--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You drown not by falling into a river…" description: "\"You drown not by falling into a river, but by staying submerged in it.\" — Paulo Coelho" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/paulo-coelho-10_drown_you-drown-not-by-falling-into-a-river-bu_2975358.jpg" --- # You drown not by falling into a river, but by staying… ![“You drown not by falling into a river, but by staying submerged in it.” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/paulo-coelho-10_drown_you-drown-not-by-falling-into-a-river-bu_2975358.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/paulo-coelho-10_drown_you-drown-not-by-falling-into-a-river-bu_2975358.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/paulo-coelho-10_drown_you-drown-not-by-falling-into-a-river-bu_2975358.jpg) > “You drown not by falling into a river, but by staying submerged in it.” [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. Warning that staying stuck in difficulty is worse than falling into it. **In simple terms:** Stagnation is dangerous. Key Takeaway Act to avoid being trapped. Themes adversity stagnation action Mood inspirational cautionary Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - career stagnation - relationship impasse - health recovery Key Concepts risk growth self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - What holds you in place? - How can you move forward safely? A Different Perspective Fear of change can paralyze. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“You drown not by falling in the river but by staying submerged in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-drown-not-by-falling-in-the-river-but-by-staying-submerged-in-it/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“You don't drown by falling in the water, you drowned by staying there”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-louis-cole/you-don-t-drown-by-falling-in-the-water-you-drowned-by-staying-there/) [Edwin Louis Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-louis-cole/) > [“You don't drown by falling in water; you only drown if you stay there.  Zig Ziglar ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frankilin/you-don-t-drown-by-falling-in-water-you-only-drown-if-you-stay-there/) James Frankilin > [The river is constantly turning and bending and you never know where it's going to go and where you'll wind up. Following the bend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/the-river-is-constantly-turning-and-bending-and-you-never-know-where/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [“You don't get drown by falling into a river. You get drown by remaining there. Falling accidentally and rising immediately was what distinguished Thomas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-don-t-get-drown-by-falling-into-a-river-you-get-drown-by/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [You don't drown by falling into water. You only drown if you stay there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/you-don-t-drown-by-falling-into-water-you-only-drown-if-you-stay-there/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [You don't drown by falling in water. You only drown if you stay there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/you-don-t-drown-by-falling-in-water-you-only-drown-if-you-stay-there-2/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [“Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were heading for shore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury-fahrenheit-451/do-your-own-bit-of-saving-and-if-you-drown-at-least-die-knowing-you/) Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451 > [If one synchronised swimmer drowns, do all the rest have to drown too?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/if-one-synchronised-swimmer-drowns-do-all-the-rest-have-to-drown-too/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [A sympathetic person is placed in the dilemma of a swimmer among drowning men, who all catch at him, and if he gives so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-sympathetic-person-is-placed-in-the-dilemma-of-a-swimmer-among/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I s'pose, I can't have it all my own way, can I? You can't drown in a person unless they let you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/i-s-pose-i-can-t-have-it-all-my-own-way-can-i-you-can-t-drown-in-a/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [There is more than one good way to drown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/there-is-more-than-one-good-way-to-drown/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“You're back where you swore yourself you wouldn't be The familiar shackles you can't tell from your own skin Your head's under water when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanhita-baruah/you-re-back-where-you-swore-yourself-you-wouldn-t-be-the-familiar/) [Sanhita Baruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanhita-baruah/) > [You don't get there the easy way. If you feel sorry for yourself, and you let yourself go down, you will drown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/you-don-t-get-there-the-easy-way-if-you-feel-sorry-for-yourself-and/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [There are many ways to drown, only the most obvious wave their arms as they're going under.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-flynn/there-are-many-ways-to-drown-only-the-most-obvious-wave-their-arms-as/) [Nick Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-flynn/) ## 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 Drown quotes > [He tried to drown his troubles but they knew how to swim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/he-tried-to-drown-his-troubles-but-they-knew-how-to-swim/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [“Let me love you, girl who came from the sea. Let us swim to the bottom of the ocean where we can be anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolee-dean/let-me-love-you-girl-who-came-from-the-sea-let-us-swim-to-the-bottom/) [Carolee Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolee-dean/) > [As all of us are only too aware, the loud and frantic voices of the outer world easily drown out the small, still loving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/as-all-of-us-are-only-too-aware-the-loud-and-frantic-voices-of-the/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“Families – can’t live with them – can’t take them down to the river and drown them all in sacks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-r-green/families-can-t-live-with-them-can-t-take-them-down-to-the-river-and/) [Simon R. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-r-green/) > [“It's not just like that. I can't just swim away." "Why not?" "I'm afraid I'll drown." He looks up and gives the world's smallest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-moskowitz/it-s-not-just-like-that-i-can-t-just-swim-away-why-not-i-m-afraid-i/) [Hannah Moskowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-moskowitz/) > [There are many ways to drown, only the most obvious wave their arms as they're going under.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-flynn/there-are-many-ways-to-drown-only-the-most-obvious-wave-their-arms-as/) [Nick Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-flynn/) > [Drink today, and drown all sorrow; you shall perhaps not do tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fletcher/drink-today-and-drown-all-sorrow-you-shall-perhaps-not-do-tomorrow/) [John Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fletcher/) > [You don't get there the easy way. If you feel sorry for yourself, and you let yourself go down, you will drown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/you-don-t-get-there-the-easy-way-if-you-feel-sorry-for-yourself-and/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [Once you get into this great stream of history you can't get out. You can drown. Or you can be pulled ashore by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/once-you-get-into-this-great-stream-of-history-you-can-t-get-out-you/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [“You're back where you swore yourself you wouldn't be The familiar shackles you can't tell from your own skin Your head's under water when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanhita-baruah/you-re-back-where-you-swore-yourself-you-wouldn-t-be-the-familiar/) [Sanhita Baruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanhita-baruah/) > [“If I fall in, I’m going to drown. The weights upon me are too heavy to stay afloat. My only option is to sink.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/if-i-fall-in-i-m-going-to-drown-the-weights-upon-me-are-too-heavy-to/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [I lead horses to water and if they don't drink, then I drown them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-brown/i-lead-horses-to-water-and-if-they-don-t-drink-then-i-drown-them/) [Mike Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-brown/) > [There is more than one good way to drown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/there-is-more-than-one-good-way-to-drown/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“He couldn't remember the last time human hands had willingly touched him. Not true. Miranda had. She had touched him as if he were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-callihan/he-couldn-t-remember-the-last-time-human-hands-had-willingly-touched/) [Kristen Callihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-callihan/) > [“Because at night when others are sleeping, I drown myself in poetry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/because-at-night-when-others-are-sleeping-i-drown-myself-in-poetry/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) Browse all 567 Drown quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You drown not by falling into a river, but by staying submerged in it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paulo Coelho" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-drown-not-by-falling-into-a-river-but-by-staying-submerged-in-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drown" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-drown-not-by-falling-into-a-river-but-by-staying-submerged-in-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/paulo-coelho-10_drown_you-drown-not-by-falling-into-a-river-bu_2975358.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/paulo-coelho-10_drown_you-drown-not-by-falling-into-a-river-bu_2975358.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12e/paulo-coelho-10_drown_you-drown-not-by-falling-into-a-river-bu_2975358.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You drown not by falling into a river, but by staying submerged in it.” — Paulo Coelho", "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": "Paulo Coelho", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You drown not by falling into...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-drown-not-by-falling-into-a-river-but-by-staying-submerged-in-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-drown-not-by-falling-into-a-river-but-by-staying-submerged-in-it/#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 } } ] } ```