--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We know that mental illness is not…" description: "\"We know that mental illness is not something that happens to other people. It touches us all. Why then is mental illness met with so much misunderstand..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/tipper-gore-23738_fear_we-know-that-mental-illness-is-not-somet_2006656.jpg" --- # We know that mental illness is not something that happens… ![“We know that mental illness is not something that happens to other people. It touches us all. Why then is mental illness met with so much misunderstanding and fear?” quote by Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/tipper-gore-23738_fear_we-know-that-mental-illness-is-not-somet_2006656.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/tipper-gore-23738_fear_we-know-that-mental-illness-is-not-somet_2006656.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/tipper-gore-23738_fear_we-know-that-mental-illness-is-not-somet_2006656.jpg) > “We know that mental illness is not something that happens to other people. It touches us all. Why then is mental illness met with so much misunderstanding and fear?” [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mental illness affects everyone, yet stigma persists due to fear and misunderstanding. **In simple terms:** Illness is universal, stigma is not. Key Takeaway Promote empathy and education. Themes stigma mental health community Mood concerned determined Type advocacy informative When to use this quote - healthcare policy - family discussions - school curricula Key Concepts Social perception public health education Questions to Reflect On - Why do we fear what we don't understand? - How can we reduce stigma? A Different Perspective Changing attitudes takes time and systemic effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illness/) [Illness Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illness-happens-2248129/) [Illness Met](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illness-met-3561098/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Mental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental/) [Mental illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-illness/) [Mets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mets/) [Misunderstanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misunderstanding/) [Misunderstanding Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misunderstanding-fear-3561097/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [“But what happens if such a patient, say myself, for instance, has rarely if ever experienced a normal state of functioning? What happens if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-slater/but-what-happens-if-such-a-patient-say-myself-for-instance-has-rarely/) [Lauren Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-slater/) > [We cause our diseases. We are directly responsible for any illness that happens to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/we-cause-our-diseases-we-are-directly-responsible-for-any-illness/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [I didn't want to do a zoo show. I didn't want to do a study of someone with mental illness. I just wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-craig/i-didn-t-want-to-do-a-zoo-show-i-didn-t-want-to-do-a-study-of-someone/) [Daniel Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-craig/) > [I think that people do things for a reason - that we have mental illness, that we have genetic wiring that can get triggered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/i-think-that-people-do-things-for-a-reason-that-we-have-mental/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [“Having a mental illness is like riding a really fast merry-go-round that never stops. There's no escape. You're stuck. But once in a while,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassia-leo/having-a-mental-illness-is-like-riding-a-really-fast-merry-go-round/) [Cassia Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassia-leo/) > [I know that if I could really understand mental illness, then it would be appropriate to make a big career shift. I would become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-that-if-i-could-really-understand-mental-illness-then-it-would/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Physically, I'm healthy as a horse, always held up. But in the mental illness department, I got my share. It's just what I got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/physically-i-m-healthy-as-a-horse-always-held-up-but-in-the-mental/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [Finding a calm place inside myself through meditation kind of helped me to get over a lot of mental illness ... it's just been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/finding-a-calm-place-inside-myself-through-meditation-kind-of-helped/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [Mental illness is real, and I got them. I don't know if it's the multiple concussions or the lifestyle choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hall/mental-illness-is-real-and-i-got-them-i-don-t-know-if-it-s-the/) [Scott Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hall/) > [It seemed to me the basic definition of mental illness, this persistent, painful inability to simply be with someone else. It might be lifelong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-thompson/it-seemed-to-me-the-basic-definition-of-mental-illness-this/) [Tracy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-thompson/) > [I was hoping that I could say stuff about mental illness that maybe people didn't know. You know, speak up for bipolar disorder and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-millegan/i-was-hoping-that-i-could-say-stuff-about-mental-illness-that-maybe/) [Eric Millegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-millegan/) > [My father's very public life as Famous Amos was the opposite of that of his ex-wife, my mother Shirley, who was fighting a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-amos/my-father-s-very-public-life-as-famous-amos-was-the-opposite-of-that/) [Shawn Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-amos/) > [We do not have to visit a madhouse to find disordered minds; our planet is the mental institution of the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-do-not-have-to-visit-a-madhouse-to-find-disordered-minds-our/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [I think we need to talk about mental illness a lot more. People complain about tax dollars and say we don't have the money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-think-we-need-to-talk-about-mental-illness-a-lot-more-people/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) ## More by Tipper Gore > [It is better to give children a rule to break than to give them no rules at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/it-is-better-to-give-children-a-rule-to-break-than-to-give-them-no/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [We use tools such as email, not just as a way to keep in daily touch with family members who live in other cities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/we-use-tools-such-as-email-not-just-as-a-way-to-keep-in-daily-touch/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [Eating disorders can have serious medical and psychological consequences which, left unchecked, can kill. Parents should address this issue and ask their children to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/eating-disorders-can-have-serious-medical-and-psychological/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [Explicit material is available in a variety of forums - from popular music to television to the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/explicit-material-is-available-in-a-variety-of-forums-from-popular/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [I have long recognized a link between fitness and mental health and I think we need to encourage young people to take part in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/i-have-long-recognized-a-link-between-fitness-and-mental-health-and-i/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [Tensions exist in any free society. But the freedom we enjoy rests on a foundation of individual liberty and shared moral values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/tensions-exist-in-any-free-society-but-the-freedom-we-enjoy-rests-on/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [As an avid photographer, I also took advantage of the latest technology in photography - digital photography - to post photos on my website…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/as-an-avid-photographer-i-also-took-advantage-of-the-latest/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [I really don't sit here and dream what life in the White House will be like. I just can't go beyond the point when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/i-really-don-t-sit-here-and-dream-what-life-in-the-white-house-will/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [It was an idea we had when Al was in the Senate - to organize and moderate an annual conference that would look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/it-was-an-idea-we-had-when-al-was-in-the-senate-to-organize-and/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [Our society's strong emphasis on dieting and self-image can sometimes lead to eating disorders. We know that more than 5 million Americans suffer from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/our-society-s-strong-emphasis-on-dieting-and-self-image-can-sometimes/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [These are all voluntary resources which help parents sort out the choices without infringing on the artists rights to free speech, which is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/these-are-all-voluntary-resources-which-help-parents-sort-out-the/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [People of all political persuasions - conservatives, moderates, and liberals alike - need to dedicate themselves once again to preserving the moral foundation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/people-of-all-political-persuasions-conservatives-moderates-and/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [I wanted to play drums, and I got a set when I was 14 and just started to play in the house, to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/i-wanted-to-play-drums-and-i-got-a-set-when-i-was-14-and-just-started/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [The dilemma for society is how to preserve personal and family values in a nation of diverse tastes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/the-dilemma-for-society-is-how-to-preserve-personal-and-family-values/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [Your talking to someone who really understands rock music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/your-talking-to-someone-who-really-understands-rock-music/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) [Explore all 25 Tipper Gore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) ## More Fear quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) > [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/) [M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/) > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) [Nagisa Tatsumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagisa-tatsumi/) > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. 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