M. Scott Peck Quotes

The more you get past pain, the more it goes from coal to diamond.

A life without problems would be a barren existence, without the opportunity for spiritual growth.

I went through so many things personally, emotionally and mentally during that time off that I know that I'm better for it now and I think I'm a better athlete because of that.

I think there's a great beauty to having problems. That's one of the ways we learn.

Life experience is what defines our character, even if it means getting your heart broken or being lied to. You know, you need the downs to appreciate the ups. Going on the adventure or taking that risk is important.

I know those challenges that come up from time to time in life are our little learning tools, our little steppingstones. If we didn't have those things in our life, how would we learn anything? We would just be walking around like nothing. We need those obstacles in our life because I know one thing - I'm a much better person for them.

Our whole life is set up in the path of least resistance. We don't want to suffer. We don't want to feel discomfort. So the whole time, we're living our lives in a very comfortable area. There's no growth in that.

I get why we don't want to be in pain, but there's something very essential about what happens when we're in pain and some of the growth that can come from it if we stare at it straight in the face.

If something is going on and you are struggling, embrace it. You are growing.

It is tough: sometimes the pain that you feel makes you grow.

You can't lead a true life without suffering

Pain is a teacher from whom we can learn much.

Most very successful people can remember that their success was discovered and built out of adversity of some kind. It's not the problems that beset us-problems are surprisingly pretty much the same for millions of others-it's how we react to problems that determines not only our degree of growth and maturity but our future success-and, perhaps, much of our health.

The beast that bears you fastest to perfection is suffering.

We are only as great as our struggles. We only become who we are in the face of them.

The next time you encounter a difficult obstacle or problem, you should smile and say, 'Here's my chance to grow.'

There is a big difference between hurt and harm. We all hurt sometimes in facing hard truths, but it makes us grow. It can be the source of huge growth. That is not harmful. Harm is when you damage someone. Facing reality is usually not a damaging experience, even though it can hurt.

There is no growth if there is no change. There is no change if there is no loss. There is no loss if there is no pain.

...We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure and time. Less time is crystal. Less than that is coal. Less than that is fossilized leaves. Less than that it's just plain dirt. In all my work, in the movies I write, the lyrics the poetry, the prose, the essays, I am saying that we may encounter many defeats - maybe it's imperative that we encounter the defeats - but we are much stronger than we appear to be and maybe much better than we allow ourselves to be.

Be patient and tough; someday this pain will be useful to you.

Early happiness handicaps people. I do not regret having been profoundly unhappy.

Spiritual growth thrives in the midst of our problems, not in their absence. Spiritual growth occurs in the trenches of life, not in the classroom.

I am certain that I never did grow in grace one-half so much anywhere as I have upon the bed of pain.

You build inner strength through embracing the totality of your experience, both the delightful parts and the difficult parts.

Those periods of struggling to overcome challenges are what people find to be the most enjoyable times.