad/michael-j-fox-1653_gothic_i-don-t-think-parkinson-s-is-gothic-nast_1792394.jpg) > “I don't think \[Parkinson's\] is Gothic nastiness. There's nothing on the surface that's horrible about someone with a shaky hand. There's nothing horrible about someone in their life saying, "God, I'm really tired of this shaky hand thing" and me saying, "Me, too." That's our reality. We have no control over it.” [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living with Parkinson's means accepting an involuntary tremor, sharing empathy with others, and recognizing the limits of control over the condition. **In simple terms:** Accepting a condition you cannot control, while sharing empathy. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy and acceptance for chronic illness. Themes health acceptance empathy chronic illness reality Mood somber hopeful Type reflective motivational When to use this quote - support groups - medical counseling - public awareness campaigns Key Concepts neurodegeneration patient experience shared vulnerability Questions to Reflect On - How can society better support those with invisible illnesses? - What coping strategies help manage daily tremors? A Different Perspective Medical treatments may not fully alleviate symptoms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gothic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gothic/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible/) [Nastiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nastiness/) [Over it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/over-it/) [Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parkinson/) [Parkinson 's](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parkinson-s/) [Parkinson Gothic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parkinson-gothic-1958180/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Shaky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shaky/) [Shaky Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shaky-hand-1958182/) [Surface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surface/) [Think Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-parkinson-1958181/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Tired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tired/) ## Related quotes > [“David held the knife up with a shaky hand. “ “Get that damn thing out of my face, boy. David shook his head. “No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-mathewson/david-held-the-knife-up-with-a-shaky-hand-get-that-damn-thing-out-of/) [R.L. Mathewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-mathewson/) > [“With a shaky hand he reached out and took the phone away from her and nearly groaned when he realized that his little recluse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-mathewson/with-a-shaky-hand-he-reached-out-and-took-the-phone-away-from-her-and/) [R.L. Mathewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-mathewson/) > [Now I feel and I say all the time that vanity is, like, long gone. I'm really free of worrying about what I look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/now-i-feel-and-i-say-all-the-time-that-vanity-is-like-long-gone-i-m/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [“Personally, I didn't take a single photograph while I was there, but that's not all that unusual for me. I suppose my aversion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/personally-i-didn-t-take-a-single-photograph-while-i-was-there-but/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [So what I say about Tracy is this: Tracy's big challenge is not having a Parkinson's patient for a husband. It's having me for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/so-what-i-say-about-tracy-is-this-tracy-s-big-challenge-is-not-having/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [The moment I understood this - that my Parkinson's was the one thing I wasn't going to change - I started looking at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/the-moment-i-understood-this-that-my-parkinson-s-was-the-one-thing-i/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [The way I look at life, and the way I look at the reality of Parkinson's, is that sometimes it's frustrating and sometimes it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/the-way-i-look-at-life-and-the-way-i-look-at-the-reality-of-parkinson/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [As much as Parkinson's is about movement, the end stage is being frozen. So the more I let that happen, the more I'm gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/as-much-as-parkinson-s-is-about-movement-the-end-stage-is-being/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [My age makes me think how valuable life is. How bad is something like Parkinson's in relation to not having life at all?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/my-age-makes-me-think-how-valuable-life-is-how-bad-is-something-like/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [I happen to be a Parkinson's patient. I'm not fearful of my condition or my future - but if someone is looking in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-happen-to-be-a-parkinson-s-patient-i-m-not-fearful-of-my-condition/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [To be brutally honest, for much of that time, I was the only person in the world with Parkinson's. Of course, I mean that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/to-be-brutally-honest-for-much-of-that-time-i-was-the-only-person-in/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [With Parkinson's, it's like you're in the middle of the street and you're stuck there in cement shoes and you know a bus is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/with-parkinson-s-it-s-like-you-re-in-the-middle-of-the-street-and-you/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [I discovered that I was part of a Parkinson's community with similar experiences and similar questions that I'd been dealing with alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-discovered-that-i-was-part-of-a-parkinson-s-community-with-similar/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [I have no choice about whether or not I have Parkinson's. I have nothing but choices about how I react to it. In those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-have-no-choice-about-whether-or-not-i-have-parkinson-s-i-have/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [If you asked my kids to describe me, they'd go through a whole list of words before even thinking about Parkinson's. And honestly, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/if-you-asked-my-kids-to-describe-me-they-d-go-through-a-whole-list-of/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) ## More by Michael J. Fox > [If you allow for the possibilities of something better, you move toward it instinctively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/if-you-allow-for-the-possibilities-of-something-better-you-move/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [After all that I'd been through, after all that I'd learned and all that I'd been given, I was going to do what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/after-all-that-i-d-been-through-after-all-that-i-d-learned-and-all/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [If you asked my kids to describe me, they'd go through a whole list of words before even thinking about Parkinson's. And honestly, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/if-you-asked-my-kids-to-describe-me-they-d-go-through-a-whole-list-of/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [Zoos are becoming facsimiles - or perhaps caricatures - of how animals once were in their natural habitat. If the right policies toward nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/zoos-are-becoming-facsimiles-or-perhaps-caricatures-of-how-animals/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [“I saw, during the midterm campaign of 2006, how difficult it was for opponents of stem cell research to run against hope. And so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-saw-during-the-midterm-campaign-of-2006-how-difficult-it-was-for/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [I urge you to be challenged and inspired by what you do not know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-urge-you-to-be-challenged-and-inspired-by-what-you-do-not-know/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but cannot be taken away unless it is surrendered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/one-s-dignity-may-be-assaulted-vandalized-and-cruelly-mocked-but/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [“It seems to me that the quality of a moment in time is not always a reflection of the moment in and of itself—what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/it-seems-to-me-that-the-quality-of-a-moment-in-time-is-not-always-a/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [When I was younger, I was always described as happy-go-lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/when-i-was-younger-i-was-always-described-as-happy-go-lucky/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [With Parkinson's, it's like you're in the middle of the street and you're stuck there in cement shoes and you know a bus is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/with-parkinson-s-it-s-like-you-re-in-the-middle-of-the-street-and-you/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [“They have hopes and dreams that may echo or overlap your own. And there's no reason why you can't make room for them. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/they-have-hopes-and-dreams-that-may-echo-or-overlap-your-own-and/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [I have no choice about whether or not I have Parkinson's. I have nothing but choices about how I react to it. In those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-have-no-choice-about-whether-or-not-i-have-parkinson-s-i-have/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [So what I say about Tracy is this: Tracy's big challenge is not having a Parkinson's patient for a husband. It's having me for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/so-what-i-say-about-tracy-is-this-tracy-s-big-challenge-is-not-having/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [I'm kind of private and I keep things inside a lot, but it's been so wonderful to realize that people care about you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-m-kind-of-private-and-i-keep-things-inside-a-lot-but-it-s-been-so/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [I had all the usual ambition growing up. I wanted to be a writer, a musician, a hockey player. I wanted to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-had-all-the-usual-ambition-growing-up-i-wanted-to-be-a-writer-a/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) [Explore all 219 Michael J. Fox quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) ## More Gothic quotes > [Gothic in its purest sense is actually a very powerful, twisted genre, but the way it was being used by by journalists - 'goff'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siouxsie-sioux/gothic-in-its-purest-sense-is-actually-a-very-powerful-twisted-genre/) [Siouxsie Sioux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siouxsie-sioux/) > [Man preys on man; and you mourn for the idle tapestry that decorated a gothic pillar, and the dronish bell that summoned the fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/man-preys-on-man-and-you-mourn-for-the-idle-tapestry-that-decorated-a/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [“The marine underworld stretched below the ship and embodied many secrets. The disappearance of Olga had become one of the mysteries that would remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-apan/the-marine-underworld-stretched-below-the-ship-and-embodied-many/) [Tiffany Apan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-apan/) > [“In starlit nights I saw you, So cruelly you kissed me. Your lips a magic world, Your sky all hung with jewels. The killing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/echo-and-the-bunnymen/in-starlit-nights-i-saw-you-so-cruelly-you-kissed-me-your-lips-a/) [Echo and the Bunnymen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/echo-and-the-bunnymen/) > [There are few of us who have not sometimes wakened before dawn, either after one of those dreamless nights that make one almost enamoured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/there-are-few-of-us-who-have-not-sometimes-wakened-before-dawn-either/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“And when she had spoken such a rhapsody, she would press me more closely in her trembling embrace, and her lips in soft kisses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheridan-le-fanu/and-when-she-had-spoken-such-a-rhapsody-she-would-press-me-more/) [Sheridan Le Fanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheridan-le-fanu/) > [As the architecture of a country always follows the earliest structures, American architecture should be a refinement of the log-house. The Egyptian is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/as-the-architecture-of-a-country-always-follows-the-earliest/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“Cavernous windows opened in a silent scream on the face of the Gothic house that tilted on the crest of Foster Hill. Its gables…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-jo-wright/cavernous-windows-opened-in-a-silent-scream-on-the-face-of-the-gothic/) [Jaime Jo Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-jo-wright/) > [“Those mornings were fragile things — like flowers blooming in the middle of a battlefield. She hadn’t realized then that the soil beneath them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-sn/those-mornings-were-fragile-things-like-flowers-blooming-in-the/) [Maggie Sn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-sn/) > [Most buildings, whether they're Gothic cathedrals or Romanesque ones, were high tech for their time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rogers/most-buildings-whether-they-re-gothic-cathedrals-or-romanesque-ones/) [Richard Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rogers/) > [“And so the afternoon stretched on, and Ezbon toasted their imminent defeat to the dregs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-faust/and-so-the-afternoon-stretched-on-and-ezbon-toasted-their-imminent/) [C.N. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-faust/) > [Below are some quotations along these lines. Select a quote for your Gothic Myspace layout or contribute one of your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ramirez/below-are-some-quotations-along-these-lines-select-a-quote-for-your/) [Laura Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ramirez/) > [“A good enemy can be better than the best of friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simona-panova/a-good-enemy-can-be-better-than-the-best-of-friend/) [Simona Panova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simona-panova/) > [Magic is a state of mind. It is often portrayed as very black and gothic, and that is because certain practitioners played that up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/magic-is-a-state-of-mind-it-is-often-portrayed-as-very-black-and/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [“The search party became zombie silhouettes in shafts of early-morning light, yawning, despondent, and halfway home when a boy’s scream pierced the fog—“OVER HERE!”—and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-vander-ark-2/the-search-party-became-zombie-silhouettes-in-shafts-of-early-morning/) [Jake Vander-Ark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-vander-ark-2/) [Browse all 364 Gothic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gothic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't think [Parkinson's] is Gothic nastiness. There's nothing on the surface that's horrible about someone with a shaky hand. 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