---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because, all too often, the things that…"
description: "\"“Because, all too often, the things that we’re the most resistant to are precisely what we need. And the things we’re most scared to let go of are exac..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/neil-strauss-3035_relinquish_because-all-too-often-the-things-that-we_434981.png"
---

#  Because, all too often, the things that we’re the most…

![“Because, all too often, the things that we’re the most resistant to are precisely what we need. And the things we’re most scared to let go of are exactly the ones we most need to relinquish. At” quote by Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/neil-strauss-3035_relinquish_because-all-too-often-the-things-that-we_434981.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/neil-strauss-3035_relinquish_because-all-too-often-the-things-that-we_434981.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/neil-strauss-3035_relinquish_because-all-too-often-the-things-that-we_434981.png)

> ““Because, all too often, the things that we’re the most resistant to are precisely what we need. And the things we’re most scared to let go of are exactly the ones we most need to relinquish. At””

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Resistance often hides what we truly need; confronting fears and letting go can unlock growth.

**In simple terms:** What we resist may be what we need.

Key Takeaway

Embrace and release what scares you.

Themes

resistance fear letting go personal growth

Mood

thoughtful encouraging

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- coaching
- therapy
- life transitions

Key Concepts

psychology self‑acceptance

Questions to Reflect On

- What are you resisting?
- What would you gain by releasing it?

A Different Perspective

Letting go may cause temporary discomfort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Resistant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resistant/)

## Related quotes

> [As a building is resistant to forces acting upon it, a person must be equally tenacious in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/as-a-building-is-resistant-to-forces-acting-upon-it-a-person-must-be/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [The thing about curly hair is that it's a toss-up. Some days you can let it air dry and it's better than a hair-do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/the-thing-about-curly-hair-is-that-it-s-a-toss-up-some-days-you-can/)

[Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/)

> [What we refer to as 'death' is just a set of symptoms that have proven resistant to treatment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-merkle/what-we-refer-to-as-death-is-just-a-set-of-symptoms-that-have-proven/)

[Ralph Merkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-merkle/)

> [Competent people are the most resistant to change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/competent-people-are-the-most-resistant-to-change/)

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

> [Women's art, political art - those categorisations perpetuate a certain kind of marginality which I'm resistant to. But I absolutely define myself as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kruger/women-s-art-political-art-those-categorisations-perpetuate-a-certain/)

[Barbara Kruger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kruger/)

> [“I feel like men are more romantic than women. When we get married we marry, like, one girl, 'cause we're resistant the whole way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blue-valentine/i-feel-like-men-are-more-romantic-than-women-when-we-get-married-we/)

Blue Valentine

> [Japan's humid and warm summer climate, as well as frequent earthquakes resulted in lightweight timber buildings raised off the ground that are resistant to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-seidler/japan-s-humid-and-warm-summer-climate-as-well-as-frequent-earthquakes/)

[Harry Seidler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-seidler/)

> [The earth itself is slightly resistant to routine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/the-earth-itself-is-slightly-resistant-to-routine/)

[Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/)

> [Usually I'm the one asking somebody to do something because I don't know how to finish it. I'm like, 'Do this for me' because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/usually-i-m-the-one-asking-somebody-to-do-something-because-i-don-t/)

[Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/)

> [I've always been resistant to parties and schmoozing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-pearce/i-ve-always-been-resistant-to-parties-and-schmoozing/)

[Guy Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-pearce/)

> [I'm very resistant to most forms of theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-berkoff/i-m-very-resistant-to-most-forms-of-theater/)

[Steven Berkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-berkoff/)

> [I had long been resistant to doing a documentary about my mother for personal reasons. And I thought there was no way she'd want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-kennedy/i-had-long-been-resistant-to-doing-a-documentary-about-my-mother-for/)

[Rory Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-kennedy/)

> [What part of people is resistant to an artist doing more than one thing? Is it somehow perceived as greedy? Anyone who has that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minnie-driver/what-part-of-people-is-resistant-to-an-artist-doing-more-than-one/)

[Minnie Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minnie-driver/)

> [I, made in England, felt excluded, miffed, resistant to the idea of even visiting India, a position of increasing absurdity as, one by one,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/i-made-in-england-felt-excluded-miffed-resistant-to-the-idea-of-even/)

[Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/)

> [Women who are to some extent resistant, whom one cannot possess at once, whom one does not even know at first whether one will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/women-who-are-to-some-extent-resistant-whom-one-cannot-possess-at/)

[Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/)

## More by Neil Strauss

> [“Never underestimate your own capacity to care. “I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/never-underestimate-your-own-capacity-to-care-i/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [Rapport equals trust plus comfort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/rapport-equals-trust-plus-comfort/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [A good organizer is key to anyone with a busy social life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/a-good-organizer-is-key-to-anyone-with-a-busy-social-life/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [“NONVERSATION—noun: a conversation in which one person isn’t paying attention to what the other person is saying, generally due to lack of interest or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/nonversation-noun-a-conversation-in-which-one-person-isn-t-paying/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [You need to be careful with a Bluetooth headset. Because some guys look crazy with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/you-need-to-be-careful-with-a-bluetooth-headset-because-some-guys/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [In life, people tend to wait for good things to come to them. And by waiting, they miss out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/in-life-people-tend-to-wait-for-good-things-to-come-to-them-and-by/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [A lot of guys are very intimidated by an attractive woman, and they dehumanise her because our culture perceives beautiful women as commodities. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/a-lot-of-guys-are-very-intimidated-by-an-attractive-woman-and-they/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [“That's when I started to leave it behind. I realized that I got my entire validation from women. Women became like gods to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/that-s-when-i-started-to-leave-it-behind-i-realized-that-i-got-my/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [Life is more fun when you open your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/life-is-more-fun-when-you-open-your-mouth/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [Growing up, I was watched by my parents and strongly critiqued. Instead of saying they loved me or showing physical attention, they would joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/growing-up-i-was-watched-by-my-parents-and-strongly-critiqued-instead/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [“We never had conversations; we had nonversations, where we just filled empty space with words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/we-never-had-conversations-we-had-nonversations-where-we-just-filled/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [“A man has two primary drives in early adulthood: one toward power, success, and accomplishment; the other toward love, companionship, and sex.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/a-man-has-two-primary-drives-in-early-adulthood-one-toward-power/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [“Among the required reading for all PUAs were books on evolutionary theory: The Red Queen by Matt Ridley, The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/among-the-required-reading-for-all-puas-were-books-on-evolutionary/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [Instead of putting others down, try improving yourself instead. The only person you have a right to compete with is you. In the meantime,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/instead-of-putting-others-down-try-improving-yourself-instead-the/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [“We were all searching outside ourselves for our missing pieces, and we were all looking in the wrong direction. Instead of finding ourselves, we'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/we-were-all-searching-outside-ourselves-for-our-missing-pieces-and-we/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

[Explore all 139 Neil Strauss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

## More Relinquish quotes

> [You can be debased without relinquishing your identity, just as you can relinquish your identity without being debased.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/you-can-be-debased-without-relinquishing-your-identity-just-as-you/)

[Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/)

> [Most of all, I am struck by an irony central to the lot of a purebred dog: As it attains the hallmarks of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/most-of-all-i-am-struck-by-an-irony-central-to-the-lot-of-a-purebred/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [“When we agonize over those things outside ourselves, the hurt we feel is measured by the weight we alone give it. Therefore, we alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/when-we-agonize-over-those-things-outside-ourselves-the-hurt-we-feel/)

[Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/)

> [“Whatsoever i cannot relinquish to God is my god”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ikechukwu-izuakor/whatsoever-i-cannot-relinquish-to-god-is-my-god/)

[Ikechukwu Izuakor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ikechukwu-izuakor/)

> [Do not attempt to do a thing unless you are sure of yourself; but do not relinquish it simply because someone else is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-attempt-to-do-a-thing-unless-you-are-sure-of-yourself-but-do/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If this glorious birth to death hassle is the only hassle we are ever to have ..if our grand exhilarating fight of life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/if-this-glorious-birth-to-death-hassle-is-the-only-hassle-we-are-ever/)

[Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/)

> [“The time has come. I really feel I must relinquish my former identity. I have to try to make a change, or I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wu-ming-yi/the-time-has-come-i-really-feel-i-must-relinquish-my-former-identity/)

[Wu Ming-Yi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wu-ming-yi/)

> [A burning itch to know is higher than a solemn vow to pursue truth. To feel the burning itch of curiosity requires both that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/a-burning-itch-to-know-is-higher-than-a-solemn-vow-to-pursue-truth-to/)

[Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/)

> [When you go in there and fight, you pretty much relinquish and give up the right to make any excuses about something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-benavidez/when-you-go-in-there-and-fight-you-pretty-much-relinquish-and-give-up/)

[Joseph Benavidez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-benavidez/)

> [“To relinquish yourself carries no shame.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/to-relinquish-yourself-carries-no-shame/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“To be with someone who is stronger than you. To have him relinquish his strength.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-dermont/to-be-with-someone-who-is-stronger-than-you-to-have-him-relinquish/)

[Amber Dermont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-dermont/)

> [When you relinquish the desire to control your future, you can have more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/when-you-relinquish-the-desire-to-control-your-future-you-can-have/)

[Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/)

> [“When Brueggemann writes about the Jewish people at one historic point in their story, the sacking of Jerusalem and the loss of the temple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-de-waal/when-brueggemann-writes-about-the-jewish-people-at-one-historic-point/)

Esther de Waal

> [I think the Israeli people understand now what I always say: that there cannot be a situation, under any agreement, in which we relinquish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-netanyahu/i-think-the-israeli-people-understand-now-what-i-always-say-that/)

[Benjamin Netanyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-netanyahu/)

> [Once I went to film school, I realized that film directing was actually much better than theater directing, because you kind of get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-waters/once-i-went-to-film-school-i-realized-that-film-directing-was/)

[Mark Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-waters/)

Browse all 70 Relinquish quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Because, all too often, the things that we’re the most resistant to are precisely what we need. And the things we’re most scared to let go of are exactly the ones we most need to relinquish. At”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Neil Strauss"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/because-all-too-often-the-things-that-we-re-the-most-resistant-to-are/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Relinquish"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/because-all-too-often-the-things-that-we-re-the-most-resistant-to-are/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/neil-strauss-3035_relinquish_because-all-too-often-the-things-that-we_434981.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/neil-strauss-3035_relinquish_because-all-too-often-the-things-that-we_434981.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/neil-strauss-3035_relinquish_because-all-too-often-the-things-that-we_434981.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Because, all too often, the things that we’re the most resistant to are precisely what we need. And the…” — Neil Strauss",
                "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": "Neil Strauss",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Because, all too often, the things...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/because-all-too-often-the-things-that-we-re-the-most-resistant-to-are/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/because-all-too-often-the-things-that-we-re-the-most-resistant-to-are/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
