"The moment an ill can be patiently handled, it is disarmed of its poison, though not of its pain"
- Henry Ward Beecher
About this Quote
This quote by Henry Ward Beecher speaks with the power of perseverance in the face of adversity. It suggests that when we are able to approach a disease or difficult situation with persistence, we can disarm it of its power to cause us harm. While the discomfort of the scenario may still stay, the toxin of it can be neutralized. This is a suggestion that we have the power to take control of our lives and our responses to tight spots. By taking an action back and approaching the scenario with perseverance, we can remove its power to cause us damage. This quote encourages us to take a deep breath and technique our problems with persistence and understanding.
"Chemotherapy isn't good for you. So when you feel bad, as I am feeling now, you think, 'Well that is a good thing because it's supposed to be poison. If it's making the tumor feel this queasy, then I'm OK with it.'"
"I am especially grateful, however, to have known the fifties, before we began to poison our own civilization - or at least before the effects of the poison began to be felt"
"When I go to the clinic next and sit with a tube in my arm and watch the poison go in, I'm in an attitude of abject passivity. It doesn't feel like fighting at all; it just feels like submitting"
