It is infinitely better to transplant a heart than to bury it to be devoured by worms.
Christiaan BarnardRead
Suffering isn't ennobling, recovery is.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Suffering may not make us better, but the process of recovering from it can lead to personal growth.
This quote emphasizes that while suffering is an inevitable part of life, it does not inherently elevate a person's character or situation. Instead, it is the journey of recovery and healing that can foster resilience, strength, and a deeper understanding of oneself, highlighting the transformative power of overcoming adversity.
Themes
SufferingRecoveryGrowthResilienceAdversity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about overcoming challenges at a motivational event.
More from Christiaan Barnard
All quotes βFor a dying man it is not a difficult decision [to agree to become the world's first heart transplant] ... because he knows he is at the end. If a lion chases you to the bank of a river filled with crocodiles, you will leap into the water convinced you have a chance to swim to the other side. But you would not accept such odds if there were no lion.
Christiaan BarnardRead
Similar quotes
We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy. (10)
Pema ChodronRead
All the things you're not supposed to do at the beginning of your professional life - transgressiveness, arbitrariness and violating expectations - you find more attractive at the end of your professional life.
Milton GlaserRead
You have to know who you are to grow to your potential. But you have to grow in order to know who you are.
John C. MaxwellRead
Like a bird with broken wing_x000D_ _x000D_ that has traveled through wind for years . . ._x000D_ _x000D_ I sleep and my heart stays awake . . .
Giorgos SeferisRead
The great person never loses a childlike spirit.
MenciusRead
When what you read elevates your mind and fills you with noble aspirations, look for no other rule by which to judge a book; it is good, and is the work of a master-hand.
Jean De La BruyereRead