--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Could you imagine how horrible things…" description: "\"Could you imagine how horrible things would be if we always told others how we felt? Life would be intolerably bearable.\" — R. K. Milholland" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/r-k-milholland-17910_bearable_could-you-imagine-how-horrible-things-wo_718404.png" --- # Could you imagine how horrible things would be if we… ![“Could you imagine how horrible things would be if we always told others how we felt? Life would be intolerably bearable.” quote by R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/r-k-milholland-17910_bearable_could-you-imagine-how-horrible-things-wo_718404.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/r-k-milholland-17910_bearable_could-you-imagine-how-horrible-things-wo_718404.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/r-k-milholland-17910_bearable_could-you-imagine-how-horrible-things-wo_718404.png) > “Could you imagine how horrible things would be if we always told others how we felt? Life would be intolerably bearable.” [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suppressing honest expression leads to a superficial, tolerable existence lacking depth. **In simple terms:** Hiding feelings makes life bland. Key Takeaway Speak truthfully to enrich experience. Themes authenticity communication emotional health Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - workplace - creative collaboration Key Concepts psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What truths are you avoiding? - How might honesty improve your connections? A Different Perspective Over‑disclosure can damage trust and cause conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bearable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bearable/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible/) [Horrible things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible-things/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Imagine Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine-horrible-3180391/) [Intolerably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerably-899191/) [Intolerably Bearable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerably-bearable-5651481/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Intolerably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-intolerably-5651480/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [I've never been a method actress; I've never been that person that wants to imagine horrible things happening in your own life in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isla-fisher/i-ve-never-been-a-method-actress-i-ve-never-been-that-person-that/) [Isla Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isla-fisher/) > [“A person, be it a man or a woman, who has not been exposed to the great wonders of literature, must be intolerably stupid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/a-person-be-it-a-man-or-a-woman-who-has-not-been-exposed-to-the-great/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [ “If Mr. \[V.S.\] Naipaul takes no pleasure in the happy delineation of the varieties of human nature, then he must be intolerably stupid.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-mr-v-s-naipaul-takes-no-pleasure-in-the-happy-delineation-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/the-person-be-it-gentleman-or-lady-who-has-not-pleasure-in-a-good-2/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“art is neither good nor bad, but a clairvoyant vision of the nature of both,and any attempt to align it with morality, otherwise called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norhtrop-frye/art-is-neither-good-nor-bad-but-a-clairvoyant-vision-of-the-nature-of/) [Norhtrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norhtrop-frye/) > [What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven into Hades's underwear?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/what-horrible-things-would-you-have-to-do-in-your-life-to-get-woven/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“I've seen some very bad things this year, most of them when I was distracted. 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Even when horrible things happen to me, I go on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-vergara/i-m-fearless-i-don-t-complain-even-when-horrible-things-happen-to-me/) [Sofia Vergara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-vergara/) > [People do horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-paul/people-do-horrible-things/) [Logan Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-paul/) > [The worst of pushing horrible things down into one's subconscious is that when they pop up again they are as fresh as if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/the-worst-of-pushing-horrible-things-down-into-one-s-subconscious-is/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [I think portraying human beings trying to hold on to their humanity against pretty much certain odds that they'll die horribly in some way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/i-think-portraying-human-beings-trying-to-hold-on-to-their-humanity/) [Scott M. 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What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by R. K. Milholland > [Ed Wood served a great purpose - mainly making writers feel better about their work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/ed-wood-served-a-great-purpose-mainly-making-writers-feel-better/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [It's not a matter of whether or not someone's watching over you. It's just a question of their intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/it-s-not-a-matter-of-whether-or-not-someone-s-watching-over-you-it-s/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [Nothing like a lot of exercise to make you realize you'd rather be lazy and dead sooner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/nothing-like-a-lot-of-exercise-to-make-you-realize-you-d-rather-be/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [That's the thing about marriage. It's a shell game we play with ourselves. We're the suckers and we have to lose, but we play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/that-s-the-thing-about-marriage-it-s-a-shell-game-we-play-with/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [Why do we have to wait for special moments to say nice things or tell people we care about them?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/why-do-we-have-to-wait-for-special-moments-to-say-nice-things-or-tell/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [The grass is always greener once you don't have to mow a lawn anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/the-grass-is-always-greener-once-you-don-t-have-to-mow-a-lawn-anymore/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [You can't show love to someone at the expense of someone else who loves you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/you-can-t-show-love-to-someone-at-the-expense-of-someone-else-who/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [Lies are like children. If you don't nurture them, they'll never be useful later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/lies-are-like-children-if-you-don-t-nurture-them-they-ll-never-be/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [The shortest verse in the Bible is 'Jesus wept.' The only thing wrong with it is the past tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/the-shortest-verse-in-the-bible-is-jesus-wept-the-only-thing-wrong/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [Sometimes old things need to go away. That way, we have room for the new things that come into our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/sometimes-old-things-need-to-go-away-that-way-we-have-room-for-the/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [That's the thing with suicide pacts. Sometimes they only really work if they catch you by surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/that-s-the-thing-with-suicide-pacts-sometimes-they-only-really-work/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [The only thing that lasts longer than a friend's love is the stupidity that keeps us from knowing any better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/the-only-thing-that-lasts-longer-than-a-friend-s-love-is-the/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [It hurts to find out that what you wanted doesn't match what you dreamed it would be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/it-hurts-to-find-out-that-what-you-wanted-doesn-t-match-what-you/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [Things aren't magically better if that's what you're hoping for. It's not that simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/things-aren-t-magically-better-if-that-s-what-you-re-hoping-for-it-s/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [A birthday wish granted 23 years late is still a birthday wish granted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/a-birthday-wish-granted-23-years-late-is-still-a-birthday-wish-granted/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) [Explore all 36 R. K. Milholland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) ## More Bearable quotes > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Perhapsthemost sublimeinsights oftheJewishprophets and the Christian gospel is the knowledge that since perfection is love, the apprehension of perfection is at once the means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/perhapsthemost-sublimeinsights-ofthejewishprophets-and-the-christian/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [How will it ever be bearable, Priestess?” His voice was rough. He sounded completely broken. “You’ll see her again. She’s with Nyx now. She’ll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-will-it-ever-be-bearable-priestess-his-voice-was-rough-he-sounded/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Intense, unexpected suffering passes more quickly than suffering that is apparently bearable; the latter goes on for years and, without our noticing, eats away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/intense-unexpected-suffering-passes-more-quickly-than-suffering-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“shared pain is more bearable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/shared-pain-is-more-bearable/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [For me, friendship has always been the most accessible of relationships - certainly far more so than romantic love. Friendship, I learned, provided a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/for-me-friendship-has-always-been-the-most-accessible-of/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [Divorce is my generation's coming of age ceremony - a ritual scarring that makes anything that happens afterward seem bearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/divorce-is-my-generation-s-coming-of-age-ceremony-a-ritual-scarring/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [You can’t change the tale so that you turned left one day instead of right, or didn’t make the mistake that might have saved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-caldwell/you-can-t-change-the-tale-so-that-you-turned-left-one-day-instead-of/) [Gail Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-caldwell/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet-2/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [The doctors may be mapping out the war games, but it is the nurses who make the conflict bearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-doctors-may-be-mapping-out-the-war-games-but-it-is-the-nurses-who/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Prayer can come in only when fasting has done its work. 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They are a very human way of making life more bearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-arts-are-not-a-way-to-make-a-living-they-are-a-very-human-way-of/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Browse all 174 Bearable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bearable/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Could you imagine how horrible things would be if we always told others how we felt? Life would be intolerably bearable.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "R. K. 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