‘Every cloud has a silver lining’ — a phrase you’ve probably heard more times than you can count.

‘When one door closes, another one opens’ — now there’s another classic. 

These idioms impart the idea that when we’re met with misfortune we must step back, survey the situation objectively, and find the hidden positives. It’s a really useful ethos to live by. However, sometimes actually putting it into practice can be difficult. If a door that we really wanted to go through closes, it can be hard to have the presence of mind to look around for, or even notice, the other doors. This is because we are human — we have emotions and feelings, ambitions and desires — we’re not robots who can just immediately pivot to the next program.

Every Cloud… Photo by Simone Viani on Unsplash

This is where ‘using the difficulty’ comes in. It may not be as neatly rounded as the aforementioned phrases, but it shines because it speaks to the actual process, the usable actions that will get you to that new door, or help you see that silver lining. 

The Origins of “Use the Difficulty”

The phrase “use the difficulty” has a rather unlikely source. While, of course, the idea itself is not new, with roots in all kinds of philosophy, it was perfectly distilled by the British actor Michael Caine in a 2002 TV interview. Caine, when asked about his philosophy for life, unleashed far more wisdom than was probably expected for a light entertainment chat show. He told the host Michael Parkinson;

(From the Michael Parkinson Interview, 2002)

“Yes. Use the difficulty….Well, I got it from…I was rehearsing a play when I was a very young actor, and I had to come in this scene — it was a stage play. I’m behind the flats waiting to open the door. There was an improvised scene between a husband and wife going on inside, and then they got carried away and they started throwing things and he threw a chair, and it lodged in the doorway.

And I went to open the door and I just got my head round and I said, “I’m sorry Sir, I can’t get in” and he said, “what do you mean?” “There’s a chair there”. He said to me, “Use the difficulty”. I said, “what do you mean?” He said, “well if it’s a comedy fall over it, if it’s a drama pick it up and smash it!” He said, “Use the difficulty”.

Now I took that into my own life. You ask my children. Anything bad happens they go, “we’ve got to use the difficulty, how can we work…what can we get out of this…” you know? Use the difficulty. And so, there’s never anything so bad that you cannot use that difficulty. If you can use it a quarter of one percent to your advantage you’re ahead, you didn’t let it get you down. You know? That’s my philosophy. Use the difficulty. Also, added philosophy is avoid them if you can!”

The Importance of Learning to Adapt

Of course, Caine’s initial application of the idea reflects his career as an actor. However, this philosophy speaks to all corners of life. When something is dumped in your path, do you stop and become paralyzed, like a Sim waving their hands at a wall? Or do you use this obstacle as a new jumping off-point? Having a rigid idea of how things should go can actually be a hindrance. Learning how to be agile, adaptable, and actually use the current that is pushing against you can help you to find new (and potentially better!) opportunities that you may never have considered before. 

Think of the very concept of martial arts like judo or jiu-jitsu. They advocate using your opponent’s strength and momentum to overpower them. It’s about diverting their energy and harnessing it as your own.

Sure, as Caine says winkingly, it’s best to “avoid” the difficulty if you can — but knowing you could “use” it if necessary is immeasurably empowering. 

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Is the Universe Trying to Tell You Something?

Sometimes, if you keep meeting difficulties, it could be that more significant change is needed. Depending on how you feel about ‘fate’, ‘destiny’, ‘the stars’ etc. you may give varying amounts of credence to the idea that the universe is ‘trying to tell you something’. In this case, you might see ‘difficulties’ as signs that you need to change path completely, rather than find different routes to your previous goal. If something is this hard, maybe it’s just not right — be it a relationship, a job, or a project. 

More often however, it is about looking around, reassessing and adapting, rather than completely changing paths. By becoming more practiced at “using the difficulty” you will begin to see more clearly what a situation calls for. If you have trust in your capabilities, you will grow to know whether a setback calls for a slight readjustment, a pivot, or a total restart. 

How We Can “Use the Difficulty” in the Psilocybin Realm

Learning how to “use the difficulty” is essential within the world of psychedelia too, where the messages that the universe sends us can become much clearer. As amazing and transformative as a psychedelic trip can be, it is baked into the journey that you may occasionally hit upon difficulties, vulnerabilities, and psychic roadblocks. 

Of course as Caine says, it is best to try and “avoid” the difficulty altogether, if you can. In terms of psilocybin trips, this is done by: 

Ticking off these main points can help you to ensure your shroom trip goes without a hitch, and that you get to experience the full magic of a psychedelic experience. 

Research Shows ‘Bad’ Trips Can Have Positive Effects Long-Term

But, as in all other areas of life, difficulties can occasionally arise even if you have made all the necessary preparations. It’s no one’s fault. It’s just the universe chucking you one of its famous curveballs. 

“Using the difficulty” during a magic mushroom trip comes down to going with the flow. Once you have embarked upon your journey you have to see it through to the end (i.e. when the effects wear off.) So if the ‘flow’ becomes choppy, it’s in your best interests to ride it out like a champ. And, while it is reassuring (not to mention cool!) that studies have found that even ‘bad trips’ have measurable positive effects on an individual after the fact, that’s not going to have you jumping for joy while you’re actually going through one.

Working with the Spectrum of Experience

Research has found that coming to a psychedelic trip in a state of surrender can lead to more mystical experiences, and long-term beneficial outcomes. By not panicking when a roadblock appears before us, we can move with the power of the mushroom. Unlike some situations in life, you cannot run away from a psychedelic experience once it has started. By “staying with the difficulty” rather than throwing up our hands and panicking, we give grace to both ourselves, and the mystical journey we have chosen to embark upon. 


We cannot say why challenging or ‘bad’ trips happen, anymore than we can say why bad things happen in the world. Bad and good, light and dark, pleasure and pain, these elements all exist along a spectrum, and though at opposite ends, are intertwined. We cannot imagine one without the other. With this in mind, “using the difficulty” acts as a method for taking agency and power in a situation — anywhere along the spectrum — for yourself, and for your future.