--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is so distressing about the use of…" description: "\"“What is so distressing about the use of denial as a tactic is that you are left with nothing to deal with. It creates a sense of desperate frustration..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/susan-forward-4980_denial_what-is-so-distressing-about-the-use-of_2530092.jpg" --- # What is so distressing about the use of denial as a tactic… ![“What is so distressing about the use of denial as a tactic is that you are left with nothing to deal with. It creates a sense of desperate frustration. There is no way to resolve a problem with someone who denies the existence of certain events and who insists that what you know to be real never…” quote by Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/susan-forward-4980_denial_what-is-so-distressing-about-the-use-of_2530092.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/susan-forward-4980_denial_what-is-so-distressing-about-the-use-of_2530092.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/susan-forward-4980_denial_what-is-so-distressing-about-the-use-of_2530092.jpg) > ““What is so distressing about the use of denial as a tactic is that you are left with nothing to deal with. It creates a sense of desperate frustration. There is no way to resolve a problem with someone who denies the existence of certain events and who insists that what you know to be real never happened.”” [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Denial blocks resolution, leaving frustration because the problem’s reality is ignored. **In simple terms:** Denial prevents solving issues. Key Takeaway Address denial directly to move forward. Themes communication conflict truth Mood empathetic concerned Type advice psychological When to use this quote - marriage counseling - family disputes - workplace conflicts - personal boundaries Key Concepts psychology denial tactics Questions to Reflect On - How can you confront denial without escalating conflict? - When is it appropriate to accept a differing reality? A Different Perspective Denial may be a defense mechanism, not always malicious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) [Denial Tactic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial-tactic-1334899/) [Denies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denies/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Problem Denies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-denies-1334901/) [Use Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-denial-1334900/) ## Related quotes > [“But I can't force everything into the arrangement I'd like. I can't use denial to make everything simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jael-mchenry-the-kitchen-daughter/but-i-can-t-force-everything-into-the-arrangement-i-d-like-i-can-t/) [Jael McHenry (The Kitchen Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jael-mchenry-the-kitchen-daughter/) > [Films that are entertainments give simple answers but I think that's ultimately more cynical, as it denies the viewer room to think. If there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/films-that-are-entertainments-give-simple-answers-but-i-think-that-s/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [“The Government of the United States neither confirms nor denies that I was an agent of theirs. That's a little something, anyway, that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-government-of-the-united-states-neither-confirms-nor-denies-that/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [No Child Left Behind widens the gap between the races more than any piece of educational legislation I've seen in 40 years. It denies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/no-child-left-behind-widens-the-gap-between-the-races-more-than-any/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Court a mistress, she denies you; let her alone, she will court you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/court-a-mistress-she-denies-you-let-her-alone-she-will-court-you/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [The more a man denies himself, the more shall he obtain from God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/the-more-a-man-denies-himself-the-more-shall-he-obtain-from-god/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Everybody denies I am a genius - but nobody ever called me one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-welles/everybody-denies-i-am-a-genius-but-nobody-ever-called-me-one/) [Orson Welles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-welles/) > [We resent all criticism which denies us anything that lies in our line of advance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/we-resent-all-criticism-which-denies-us-anything-that-lies-in-our/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Real or not, when a person denies God, they often try and fill that higher power void with something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-crowder/real-or-not-when-a-person-denies-god-they-often-try-and-fill-that/) [Steven Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-crowder/) > [“One who denies the truth cannot go anywhere because he cannot face anything, starting from the many difficulties one already has where one is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-soriano/one-who-denies-the-truth-cannot-go-anywhere-because-he-cannot-face/) [Jocelyn Soriano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-soriano/) > [Each one should realize there is nothing in (us) which denies that which (we) desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-holmes/each-one-should-realize-there-is-nothing-in-us-which-denies-that/) [Ernest Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-holmes/) > [“The Agnostic is one who asserts 'what no one denies' that there are limits to the sphere of human intelligence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/the-agnostic-is-one-who-asserts-what-no-one-denies-that-there-are/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [Whoever sets any bounds for the reconstructive power of the religious life over the social relations and institutions of men, to that extent denies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-rauschenbusch/whoever-sets-any-bounds-for-the-reconstructive-power-of-the-religious/) [Walter Rauschenbusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-rauschenbusch/) > [The truly faithless one is the one who makes love to only a fraction of you. And denies the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/the-truly-faithless-one-is-the-one-who-makes-love-to-only-a-fraction/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“Don’t you think it’s a little sick the way that most of the culture denies death? It’s there all the time, and most people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-cook-brendan-halpin/don-t-you-think-it-s-a-little-sick-the-way-that-most-of-the-culture/) [Trish Cook, Brendan Halpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-cook-brendan-halpin/) ## More by Susan Forward > [“Instead of promoting healthy development, they unconsciously undermine it, often with the belief that they are acting in their child’s best interest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/instead-of-promoting-healthy-development-they-unconsciously-undermine/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [Criticism is the fountainhead of control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/criticism-is-the-fountainhead-of-control/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [“It’s amazing how people can change behind closed doors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/it-s-amazing-how-people-can-change-behind-closed-doors/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [“The initial disappointment for the misogynist usually occurs early in the relationship. However, because there is so much excitement and romance going on, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/the-initial-disappointment-for-the-misogynist-usually-occurs-early-in/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [“Reality Check His lying is not contigent on who you are or what you do. His lying is not your fault. Lying is his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/reality-check-his-lying-is-not-contigent-on-who-you-are-or-what-you/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [“Many misogynists use this method of turning the tables to deflect blame from themselves. They may say: "You are too sensitive"; "You're overreacting"; "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/many-misogynists-use-this-method-of-turning-the-tables-to-deflect/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [“Children expect different things from each parent. Traditionally, the mother is expected to protect and defend the children, while the father is seen as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/children-expect-different-things-from-each-parent-traditionally-the/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [“Our laws and institutions concerning women's rights and male prerogatives are changing, but many men still believe that their masculine image depends on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/our-laws-and-institutions-concerning-women-s-rights-and-male/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [“As children, because of our dependency, we experience a sense of being powerless in a world of powerful people. If our home environments are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/as-children-because-of-our-dependency-we-experience-a-sense-of-being/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [“Some misogynists do not resort to the obvious cruelty of scare tactics and screamed insults to gain control of their partners. Instead of raising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/some-misogynists-do-not-resort-to-the-obvious-cruelty-of-scare/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [“Children from high-drama households often grow up with the idea that tension is an integral part of love. Therefore, the girl who grows up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/children-from-high-drama-households-often-grow-up-with-the-idea-that/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [“Anger is a normal human emotion and all children experience it to some degree, but many parents have difficulty dealing with it. Often they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/anger-is-a-normal-human-emotion-and-all-children-experience-it-to/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [When your lover is a liar, you and he have a lot in common, you're both lying to you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/when-your-lover-is-a-liar-you-and-he-have-a-lot-in-common-you-re-both/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [“Women in troubled marriages frequently try to work out their problems through their children. Whether a woman does this through the extremes of overwhelming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/women-in-troubled-marriages-frequently-try-to-work-out-their-problems/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [“Inherent in his fear of this dependency is the equally dreadful fear that she will leave him. His terrors of being alone, of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/inherent-in-his-fear-of-this-dependency-is-the-equally-dreadful-fear/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) [Explore all 102 Susan Forward quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) ## More Denial quotes > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [A mistake doesnt make you a fool, but denying it surely makes you one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-mistake-doesnt-make-you-a-fool-but-denying-it-surely-makes-you-one/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [It is through suppression that hells are formed in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/it-is-through-suppression-that-hells-are-formed-in-us/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [Atheist’s denial of God’s existence needs just as much substantiation as does the theist’s claim; the atheist must give plausible reasons for rejecting God’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-copan/atheist-s-denial-of-god-s-existence-needs-just-as-much-substantiation/) [Paul Copan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-copan/) > [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [What you try to bury just ends up burying you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wagner/what-you-try-to-bury-just-ends-up-burying-you/) [Jane Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wagner/) > [Its up to any government to decide how to react to the denial of basic human rights anywhere in the world, including Egypt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/its-up-to-any-government-to-decide-how-to-react-to-the-denial-of/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Living in denial only makes finding the truth that much harder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-f/living-in-denial-only-makes-finding-the-truth-that-much-harder/) [Jules F](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-f/) > [Sanity can take one of only two forms: that of ignorance, or denial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-r-audette/sanity-can-take-one-of-only-two-forms-that-of-ignorance-or-denial/) [Derek R. Audette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-r-audette/) > [Denial leads to closure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marwin-machiaveli/denial-leads-to-closure/) [Aruho Marwin Machiaveli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marwin-machiaveli/) > [People are in denial all the time, hiding things. If I tell you a racist or dirty joke and you laugh, you're telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/people-are-in-denial-all-the-time-hiding-things-if-i-tell-you-a/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [It is not a question of who dances but of who or what does not dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/it-is-not-a-question-of-who-dances-but-of-who-or-what-does-not-dance/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [What’s looming in the shadows of our ignorance and denial is a critique of civilization itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lierre-keith/what-s-looming-in-the-shadows-of-our-ignorance-and-denial-is-a/) [Lierre Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lierre-keith/) > [“You can hold on to the smallest doubt and take comfort in it, stay in denial and go on with your carefree life, until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/you-can-hold-on-to-the-smallest-doubt-and-take-comfort-in-it-stay-in/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) [Browse all 1,463 Denial quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What is so distressing about the use of denial as a tactic is that you are left with nothing to deal with. 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