Adversity Quote by Pema Chödrön
““nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know …nothing ever really attacks us except our own confusion. perhaps there is no solid obstacle except our own need to protect ourselves from being touched. maybe the only enemy is that we don’t like the way reality is now and therefore wish it would go away fast. but what we find as practitioners is that nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know. if we run a hundred miles an hour to the other end of the continent in order to get away from the obstacle, we find the very same problem waiting for us when we arrive. it just keeps returning with new names, forms, manifestations until we learn whatever it has to teach us about where we are separating ourselves from reality, how we are pulling back instead of opening up, closing down instead of allowing ourselves to experience fully whatever we encounter, without hesitating or retreating into ourselves.””
About This Quote
Source Book: When Things Fall Apart, 1996
Problems persist until we learn from them; avoidance creates recurring obstacles.
In simple terms: Issues teach us until we face them.
Embrace challenges as teachers.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- therapy
- meditation
- conflict resolution
- personal development
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What recurring problem keeps resurfacing in your life?
- How can you turn avoidance into learning?
May be overly spiritual for pragmatic contexts.