--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never deny a diagnosis, but do deny the…" description: "\"Never deny a diagnosis, but do deny the negative verdict that may go with it.\" — Norman Cousins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/norman-cousins-2488_acceptance_never-deny-a-diagnosis-but-do-deny-the-n_1408263.png" --- # Never deny a diagnosis, but do deny the negative verdict… ![“Never deny a diagnosis, but do deny the negative verdict that may go with it.” quote by Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/norman-cousins-2488_acceptance_never-deny-a-diagnosis-but-do-deny-the-n_1408263.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/norman-cousins-2488_acceptance_never-deny-a-diagnosis-but-do-deny-the-n_1408263.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/norman-cousins-2488_acceptance_never-deny-a-diagnosis-but-do-deny-the-n_1408263.png) > “Never deny a diagnosis, but do deny the negative verdict that may go with it.” [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Accept the diagnosis but reject the negative mindset it brings. **In simple terms:** Diagnoses are facts; attitudes are choices. Key Takeaway Maintain optimism despite illness. Themes health psychology mindset Mood encouraging realistic Type motivational practical When to use this quote - patient care - self‑help - rehabilitation Key Concepts positive thinking coping strategies Questions to Reflect On - How does attitude affect recovery? - What steps combine hope with treatment? A Different Perspective Optimism alone may not cure disease; medical treatment is essential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Verdict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verdict/) ## Related quotes > [Don't defy the diagnosis, try to defy the verdict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/don-t-defy-the-diagnosis-try-to-defy-the-verdict/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [How often has not the parallel been drawn and the golden age of the Roman Empire, when the external brilliancy of life likewise dazzled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/how-often-has-not-the-parallel-been-drawn-and-the-golden-age-of-the/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [I think the term poet is a very exalted term and should be applied to a man at the end of his work. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-think-the-term-poet-is-a-very-exalted-term-and-should-be-applied-to/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [It would have been impossible to get 'The Verdict' off the ground without Paul Newman obviously, but today without any star, kind of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-d-zanuck/it-would-have-been-impossible-to-get-the-verdict-off-the-ground/) [Richard D. Zanuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-d-zanuck/) > [My conscience does not render a positive verdict in God’s courtroom when I look inside myself. The only reason I can sleep well at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/my-conscience-does-not-render-a-positive-verdict-in-god-s-courtroom/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > ['IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO DO IT,' WAS THE TERRIBLE VERDICT. 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For when aman is so fugitive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-more/perfect-scepticismeis-a-disease-incurable-and-a-thing-rather-to-be/) Henry More > [The picture waits for my verdict; it is not to command me, but I am to settle its claim to praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-picture-waits-for-my-verdict-it-is-not-to-command-me-but-i-am-to/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“Sentence first; verdict afterwards." -Queen of Hearts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/sentence-first-verdict-afterwards-queen-of-hearts/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [If once again Germany destabilizes Europe, then Germany will be not be divided again, but wiped off the map. East and West have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lech-walesa/if-once-again-germany-destabilizes-europe-then-germany-will-be-not-be/) [Lech Walesa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lech-walesa/) > [“To place nothing—nothing—above the verdict of my own mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/to-place-nothing-nothing-above-the-verdict-of-my-own-mind/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“You see, the verdict is in. And now I perform on the basis of the verdict. Because He loves me and He accepts me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/you-see-the-verdict-is-in-and-now-i-perform-on-the-basis-of-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [In every relationship, sooner or later, there is a court scene. Accusations, counter-accusations, a trial, a verdict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/in-every-relationship-sooner-or-later-there-is-a-court-scene/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [I'm going to be specific so you can render your verdict. Let's go to North Africa, she was the chief engineer of the disastrous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/i-m-going-to-be-specific-so-you-can-render-your-verdict-let-s-go-to/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [A criminal trial is never about seeking justice for the victim. If it were, there could be only one verdict: guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/a-criminal-trial-is-never-about-seeking-justice-for-the-victim-if-it/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) ## More by Norman Cousins > [The poet reminds men of their uniqueness and it is not necessary to possess the ultimate definition of this uniqueness. Even to speculate is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-poet-reminds-men-of-their-uniqueness-and-it-is-not-necessary-to/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [Unobstructed access to facts can produce unlimited good only if it is matched by the desire and ability to find out what they mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/unobstructed-access-to-facts-can-produce-unlimited-good-only-if-it-is/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [What was significant about the laughter . . . was not just the fact that it provides internal exercise for a person . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/what-was-significant-about-the-laughter-was-not-just-the-fact-that-it/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [You are younger today than you will ever be again. Make use of it for the sake of tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/you-are-younger-today-than-you-will-ever-be-again-make-use-of-it-for/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [On the quality of life: #1. Realize that each human being has a built-in capacity for recuperation and repair. #2. Recognize that the quality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/on-the-quality-of-life-1-realize-that-each-human-being-has-a-built-in/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [What a man really says when he says that someone else can be persuaded by force, is that he himself is incapable of more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/what-a-man-really-says-when-he-says-that-someone-else-can-be/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [The starting point for a better world is the belief that it is possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-starting-point-for-a-better-world-is-the-belief-that-it-is/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [The physician knows that his little black bag can carry him only so far and that the body's own healing system is the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-physician-knows-that-his-little-black-bag-can-carry-him-only-so/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [We are wide-eyed in contemplating the possibility that life may exist elsewhere in the universe, but we wear blinders when contemplating the possibilities of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/we-are-wide-eyed-in-contemplating-the-possibility-that-life-may-exist/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [The essence of man is imperfection. Failure is simply a price we pay to achieve success. If we learn to embrace that new definition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-essence-of-man-is-imperfection-failure-is-simply-a-price-we-pay/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [My reason nourishes my faith and my faith my reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/my-reason-nourishes-my-faith-and-my-faith-my-reason/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [The growth of the human mind is still high adventure, in many ways the highest adventure on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-growth-of-the-human-mind-is-still-high-adventure-in-many-ways-the/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [Death is not the enemy; living in constant fear of it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/death-is-not-the-enemy-living-in-constant-fear-of-it-is/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [All this sensory input, which begins in the brain, has its effect throughout the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/all-this-sensory-input-which-begins-in-the-brain-has-its-effect/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [Humanity today is not safe in the presence of humanity. The old cannibalism has given way to anonymous action in which the killer and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/humanity-today-is-not-safe-in-the-presence-of-humanity-the-old/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) [Explore all 162 Norman Cousins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [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/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Never deny a diagnosis, but do deny the negative verdict that may go with it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Norman Cousins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/never-deny-a-diagnosis-but-do-deny-the-negative-verdict-that-may-go/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acceptance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/never-deny-a-diagnosis-but-do-deny-the-negative-verdict-that-may-go/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/norman-cousins-2488_acceptance_never-deny-a-diagnosis-but-do-deny-the-n_1408263.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/norman-cousins-2488_acceptance_never-deny-a-diagnosis-but-do-deny-the-n_1408263.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56d/norman-cousins-2488_acceptance_never-deny-a-diagnosis-but-do-deny-the-n_1408263.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Never deny a diagnosis, but do deny the negative verdict that may go with it.” — Norman Cousins", "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": "Norman Cousins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Never deny a diagnosis, but do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/never-deny-a-diagnosis-but-do-deny-the-negative-verdict-that-may-go/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/never-deny-a-diagnosis-but-do-deny-the-negative-verdict-that-may-go/#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 } } ] } ```