--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We suffer because we want life to be…" description: "\"We suffer because we want life to be different from what it is. We suffer because we try to make pleasurable what is painful, to make solid what is flu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f33/sakyong-mipham-2871_buddhist_we-suffer-because-we-want-life-to-be-dif_2439183.jpg" --- # We suffer because we want life to be different from what… ![“We suffer because we want life to be different from what it is. We suffer because we try to make pleasurable what is painful, to make solid what is fluid, to make permanent what is always changing.” quote by Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f33/sakyong-mipham-2871_buddhist_we-suffer-because-we-want-life-to-be-dif_2439183.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f33/sakyong-mipham-2871_buddhist_we-suffer-because-we-want-life-to-be-dif_2439183.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f33/sakyong-mipham-2871_buddhist_we-suffer-because-we-want-life-to-be-dif_2439183.jpg) > “We suffer because we want life to be different from what it is. We suffer because we try to make pleasurable what is painful, to make solid what is fluid, to make permanent what is always changing.” [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suffering arises from resisting reality and forcing static expectations onto life’s fluid nature. **In simple terms:** Resisting change causes pain. Key Takeaway Accept what is, let go of forced control. Themes acceptance impermanence mindfulness Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - relationships - career - health - personal growth Key Concepts Buddhist philosophy psychology attachment Questions to Reflect On - What expectations are you clinging to? - How can you honor change without loss? A Different Perspective Change is inevitable; resistance may sometimes protect values. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddhist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhist/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different Suffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-suffer-471297/) [Fluid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fluid/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Painful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painful/) [Permanent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanent/) [Suffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffer/) [Suffer Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffer-try-471299/) [Suffer Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffer-want-471298/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [Those who covet much suffer from the want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/those-who-covet-much-suffer-from-the-want/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [It hurts but I'm aint gonna stale and suffer, I want a happy life too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-hurts-but-i-m-aint-gonna-stale-and-suffer-i-want-a-happy-life-too/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone is different. We all suffer from the disease of being human. There are a thousand cures but no antidotes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/everyone-is-different-we-all-suffer-from-the-disease-of-being-human/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [You suffer because you try to fulfill yourself. You think of yourself in a limited way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-suffer-because-you-try-to-fulfill-yourself-you-think-of-yourself/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“I just want to know you're okay. I want to know that you didn't suffer. I want to believe that you are in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-jenkins-reid/i-just-want-to-know-you-re-okay-i-want-to-know-that-you-didn-t-suffer/) [Taylor Jenkins Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-jenkins-reid/) > [It has appeared that from the inevitable laws of our nature, some human beings must suffer from want. These are the unhappy persons who,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-malthus/it-has-appeared-that-from-the-inevitable-laws-of-our-nature-some/) [Thomas Malthus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-malthus/) > [“The more you want the more you suffer. If you want everything you must suffer everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/the-more-you-want-the-more-you-suffer-if-you-want-everything-you-must/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [When you love someone, you want to share everything with him or her. So it is your duty to say, "I suffer and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/when-you-love-someone-you-want-to-share-everything-with-him-or-her-so/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [“I would suffer. I would suffer. I would want things to be different than they were. The wanting was a wilderness and I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/i-would-suffer-i-would-suffer-i-would-want-things-to-be-different/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [People don't want to suffer. They want to sound good immediately, and this is one of the biggest problems in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-lacy/people-don-t-want-to-suffer-they-want-to-sound-good-immediately-and/) [Steve Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-lacy/) > [He who causes suffering shall suffer. 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So the clarity and peace of mind we feel after running is mostly because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/thus-the-mind-is-more-present-and-at-peace-so-the-clarity-and-peace/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) > [If we cut speed and relax with what’s going on in our life right now, kindness and patience will naturally come about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/if-we-cut-speed-and-relax-with-what-s-going-on-in-our-life-right-now/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) > [A lot of people do their practice. They meditate on compassion. Then they yell at people afterwards. That is not quite working. 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What is enough will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/if-we-do-not-push-ourselves-enough-we-do-not-grow-but-if-we-push/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) > [Shambhala teachings say we all have the potential to accomplish our enlightened nature - our basic goodness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/shambhala-teachings-say-we-all-have-the-potential-to-accomplish-our/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) > [True happiness is always available to us, but first we have to create the environment for it to flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/true-happiness-is-always-available-to-us-but-first-we-have-to-create/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) > [Auspicious coincidence is the right thing happening at the right time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/auspicious-coincidence-is-the-right-thing-happening-at-the-right-time/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) > [A lot of times people do spiritual practice just for themselves. I try to turn that a little bit. I try to make spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/a-lot-of-times-people-do-spiritual-practice-just-for-themselves-i-try/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) > [Enlightened Society is all about nurturing the human spirit - waking up to the goodness, kindness and strength that we already have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/enlightened-society-is-all-about-nurturing-the-human-spirit-waking-up/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) > [After you run, there's a sense of accomplishment; you feel like your life is meaningful. It's a moment of clarity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/after-you-run-there-s-a-sense-of-accomplishment-you-feel-like-your/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) > [“Gentleness can be developed with simple thoughts. First, appreciate who you are and make friends with yourself. Look at what you can do, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/gentleness-can-be-developed-with-simple-thoughts-first-appreciate-who/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) > [You have people who are good at English but don't have the training in Buddhism or Shambhala, or they have the training but are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/you-have-people-who-are-good-at-english-but-don-t-have-the-training/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) > [“Past events are already gone, and the future is yet to happen. It is only in the present that we can be in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/past-events-are-already-gone-and-the-future-is-yet-to-happen-it-is/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) [Explore all 147 Sakyong Mipham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) ## More Buddhist quotes > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the Messiah?" "No," answered Buddha. "Then are you a healer?" "No," Buddha replied. 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Hold fast to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/be-lamps-unto-yourselves-be-refuges-unto-yourselves-take-yourself-no/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Humility simply means that you do a great job at everything and it isn't really a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/humility-simply-means-that-you-do-a-great-job-at-everything-and-it/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Speak only the speech that neither torments self nor does harm to others. That speech is truly well spoken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/speak-only-the-speech-that-neither-torments-self-nor-does-harm-to/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [I don't look at anything. Every person whether he is Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist, he is my brother, my sister. I think we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/i-don-t-look-at-anything-every-person-whether-he-is-hindu-muslim-or/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [My family is Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist and Catholic. I don't believe in man-made religions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whoopi-goldberg/my-family-is-jewish-buddhist-baptist-and-catholic-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Whoopi Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whoopi-goldberg/) > [I'm working at trying to be a Christian, and that's serious business. It's like trying to be a good Jew, a good Muslim, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-working-at-trying-to-be-a-christian-and-that-s-serious-business/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Buddhist words such as compassion and emptiness don't mean much until we start cultivating our innate ability simply to be there with pain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/buddhist-words-such-as-compassion-and-emptiness-don-t-mean-much-until/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“Even my Buddhist friends have been feeling despair and when they go bad, you know the end is nigh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/even-my-buddhist-friends-have-been-feeling-despair-and-when-they-go/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [He who causes suffering shall suffer. 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They recognized his enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-buddha-gave-his-first-talks-and-three-or-four-ascetics-became-his/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) [Browse all 1,479 Buddhist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We suffer because we want life to be different from what it is. 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