--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Pain is never ennobling, only degrading…" description: "\"“Pain is never ennobling, only degrading. And do not be afraid, sir, that there will ever be too little of it in the world to spare mankind its \"purifi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71d/richard-gordon-181765_pain_pain-is-never-ennobling-only-degrading-a_1000707.jpg" --- # Pain is never ennobling, only degrading. And do not be… ![“Pain is never ennobling, only degrading. And do not be afraid, sir, that there will ever be too little of it in the world to spare mankind its "purification". There will always be human groans enough to fill the sails of that argument. But I am a practical Christian. Unlike you , sir, I relieve…” quote by Richard Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71d/richard-gordon-181765_pain_pain-is-never-ennobling-only-degrading-a_1000707.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71d/richard-gordon-181765_pain_pain-is-never-ennobling-only-degrading-a_1000707.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71d/richard-gordon-181765_pain_pain-is-never-ennobling-only-degrading-a_1000707.jpg) > ““Pain is never ennobling, only degrading. And do not be afraid, sir, that there will ever be too little of it in the world to spare mankind its "purification". There will always be human groans enough to fill the sails of that argument. But I am a practical Christian. Unlike you , sir, I relieve suffering, wherever I see it. Your ladies would not object to warm baths, to mitigate labour pains? To opium? It is the same prinicple.”” Richard Gordon ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pain is portrayed as degrading, not ennobling, and the speaker claims to relieve suffering, suggesting a pragmatic view of suffering as a tool for purification. **In simple terms:** Pain degrades, not elevates; relief is practical. Key Takeaway Offer compassionate aid without glorifying pain. Themes pain suffering relief Mood critical philosophical Type ethical theological practical When to use this quote - medical care - counseling - social policy Key Concepts ethical pragmatism theology humanitarian aid Questions to Reflect On - Is pain ever truly beneficial? - How can we alleviate suffering ethically? A Different Perspective Glorifying suffering can justify harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [We should try our best to relieve the suffering of others in whatever way we can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/we-should-try-our-best-to-relieve-the-suffering-of-others-in-whatever/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [My work as a human being is to quiet my mind, open my heart and do what I can to relieve the suffering with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/my-work-as-a-human-being-is-to-quiet-my-mind-open-my-heart-and-do/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [“Letting go of the belief that we’re powerless to help relieve our own suffering enhances our ability not only to heal but also to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/letting-go-of-the-belief-that-we-re-powerless-to-help-relieve-our-own/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [Our top priority is to relieve suffering of human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsoknyi-rinpoche/our-top-priority-is-to-relieve-suffering-of-human-beings/) [Tsoknyi Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsoknyi-rinpoche/) > [There is a natural law, a Divine law, that obliges you and me to relieve the suffering, the distressed and the destitute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-hilton/there-is-a-natural-law-a-divine-law-that-obliges-you-and-me-to/) [Conrad Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-hilton/) > [And once we have the condition of peace and joy in us, we can afford to be in any situation. Even in the situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/and-once-we-have-the-condition-of-peace-and-joy-in-us-we-can-afford/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [“I wanted to be able to live in the world so that I could live with myself. I wanted to do something practical to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-orbinski/i-wanted-to-be-able-to-live-in-the-world-so-that-i-could-live-with/) [James Orbinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-orbinski/) > [We all need to realize that there are people out there who may be suffering and we all need to try to do our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-bregman/we-all-need-to-realize-that-there-are-people-out-there-who-may-be/) [Alex Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-bregman/) > [“Of all the remedies it has pleased almighty God to give man to relieve his suffering, none is so universal and so efficacious as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sydenham/of-all-the-remedies-it-has-pleased-almighty-god-to-give-man-to/) [Thomas Sydenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sydenham/) > [Do what you can on this plane to relieve suffering by constantly working on yourself to be an instrument for the cessation of suffering.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/do-what-you-can-on-this-plane-to-relieve-suffering-by-constantly/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [“We begin to realize that it will take something more powerful than we are to relieve our suffering. This is what we’ve been missing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marta-mrotek/we-begin-to-realize-that-it-will-take-something-more-powerful-than-we/) [Marta Mrotek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marta-mrotek/) > [The whole point of Heaven is to relieve us of the suffering, pain, death and tears brought into the world by the evil of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berg/the-whole-point-of-heaven-is-to-relieve-us-of-the-suffering-pain/) [David Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berg/) > [“No one can relieve him of his suffering or suffer in his place. His unique opportunity lies in the way in which he bears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/no-one-can-relieve-him-of-his-suffering-or-suffer-in-his-place-his/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [Therapy is not to 'talk about' things, but to change the person's life, and to relieve suffering, such as depression, anxiety, or relationship problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/therapy-is-not-to-talk-about-things-but-to-change-the-person-s-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Attachment has to do with suffering, so it's really close to Buddhism, because Buddhism wants to relieve you from suffering; you're supposed to escape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-stern/attachment-has-to-do-with-suffering-so-it-s-really-close-to-buddhism/) [Gerald Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-stern/) ## More Pain quotes > [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/pain-is-meant-to-wake-us-up-people-try-to-hide-their-pain-but-they-re/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [“If I let myself think of it the pain and anger were still fresh, adrenalin racing down my limbs to pool, hot and itchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-ladd/if-i-let-myself-think-of-it-the-pain-and-anger-were-still-fresh/) [Kylie Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-ladd/) > [“I locked the door and turned on the water to fill the tub. I made it so hot that I had to get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-crandall/i-locked-the-door-and-turned-on-the-water-to-fill-the-tub-i-made-it/) [Susan Crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-crandall/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want people to hear my lyrics and my melodies and say, 'That dude's in pain.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/i-want-people-to-hear-my-lyrics-and-my-melodies-and-say-that-dude-s/) [Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/) > [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [It hurts wanting the best for someone you love, even if they feel the best isn't you. That's real love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-hurts-wanting-the-best-for-someone-you-love-even-if-they-feel-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tryna hide this pain with these pain killers, she said the storms only will last a little while but shit it got me feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/tryna-hide-this-pain-with-these-pain-killers-she-said-the-storms-only/) Myself > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“What is there, in the mention of Time To Come, that is so quick to wrench at the heart, to inflict a pain in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-llewellyn/what-is-there-in-the-mention-of-time-to-come-that-is-so-quick-to/) [Richard Llewellyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-llewellyn/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Stop trying to give me hope ... I have no room left for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-f/stop-trying-to-give-me-hope-i-have-no-room-left-for-it/) [Jenn F](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenn-f/) > [There's only so much for a man to take...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gilchrist/there-s-only-so-much-for-a-man-to-take/) Kirsten Gilchrist > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) [Browse all 17,919 Pain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Pain is never ennobling, only degrading. And do not be afraid, sir, that there will ever be too little of it in the world to spare mankind its \"purification\". 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