--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Its not a contest about whose days suck…" description: "\"“Its not a contest about whose days suck the most. The point is we all have to put up with the bad days.”\" — R.J. Palacio" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90a/r-j-palacio-2789_bad-day_its-not-a-contest-about-whose-days-suck_2164826.png" --- # Its not a contest about whose days suck the most. The… ![“Its not a contest about whose days suck the most. The point is we all have to put up with the bad days.” quote by R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90a/r-j-palacio-2789_bad-day_its-not-a-contest-about-whose-days-suck_2164826.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90a/r-j-palacio-2789_bad-day_its-not-a-contest-about-whose-days-suck_2164826.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90a/r-j-palacio-2789_bad-day_its-not-a-contest-about-whose-days-suck_2164826.png) > ““Its not a contest about whose days suck the most. The point is we all have to put up with the bad days.”” [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reminds us that everyone experiences bad days, and the focus should be on collective resilience rather than competition. **In simple terms:** Bad days happen to all; we must endure together. Key Takeaway Embrace shared resilience. Themes empathy resilience mental health community perspective Mood supportive reflective Type motivational empathetic When to use this quote - personal growth - support groups - school life - family dynamics Key Concepts shared adversity daily challenges emotional coping Questions to Reflect On - How can we support others on their tough days? - What practices build collective resilience? A Different Perspective Comparing suffering can diminish empathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-day/) [Bad days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-days/) ## Related quotes > [“Okay, that’s fair,” I said. “But it’s not a contest about whose days suck the most, Auggie. The point is we all have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/okay-that-s-fair-i-said-but-it-s-not-a-contest-about-whose-days-suck/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [Some days suck, some days are Contra and you just got the spread powerup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/some-days-suck-some-days-are-contra-and-you-just-got-the-spread/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I can have as many bad days as anyone. But I choose to say, 'I'm just fine.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-can-have-as-many-bad-days-as-anyone-but-i-choose-to-say-i-m-just/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [We are so hard on ourselves and you shouldn't be... We all have zits. We all have bad days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hill/we-are-so-hard-on-ourselves-and-you-shouldn-t-be-we-all-have-zits-we/) [Taylor Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hill/) > [I know I'm going to have good days, bad days, horrible days. I know that. But I'll keep it simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/i-know-i-m-going-to-have-good-days-bad-days-horrible-days-i-know-that/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [Don't let the good days get to your head, and don't let the bad days get to your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-ghosn/don-t-let-the-good-days-get-to-your-head-and-don-t-let-the-bad-days/) [Caroline Ghosn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-ghosn/) > [You've always got to have that inner confidence in you. That's where it all starts. You're gong to have good days, you're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-tolzien/you-ve-always-got-to-have-that-inner-confidence-in-you-that-s-where/) [Scott Tolzien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-tolzien/) > [Everybody has bad days, but how you respond to it is a testament to whether you are a winner or a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/everybody-has-bad-days-but-how-you-respond-to-it-is-a-testament-to/) [Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/) > [Bad days, good days, ‘I’ll cut you if you look at me the wrong way’ days. I’ll take them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/bad-days-good-days-i-ll-cut-you-if-you-look-at-me-the-wrong-way-days/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“Two things don't need to be "equally bad" to point out that they're both bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-kirk/two-things-don-t-need-to-be-equally-bad-to-point-out-that-they-re/) [T.J. Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-kirk/) > [What’s the point of being bad when there’s nothing good to stop you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-ferrell/what-s-the-point-of-being-bad-when-there-s-nothing-good-to-stop-you/) [Will Ferrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-ferrell/) > [“My point is that bad people are everywhere. The world is filled with good, but it’s equally overwhelmed with bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bryndza/my-point-is-that-bad-people-are-everywhere-the-world-is-filled-with/) [Robert Bryndza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bryndza/) > [My point is not that everything is bad, but that everything is dangerous, which is not exactly the same as bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/my-point-is-not-that-everything-is-bad-but-that-everything-is-2/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [“My mum always taught me the value of knowing, recognizing and acknowledging when you had a good day. There are so many bad days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/my-mum-always-taught-me-the-value-of-knowing-recognizing-and/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [“When you have a bad day, a really bad day, try and treat the world better than it treated you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stump/when-you-have-a-bad-day-a-really-bad-day-try-and-treat-the-world/) [Patrick Stump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stump/) ## More by R.J. Palacio > [“I think there should be a rule that everyone should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives because they overcometh the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/i-think-there-should-be-a-rule-that-everyone-should-get-a-standing/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“And being at school was awful in the beginning. Every new class I had was like a new chance for kids to “not stare”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/and-being-at-school-was-awful-in-the-beginning-every-new-class-i-had/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“That’s when I saw Daisy sitting near my bed. I mean, I knew it wasn’t Daisy, but for a second I saw a shadow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/that-s-when-i-saw-daisy-sitting-near-my-bed-i-mean-i-knew-it-wasn-t/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Funny how sometimes you worry a lot about something and it turns out to be nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/funny-how-sometimes-you-worry-a-lot-about-something-and-it-turns-out/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“The first look I got of August, well, it made me want to cover my eyes and run away screaming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/the-first-look-i-got-of-august-well-it-made-me-want-to-cover-my-eyes/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“We’re kind of like Beauty and the Beast.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/we-re-kind-of-like-beauty-and-the-beast/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“No, it’s okay,” I said. “Let’s just go”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/no-it-s-okay-i-said-let-s-just-go/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Or, what does a poor man have, a rich man need, and you would die if you ate it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/or-what-does-a-poor-man-have-a-rich-man-need-and-you-would-die-if-you/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Sometimes when I have the feeling like I’m almost crying, it can turn into an almost-laughing feeling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/sometimes-when-i-have-the-feeling-like-i-m-almost-crying-it-can-turn/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“My name is August, by the way. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/my-name-is-august-by-the-way-i-won-t-describe-what-i-look-like/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Actually, I prefer not to even try to imagine it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/actually-i-prefer-not-to-even-try-to-imagine-it/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Her smile hugged me”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/her-smile-hugged-me/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Here I was looking for symbolism and metaphors and um . . . sometimes a duck is just a duck!"--Mr. Tushman”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/here-i-was-looking-for-symbolism-and-metaphors-and-um-sometimes-a/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Shall we make a new rule of life... always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/shall-we-make-a-new-rule-of-life-always-to-try-to-be-a-little-kinder/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“August is the Sun. Me and Mom and Dad are planets orbiting the Sun. The rest of our family and friends are asteroids and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/august-is-the-sun-me-and-mom-and-dad-are-planets-orbiting-the-sun-the/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) [Explore all 135 R.J. Palacio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) ## More Bad day quotes > [“When you have a bad day, a really bad day, try and treat the world better than it treated you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stump/when-you-have-a-bad-day-a-really-bad-day-try-and-treat-the-world/) [Patrick Stump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stump/) > [Everybody has bad days, but how you respond to it is a testament to whether you are a winner or a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/everybody-has-bad-days-but-how-you-respond-to-it-is-a-testament-to/) [Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/) > [“My mum always taught me the value of knowing, recognizing and acknowledging when you had a good day. There are so many bad days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/my-mum-always-taught-me-the-value-of-knowing-recognizing-and/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [Today I will do my best.If I have a good day,i will be pruod of myself.If I have a bad day,I will not dwell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix-mae/today-i-will-do-my-best-if-i-have-a-good-day-i-will-be-pruod-of/) [Nix Mae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix-mae/) > [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/) [Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/) > [Remember, success is not measured by heights attained but by obstacles overcome. We're going to pass through many obstacles in our lives: good days,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-jenner/remember-success-is-not-measured-by-heights-attained-but-by-obstacles/) [Bruce Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-jenner/) > [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/) > [The whole secret to mastering the game of golf - and this applies to the beginner as well as the pro - is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-palmer/the-whole-secret-to-mastering-the-game-of-golf-and-this-applies-to/) [Arnold Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-palmer/) > [“Thus in the bad days, in the dark swampy times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-russ/thus-in-the-bad-days-in-the-dark-swampy-times/) [Joanna Russ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-russ/) > [Take a deep breath. It,s just a bad day not a bad life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-a-deep-breath-it-s-just-a-bad-day-not-a-bad-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/to-be-tested-is-good-the-challenged-life-may-be-the-best-therapist/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [But just remember, the next time you see a person, do not judge whats on the outside, we could be having a bad day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/but-just-remember-the-next-time-you-see-a-person-do-not-judge-whats/) [Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/) > [Every night I go to sleep smiling, even when I have a bad day. I'm just thankful that God allowed me to live it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-night-i-go-to-sleep-smiling-even-when-i-have-a-bad-day-i-m-just/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you have a bad day,pray. If you have a good day,pray. Pray for the best. Pray with the best. Prayer is the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/if-you-have-a-bad-day-pray-if-you-have-a-good-day-pray-pray-for-the/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) [Browse all 1,054 Bad day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-day/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Its not a contest about whose days suck the most. The point is we all have to put up with the bad days.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "R.J. 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