--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there is suffering, then it's best to…" description: "\"If there is suffering, then it's best to accept it, because it won't go away just because you pretend it's not there. If there is joy, then it's best t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8b/paulo-coelho-10_accept_if-there-is-suffering-then-it-s-best-to_463071.jpg" --- # If there is suffering, then it's best to accept it… ![“If there is suffering, then it's best to accept it, because it won't go away just because you pretend it's not there. If there is joy, then it's best to accept that too, even though you're afraid it might end one day.” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8b/paulo-coelho-10_accept_if-there-is-suffering-then-it-s-best-to_463071.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8b/paulo-coelho-10_accept_if-there-is-suffering-then-it-s-best-to_463071.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8b/paulo-coelho-10_accept_if-there-is-suffering-then-it-s-best-to_463071.jpg) > “If there is suffering, then it's best to accept it, because it won't go away just because you pretend it's not there. If there is joy, then it's best to accept that too, even though you're afraid it might end one day.” [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Accepting both pain and pleasure acknowledges reality, reducing resistance and fostering resilience. **In simple terms:** Accept both suffering and joy. Key Takeaway Embrace reality, not denial. Themes acceptance resilience emotion mindfulness Mood reflective calm Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - therapy - personal growth - relationships - stress management Key Concepts Stoicism psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How does acceptance change your response to hardship? - What fears arise when you fully embrace joy? A Different Perspective Ignoring emotions can lead to suppressed feelings and burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept/) [Accept Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept-afraid-2034476/) [Accepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Going away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-away/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [One day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-day/) [Pretend Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretend-joy-4017816/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-best-2243241/) ## Related quotes > [When I'm feeling anxious about a situation that could have multiple outcomes, I think of what the absolutely worst outcome could be - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-m-feeling-anxious-about-a-situation-that-could-have-multiple/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If there is joy, then it is best to accept that too, even though you are afraid it might end some day. Some people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-there-is-joy-then-it-is-best-to-accept-that-too-even-though-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is my considered opinion that the sweetest relief from suffering and the best comfort in affliction that this world affords are to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-of-huntingdon/it-is-my-considered-opinion-that-the-sweetest-relief-from-suffering/) [Henry of Huntingdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-of-huntingdon/) > [Silence in times of suffering is the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/silence-in-times-of-suffering-is-the-best/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Suffering is our best teacher because it hangs onto us and keeps us in its grip until we have learnt that particular lesson. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayya-khema/suffering-is-our-best-teacher-because-it-hangs-onto-us-and-keeps-us/) [Ayya Khema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayya-khema/) > [Living to an extraordinary age, she mourned them all equally as she buried her husband and, one by one, her children. In this suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martine-leavitt/living-to-an-extraordinary-age-she-mourned-them-all-equally-as-she/) [Martine Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martine-leavitt/) > [A friend who visits you when you are suffering is your best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-friend-who-visits-you-when-you-are-suffering-is-your-best-friend/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Suffering is the very best gift He has to give us. He gives it only to His chosen friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-of-lisieux/suffering-is-the-very-best-gift-he-has-to-give-us-he-gives-it-only-to/) [Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-of-lisieux/) > [Things pass, and the best we can do is to let them really go away. Getting rid of certain memories also means making some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/things-pass-and-the-best-we-can-do-is-to-let-them-really-go-away/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Things pass, and the best we can do is to let them really go away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/things-pass-and-the-best-we-can-do-is-to-let-them-really-go-away-2/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-afraid-to-pursue-their-most-important-dreams-because-they/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You don't ever really let go, though. You don't stop. You don't stop hurting, you don't stop loving. It doesn't go away, you just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasinda-wilder/you-don-t-ever-really-let-go-though-you-don-t-stop-you-don-t-stop/) [Jasinda Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasinda-wilder/) > [When it seems impossible that a deep connection with another person could just go away instead of changing form. It seems impossible that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/when-it-seems-impossible-that-a-deep-connection-with-another-person/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) > [Will you keep going when you don't know why? When you can't get any answers that would make the pain go away, will you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/will-you-keep-going-when-you-don-t-know-why-when-you-can-t-get-any/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [it's best to accept life as it really is and not as I imagined it to be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-s-best-to-accept-life-as-it-really-is-and-not-as-i-imagined-it-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by Paulo Coelho > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love will never separate a man from his personal legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-will-never-separate-a-man-from-his-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [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/) > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Eat when it is time to eat. And walk when it is time to walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/eat-when-it-is-time-to-eat-and-walk-when-it-is-time-to-walk/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Joy is like sex – it begins and ends. I want pleasure. I want to be contended, but happiness? I no longer fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/joy-is-like-sex-it-begins-and-ends-i-want-pleasure-i-want-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Trudi se da zivis, sjecanja su za starije ljude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/trudi-se-da-zivis-sjecanja-su-za-starije-ljude/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-leaves-it-s-because-someone-else-is-about-to-arrive/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [She didn't need to understand the meaning of life; it was enough to find someone who did, and then fall asleep in his arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-didn-t-need-to-understand-the-meaning-of-life-it-was-enough-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) [Explore all 3,665 Paulo Coelho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More Accept quotes > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [The fans can accept a poor performance, but they won't take it when you choose not to put in the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pep-guardiola/the-fans-can-accept-a-poor-performance-but-they-won-t-take-it-when/) [Pep Guardiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pep-guardiola/) > [“See, I know what they think about me. That I’m some project. And, yeah, I’ll accept their help. But I’m gonna pay my way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsty-eagar/see-i-know-what-they-think-about-me-that-i-m-some-project-and-yeah-i/) [Kirsty Eagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsty-eagar/) > [If you're disabled or different from what general society deems normal, it's fine. There will always be people who won't accept you, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millicent-simmonds/if-you-re-disabled-or-different-from-what-general-society-deems/) [Millicent Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millicent-simmonds/) > [Things don't go on forever, and the quicker you accept that change is inevitable, the happier you're gonna be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-anastasio/things-don-t-go-on-forever-and-the-quicker-you-accept-that-change-is/) [Trey Anastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-anastasio/) > [It's very important to me that people accept me as a transgendered female. But it's ridiculous to a lot of people and I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-arquette/it-s-very-important-to-me-that-people-accept-me-as-a-transgendered/) [Alexis Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-arquette/) > [I've always taken care of myself, and I'm a non-conformist, so I don't accept the negativity that comes with birthdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-van-dam/i-ve-always-taken-care-of-myself-and-i-m-a-non-conformist-so-i-don-t/) [Rob Van Dam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-van-dam/) > [Not harder than it should be, no. We're about the business, we're about the work. It's all about the work, always. We have fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-fuqua/not-harder-than-it-should-be-no-we-re-about-the-business-we-re-about/) [Antoine Fuqua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-fuqua/) > [I wish I could just accept that I'm not that good and not be shy about the fact that I'm not that professional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-gainsbourg/i-wish-i-could-just-accept-that-i-m-not-that-good-and-not-be-shy/) [Charlotte Gainsbourg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-gainsbourg/) > [I cannot accept being silent in the face of injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-crockett/i-cannot-accept-being-silent-in-the-face-of-injustice/) [Jasmine Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-crockett/) > [“I hope there is less stigma and judgment against working moms and childless career women. All should be acceptable positions and society should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chan-heng-chee/i-hope-there-is-less-stigma-and-judgment-against-working-moms-and/) [Chan Heng Chee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chan-heng-chee/) > [“Of course I can accept you for who you are. You are someone I need to change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-glasbergen/of-course-i-can-accept-you-for-who-you-are-you-are-someone-i-need-to/) [Randy Glasbergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-glasbergen/) > [I can't be that kind of person others want me to be.I know I can't please everybody for just being me But I'm glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/i-can-t-be-that-kind-of-person-others-want-me-to-be-i-know-i-can-t/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [I don't care who you are,Where you from,As long as you love me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mks-vibz/i-don-t-care-who-you-are-where-you-from-as-long-as-you-love-me/) [Mks Vibz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mks-vibz/) [Browse all 2,963 Accept quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If there is suffering, then it's best to accept it, because it won't go away just because you pretend it's not there. 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