--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You see, people in the depressive…" description: "\"“You see, people in the depressive position are often stigmatised as ‘failures' or ‘losers'. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. If the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/neel-burton-16027_depression_you-see-people-in-the-depressive-positio_1577730.jpg" --- # You see, people in the depressive position are often… ![“You see, people in the depressive position are often stigmatised as ‘failures' or ‘losers'. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. If these people are in the depressive position, it is most probably because they have tried too hard or taken on too much, so hard and so much that they…” quote by Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/neel-burton-16027_depression_you-see-people-in-the-depressive-positio_1577730.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/neel-burton-16027_depression_you-see-people-in-the-depressive-positio_1577730.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/neel-burton-16027_depression_you-see-people-in-the-depressive-positio_1577730.jpg) > ““You see, people in the depressive position are often stigmatised as ‘failures' or ‘losers'. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. If these people are in the depressive position, it is most probably because they have tried too hard or taken on too much, so hard and so much that they have made themselves ‘ill with depression'. In other words, if these people are in the depressive position, it is because their world was simply not good enough for them. They wanted more, they wanted better, and they wanted different, not just for themselves, but for all those around them. So if they are failures or losers, this is only because they set the bar far too high. They could have swept everything under the carpet and pretended, as many people do, that all is for the best in the best of possible worlds. But unlike many people, they had the honesty and the strength to admit that something was amiss, that something was not quite right. So rather than being failures or losers, they are just the opposite: they are ambitious, they are truthful, and they are courageous. And that is precisely why they got ‘ill'. To make them believe that they are suffering from some chemical imbalance in the brain and that their recovery depends solely or even mostly on popping pills is to do them a great disfavour: it is to deny them the precious opportunity not only to identify and address important life problems, but also to develop a deeper and more refined appreciation of themselves and of the world around them—and therefore to deny them the opportunity to fulfil their highest potential as human beings.”” [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Depression often stems from high expectations and a desire for change, not personal failure; recognizing this can shift blame from self to circumstance and encourage growth. **In simple terms:** Depression can be caused by high expectations, not personal failure. Key Takeaway Recognize high expectations as a source of distress. Themes mental health ambition self-awareness Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - career counseling - personal development - support groups - education programs Key Concepts psychology existentialism resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can we address underlying life problems alongside treatment? - What role does ambition play in mental health? A Different Perspective Medication alone may ignore underlying life issues and hinder personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Depression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depression/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Life problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-problem/) [Life problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-problems/) [Mental illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-illness/) [Psychiatry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychiatry/) [Stigma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stigma/) ## Related quotes > [“Where people see themselves in a harsh yellow light of obectivity…about 20 percent of all people live in that spot and psychologists call the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/where-people-see-themselves-in-a-harsh-yellow-light-of-obectivity/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [It's better to hurt people with Honesty, then hurt them with Lies...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silent-killer/it-s-better-to-hurt-people-with-honesty-then-hurt-them-with-lies/) [Silent Killer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silent-killer/) > [“HONESTLY …I believe people are intimidated with truthful/ outspoken people. HONESTY… will help you grow and it shows maturity. HONEST…people will push you closer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takina-cupp/honestly-i-believe-people-are-intimidated-with-truthful-outspoken/) Takina Cupp > [May we be people of honesty and integrity trying to do the right thing at all times and in all circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/may-we-be-people-of-honesty-and-integrity-trying-to-do-the-right/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [I have faith in the people. Honesty will prosper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bibi-bourelly/i-have-faith-in-the-people-honesty-will-prosper/) [Bibi Bourelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bibi-bourelly/) > [For most people, honesty is such an unusual departure from their standard modus operandi - such an abherration in their workaday mendacity - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zo-heller/for-most-people-honesty-is-such-an-unusual-departure-from-their/) [Zoë Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zo-heller/) > [Life is not a problem to be solved, but a gift meant to be enjoyed. So don't stress your self. Be positive and good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-mae-bautista/life-is-not-a-problem-to-be-solved-but-a-gift-meant-to-be-enjoyed-so/) [Anna Mae Bautista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-mae-bautista/) > [Have you noticed that when peole go to grocery stires theyll tell the check out chick their life problems but when they get told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m/have-you-noticed-that-when-peole-go-to-grocery-stires-theyll-tell-the/) M > [“It is in adolescence that most of us grasp that life--our own life--is a problem to be solved, that a set of personal unknowns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sven-birkerts/it-is-in-adolescence-that-most-of-us-grasp-that-life-our-own-life-is/) [Sven Birkerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sven-birkerts/) > [Life is not a problem to be solved but an enigma to be lived. We think, we feel, therefore we exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-mamerto/life-is-not-a-problem-to-be-solved-but-an-enigma-to-be-lived-we-think/) [Edwin Mamerto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-mamerto/) > [State governments seek local remedies for the globally fabricated deprivations and miseries in vain - just as the individuals-by-the-decree-of-fate (read: by the impact of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/state-governments-seek-local-remedies-for-the-globally-fabricated/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [“There was never anything wrong with my life. Perhaps that was the problem... The crack in my life was the fact that I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/there-was-never-anything-wrong-with-my-life-perhaps-that-was-the/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [“It appears that the probabilistic sciences of psychology and medicine teach their students to apply statistical and methodological rules to both scientific and everyday-life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/it-appears-that-the-probabilistic-sciences-of-psychology-and-medicine/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [In life we can do without problem,all we have do is to give moving in it and never give up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bakre-basit-babatunde/in-life-we-can-do-without-problem-all-we-have-do-is-to-give-moving-in/) [Bakre Basit Babatunde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bakre-basit-babatunde/) > [“That's what life is. One problem after another. You can't control any of it. All you can do is reach out for something good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/that-s-what-life-is-one-problem-after-another-you-can-t-control-any/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) ## More by Neel Burton > [“Loneliness is the manifestation of the conflict between our desire for meaning and the absence of objective meaning from the universe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/loneliness-is-the-manifestation-of-the-conflict-between-our-desire/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [“Just as Prometheus delivered stolen fire to man, so Eve, and the serpent, delivered man into self-consciousness, setting him up, were it not for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/just-as-prometheus-delivered-stolen-fire-to-man-so-eve-and-the/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [“Just as we use speech and gestures to communicate, so we use touch. Words can say, ‘I love you’, but touch can also say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/just-as-we-use-speech-and-gestures-to-communicate-so-we-use-touch/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [Depression: the healthy suspicion that modern life has no meaning and that modern society is absurd and alienating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/depression-the-healthy-suspicion-that-modern-life-has-no-meaning-and/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [“Ultimately, loneliness is not the experience of lacking but the experience of living. It is part and parcel of the human condition, and, unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/ultimately-loneliness-is-not-the-experience-of-lacking-but-the/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [Man first creates the universe in his image, and then turns round to say that God created man in his image... As Voltaire quipped,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/man-first-creates-the-universe-in-his-image-and-then-turns-round-to/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [“Philosophy is a bitter medicine with many fearsome side effects, but if you are able to stomach it, it can cure your soul of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/philosophy-is-a-bitter-medicine-with-many-fearsome-side-effects-but/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [“In refining their senses and aesthetic judgement, blind tasters become much more conscious of the richness not only of wine but also of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/in-refining-their-senses-and-aesthetic-judgement-blind-tasters-become/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [Self-deception is a defining part of our human nature. By recognizing its various forms in ourselves and reflecting upon them, we may be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/self-deception-is-a-defining-part-of-our-human-nature-by-recognizing/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [“Wonder begets culture, which begets yet more wonder, and the end of wonder is wisdom, which is the state of perpetual wonder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/wonder-begets-culture-which-begets-yet-more-wonder-and-the-end-of/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [There are essentially three types of people: those who love life more than they fear it, those who fear life more than they love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/there-are-essentially-three-types-of-people-those-who-love-life-more/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [“Our life is just as long or short as our remembering: as rich as our imagining, as vibrant as our feeling, and as profound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/our-life-is-just-as-long-or-short-as-our-remembering-as-rich-as-our/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [“Although selfhood depends causally upon the existence of the brain, it amounts to something far more than the brain. This something is vague and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/although-selfhood-depends-causally-upon-the-existence-of-the-brain-it/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [“I can't believe I spent 13 years at school and never got taught cooking, gardening, conversation, massage, Latin, or philosophy. What were they thinking?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/i-can-t-believe-i-spent-13-years-at-school-and-never-got-taught/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [“If you’ve found something in life that's better than sleeping, you’re already a huge success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/if-you-ve-found-something-in-life-that-s-better-than-sleeping-you-re/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) [Explore all 41 Neel Burton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) ## More Depression quotes > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“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/) > [There's only so much for a man to take...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gilchrist/there-s-only-so-much-for-a-man-to-take/) Kirsten Gilchrist > [“my stomach turned and burned with the acid of failure”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-ames/my-stomach-turned-and-burned-with-the-acid-of-failure/) Heidi Ames > [That is the real problem of depression - a condition which will affect an estimated one in five of the population at some point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-andreae/that-is-the-real-problem-of-depression-a-condition-which-will-affect/) [Giles Andreae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-andreae/) > [Im tired, tired of putting more effort than you do. Im tired of always having to start the conversation and if I dont, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-tired-tired-of-putting-more-effort-than-you-do-im-tired-of-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Once upon a time, there was a naïve and innocent girl who thought she could tame the beast and live happily ever after. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-na-ve-and-innocent-girl-who-thought-she/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [“Why in depression" "If we are human, why not have the right to smile, Why in depression, young, and beautiful as earth, Why in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanilsa-pena/why-in-depression-if-we-are-human-why-not-have-the-right-to-smile-why/) Yanilsa pena > [“Depression makes me stronger”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayamalan/depression-makes-me-stronger/) Shayamalan > [“Shorter believes that psychosomatic illnesses (such as leg paralysis at the turn of the twentieth century or multiple personality disorder at the turn of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-watters/shorter-believes-that-psychosomatic-illnesses-such-as-leg-paralysis/) [Ethan Watters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-watters/) > [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Repression will provoke rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-williamson/repression-will-provoke-rebellion/) Hugh Williamson > [I'm certainly not a perfect mother, but I'm trying to be what my mother wasn't for me. My mother's battled depression, so I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-hamill/i-m-certainly-not-a-perfect-mother-but-i-m-trying-to-be-what-my/) [Dorothy Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-hamill/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) James Buckham Kennedy > [Scars by Papa Roach. <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophielianne/scars-by-papa-roach-3/) Sophielianne [Browse all 4,965 Depression quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depression/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You see, people in the depressive position are often stigmatised as ‘failures' or ‘losers'. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. If these people are in the depressive position, it is most probably because they have tried too hard or taken on too much, so hard and so much that they have made themselves ‘ill with depression'. In other words, if these people are in the depressive position, it is because their world was simply not good enough for them. They wanted more, they wanted better, and they wanted different, not just for themselves, but for all those around them. So if they are failures or losers, this is only because they set the bar far too high. They could have swept everything under the carpet and pretended, as many people do, that all is for the best in the best of possible worlds. But unlike many people, they had the honesty and the strength to admit that something was amiss, that something was not quite right. So rather than being failures or losers, they are just the opposite: they are ambitious, they are truthful, and they are courageous. And that is precisely why they got ‘ill'. To make them believe that they are suffering from some chemical imbalance in the brain and that their recovery depends solely or even mostly on popping pills is to do them a great disfavour: it is to deny them the precious opportunity not only to identify and address important life problems, but also to develop a deeper and more refined appreciation of themselves and of the world around them—and therefore to deny them the opportunity to fulfil their highest potential as human beings.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neel Burton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/you-see-people-in-the-depressive-position-are-often-stigmatised-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Depression" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/you-see-people-in-the-depressive-position-are-often-stigmatised-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/neel-burton-16027_depression_you-see-people-in-the-depressive-positio_1577730.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/neel-burton-16027_depression_you-see-people-in-the-depressive-positio_1577730.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/neel-burton-16027_depression_you-see-people-in-the-depressive-positio_1577730.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You see, people in the depressive position are often stigmatised as ‘failures' or ‘losers'. Of course…” — Neel Burton", "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": "Neel Burton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You see, people in the depressive...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/you-see-people-in-the-depressive-position-are-often-stigmatised-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/you-see-people-in-the-depressive-position-are-often-stigmatised-as/#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 } } ] } ```