"If you don't love it, you can't suffer thru all the despair that comes with it. Keep doing it because you love it"
About this Quote
Stack’s intent is blunt: love isn’t a bonus; it’s the only fuel that can metabolize pain. The subtext is even harsher. If you’re in it for status, money, or the fantasy of being “chosen,” you’ll quit the first time the business reminds you you’re disposable. Acting (and most creative work) offers an intimacy with judgment: auditions where you’re evaluated in minutes, roles you almost got, reviews that reduce months of labor to a snide adjective. “Suffer thru” sounds unvarnished, almost un-literary, which is exactly why it works; it refuses the romantic language people use to dress up burnout.
Context matters: Stack’s career spanned studio-era machinery, TV’s rise, and late-career iconic hosting on Unsolved Mysteries. He’d seen reinvention, invisibility, and the relentlessness of staying employable. “Keep doing it because you love it” isn’t motivational poster optimism; it’s a warning label. Love, here, is not passion as sparkle. It’s commitment sturdy enough to absorb despair without turning it into self-hatred.
Quote Details
| Topic | Perseverance |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Stack, Robert. (2026, January 16). If you don't love it, you can't suffer thru all the despair that comes with it. Keep doing it because you love it. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-you-dont-love-it-you-cant-suffer-thru-all-the-97048/
Chicago Style
Stack, Robert. "If you don't love it, you can't suffer thru all the despair that comes with it. Keep doing it because you love it." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-you-dont-love-it-you-cant-suffer-thru-all-the-97048/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"If you don't love it, you can't suffer thru all the despair that comes with it. Keep doing it because you love it." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-you-dont-love-it-you-cant-suffer-thru-all-the-97048/. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.













