--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We cannot be free of nagging desires…" description: "\"We cannot be free of nagging desires through suppression. This is like trying to keep a rubber boat beneath the water. But we remove compulsive desires..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/vernon-howard-2173_boat_we-cannot-be-free-of-nagging-desires-thr_1014299.png" --- # We cannot be free of nagging desires through suppression… ![“We cannot be free of nagging desires through suppression. This is like trying to keep a rubber boat beneath the water. But we remove compulsive desires altogether by understanding their nature.” quote by Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/vernon-howard-2173_boat_we-cannot-be-free-of-nagging-desires-thr_1014299.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/vernon-howard-2173_boat_we-cannot-be-free-of-nagging-desires-thr_1014299.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/vernon-howard-2173_boat_we-cannot-be-free-of-nagging-desires-thr_1014299.png) > “We cannot be free of nagging desires through suppression. This is like trying to keep a rubber boat beneath the water. But we remove compulsive desires altogether by understanding their nature.” [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suppressing desires fails; true freedom comes from understanding and removing them. **In simple terms:** Understanding desires frees you. Key Takeaway Study the nature of cravings to release them. Themes selfcontrol desire mindfulness freedom psychology Mood reflective calm Type self‑help spiritual When to use this quote - addiction recovery - stress management - personal development - habit formation Key Concepts cognitive therapy spirituality behavioral change Questions to Reflect On - How can you differentiate healthy and compulsive desires? - What practices help you examine desire? A Different Perspective Understanding alone may not stop powerful urges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Suppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suppression/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) ## Related quotes > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [“They had perfected their team nagging to a level where they no longer had to confer and felt they would be wasting their talents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/they-had-perfected-their-team-nagging-to-a-level-where-they-no-longer/) [Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/) > [The weather's cold. My club's bad. My knee hurts. I can't putt no more. I'm off my diet. My wife is nagging me. Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-zimmer/the-weather-s-cold-my-club-s-bad-my-knee-hurts-i-can-t-putt-no-more-i/) [Don Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-zimmer/) > [Some guys refer to their wife as the old ball 'n chain. I refer to mine as the old nagging cunt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/some-guys-refer-to-their-wife-as-the-old-ball-n-chain-i-refer-to-mine/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“Another nagging little question lodged like a bit of grapeshot in his chest. It was nothing major, but the place where he stored them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/another-nagging-little-question-lodged-like-a-bit-of-grapeshot-in-his/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [I am thrilled. I love movies. I don't have those nagging, regretful feelings about either of them, it is a miracle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/i-am-thrilled-i-love-movies-i-don-t-have-those-nagging-regretful/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [At the end of the day, not everyone's going to like what you do. There's always going to be that one person, or many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skai-jackson/at-the-end-of-the-day-not-everyone-s-going-to-like-what-you-do-there/) [Skai Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skai-jackson/) > [“He'd gotten this far on bravado and the time honored tradition of ignoring any inconvenient nagging thoughts, but it wasn't working so well now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-langlois/he-d-gotten-this-far-on-bravado-and-the-time-honored-tradition-of/) Michael Langlois > [Perhaps, as we say in America, I wanted to find myself. This is an interesting phrase, not current as far as I know in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/perhaps-as-we-say-in-america-i-wanted-to-find-myself-this-is-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Senator John McCain, who spent over five years in a Vietnamese POW camp, publicly releases 1,000 pages of medical records. Now people are left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/senator-john-mccain-who-spent-over-five-years-in-a-vietnamese-pow/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [I date this girl for two years-and then the nagging starts: 'I wanna know your name...'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-binder/i-date-this-girl-for-two-years-and-then-the-nagging-starts-i-wanna/) [Mike Binder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-binder/) > [Man will have replicated his own intelligence not when he teaches a computer to reason but when he teaches a computer to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/man-will-have-replicated-his-own-intelligence-not-when-he-teaches-a/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [A good man likes a hard boss. I don't mean a nagging boss or a grouchy boss. I mean a boss who insists on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/a-good-man-likes-a-hard-boss-i-don-t-mean-a-nagging-boss-or-a-grouchy/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [I'm not that kind of wife who would say, 'Learn this' or 'Learn that.' I'm not a nagging wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melania-trump/i-m-not-that-kind-of-wife-who-would-say-learn-this-or-learn-that-i-m/) [Melania Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melania-trump/) > [“Harping should be limited to musical instruments. - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/harping-should-be-limited-to-musical-instruments-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) ## More by Vernon Howard > [“A self-working individual will be sitting around home one day when the startling thought occurs, “Here I am, sitting around, doing nothing of interest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/a-self-working-individual-will-be-sitting-around-home-one-day-when/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The terrible immoralities are the cunning ones hiding behind masks of morality, such as exploiting people while pretending to help them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-terrible-immoralities-are-the-cunning-ones-hiding-behind-masks-of/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [No one on earth can hurt you, unless you accept the hurt in your own mind. . . The problem is not other people;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/no-one-on-earth-can-hurt-you-unless-you-accept-the-hurt-in-your-own/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [To change what you get you must change who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/to-change-what-you-get-you-must-change-who-you-are/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Genuine kindness is not what we do, it is what we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/genuine-kindness-is-not-what-we-do-it-is-what-we-are/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [When told that man lives in delusion everyone thinks of himself as the exception; hence his delusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-everyone-thinks-of-himself-as/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [It is against the law to permit weak people to steal your strength. Never permit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/it-is-against-the-law-to-permit-weak-people-to-steal-your-strength/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Men have the illusion of having a duty to make the world spin properly, which is precisely what makes it wobble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/men-have-the-illusion-of-having-a-duty-to-make-the-world-spin/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Just as surely as distress must follow self-deceit, healing must follow self-honesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/just-as-surely-as-distress-must-follow-self-deceit-healing-must/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Quit thinking that you must halt before the barrier of inner negativity. You need not. You can crash through... whatever we see a negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/quit-thinking-that-you-must-halt-before-the-barrier-of-inner/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [One false idea is that anyone can hurt you. Events can ruin your reputation, take your money, mistreat you, revenge itself upon you, deceive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/one-false-idea-is-that-anyone-can-hurt-you-events-can-ruin-your/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Don't try to be unafraid. That is impossible. Rather, go ahead while being afraid. That is the entire secret for abolishing fear. The Supermind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/don-t-try-to-be-unafraid-that-is-impossible-rather-go-ahead-while/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The only way to do something truly important every day is to seek to understand yourself every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-only-way-to-do-something-truly-important-every-day-is-to-seek-to/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Make it absolutely clear to yourself what you want from other people. That is really half the secret for drawing your desire to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/make-it-absolutely-clear-to-yourself-what-you-want-from-other-people/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The only reason you do not do great things is because you timidly cling to small things. Will you let loose of small things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-only-reason-you-do-not-do-great-things-is-because-you-timidly/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) [Explore all 181 Vernon Howard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) ## More Boat quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. 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I don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/something-i-like-to-do-a-lot-is-just-sit-by-water-when-there-s-a/) [Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/) > [The trouble is, you can't properly present something you don't believe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mcguane/the-trouble-is-you-can-t-properly-present-something-you-don-t-believe/) [Thomas McGuane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mcguane/) > [You know how this is: if I look at the crystal moon, at the red branch of the slow autumn at my window, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/you-know-how-this-is-if-i-look-at-the-crystal-moon-at-the-red-branch/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [A film is a boat which is always on the point of sinking-it always tends to break up as you go along and drag…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-truffaut/a-film-is-a-boat-which-is-always-on-the-point-of-sinking-it-always/) [Francois Truffaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-truffaut/) > [I took one guitar lesson, and they wanted me to play 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' or 'Michael Row the Boat Ashore,' and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-took-one-guitar-lesson-and-they-wanted-me-to-play-mary-had-a-little/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [I was 35 years old and in a position to take a shot at whatever I wanted to try. 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