It's not about curing the disease, but healing the life; then the physical benefits come.
Bernie SiegelRead
I see people who die a few minutes after a doctor tells them there is no hope of a cure. They give up and go. Others get angry and find joy in proving the doctor wrong. Something within them is challenged and hopeful. Hope is the divine motivator.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Hope can significantly influence the human spirit and its ability to confront adversity.
This quote by Bernie Siegel highlights the profound impact that hope can have on a person's will to live. It suggests that while some individuals may succumb to despair after receiving a dire diagnosis, others harness their anger and resilience to challenge the prognosis, finding joy and purpose in their struggle. Hope is portrayed as a powerful, almost divine force that motivates individuals to persevere even in the face of difficult circumstances.
Themes
HopeResilienceMotivationLifeAdversity
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech to inspire cancer patients to fight their illness.
More from Bernie Siegel
All quotes →Diseases can be our spiritual flat tires - disruptions in our lives that seem to be disasters at the time but end by redirecting our lives in a meaningful way.
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It is astounding how much the immune system is strengthened by reducing daily mental stress levels with either visualization or meditation. The other great tonic for the immune system is love—loving ourselves as well as others.
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I truly feel the best doctors are ones who are criticized by nurses, patients and family. They do not make excuses and learn from their mistakes.
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Part of my evolution has been to learn how painful most people's childhoods are. They grow up not liking themselves, not loving themselves. Ask people if they were lovable the minute they were born, and watch them sit back and have to think about it. One lady said, 'I suppose so.' That's painful.
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Being a survivor doesn't mean being strong - it's telling people when you need a meal or a ride, company, whatever. It's paying attention to heart wisdom, feelings, not living a role, but having a unique, authentic life, having something to contribute, finding time to love and laugh. All these things are qualities of survivors.
Bernie SiegelRead
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