---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In my experience, people's sorrows are…"
description: "\"“In my experience, people's sorrows are always in danger of bursting out; it's only through careful inattention that they can be contained.”\" — Suzanne..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/suzanne-berne-54261_grief_in-my-experience-people-s-sorrows-are-al_81609.jpg"
---

#  In my experience, people's sorrows are always in danger of…

![“In my experience, people's sorrows are always in danger of bursting out; it's only through careful inattention that they can be contained.” quote by Suzanne Berne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/suzanne-berne-54261_grief_in-my-experience-people-s-sorrows-are-al_81609.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/suzanne-berne-54261_grief_in-my-experience-people-s-sorrows-are-al_81609.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/suzanne-berne-54261_grief_in-my-experience-people-s-sorrows-are-al_81609.jpg)

> ““In my experience, people's sorrows are always in danger of bursting out; it's only through careful inattention that they can be contained.””

[Suzanne Berne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-berne/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Emotions, especially grief, tend to surface unless one deliberately diverts attention, allowing them to stay suppressed.

**In simple terms:** Suppressing sorrow requires deliberate distraction.

Key Takeaway

Unattended grief erupts.

Themes

Emotion regulation Grief Psychology Coping mechanisms Self-awareness

Mood

Reflective Somber

Type

Philosophical Observational

When to use this quote

- Therapeutic sessions
- Personal journaling
- High-stress work environments
- Bereavement support groups

Key Concepts

Emotional suppression Attention diversion Inner conflict

Practical Applications

- Counseling techniques
- Mindfulness practices

Questions to Reflect On

- How does intentional distraction affect long-term emotional health?
- Can suppression ever be beneficial?

A Different Perspective

Some argue that confronting sorrow directly leads to healthier processing than avoidance.

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[Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/)

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> [That Woman is in love with her own grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/that-woman-is-in-love-with-her-own-grief/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [Suppressed grief suffocates, it rages within the breast, and is forced to multiply its strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/suppressed-grief-suffocates-it-rages-within-the-breast-and-is-forced/)

[Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/)

> [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/)

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> [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/)

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[Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/)

> [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/)

[Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/)

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[Brian Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-morton/)

## More by Suzanne Berne

> [“He knew he was not making enough of an effort. Margaret, with her news, her reports and small jokes, her flying starts at conversation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-berne/he-knew-he-was-not-making-enough-of-an-effort-margaret-with-her-news/)

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> [“He was a true voluptuary, in his own modest way, with a voluptuary’s genius for softening the world around him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-berne/he-was-a-true-voluptuary-in-his-own-modest-way-with-a-voluptuary-s/)

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[Suzanne Berne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-berne/)

> [“Where do you get your ideas?' people are always asking authors they admire, which I’ve always thought was another way of asking, 'How did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-berne/where-do-you-get-your-ideas-people-are-always-asking-authors-they/)

[Suzanne Berne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-berne/)

[Explore all 6 Suzanne Berne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-berne/)

## More Grief quotes

> [“...they had lived, they'd lived intensely. But no matter how deeply you live, it comes to this in the end: one of you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-morton/they-had-lived-they-d-lived-intensely-but-no-matter-how-deeply-you/)

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[Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/)

> [That Woman is in love with her own grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/that-woman-is-in-love-with-her-own-grief/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/)

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> [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

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> [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/)

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[Browse all 8,012 Grief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/)

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