Best despair & self Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings

“To disguise nothing, to conceal nothing, to write about those things that are closest to our pain, our happiness; to write about our sexual clumsiness, the agonies of Tantalus, the depth of our discouragement-what we glimpse in our dreams-our despair. To write about the foolish agonies of anxiety, the refreshment of our strength when these are ended; to write about our painful search for self, jeopardized by a stranger in the post office, a half-seen face in a train window, to write about the continents and populations of our dreams, about love and death, good and evil, the end of the world.”

“Atrocities are now shown in 30-second bites. Hardcore artistic horror is an expression of hating your neighbour. The gruesome imagination feeds on vanity, lust, self-indulgence and despair, rather than the hope of the Holy Spirit. The Body of Christ needs to look and repent of our own fallenness.... Whatever arena Christians withdraw from goes to hell.”

“The main trouble with despair is that it is self-fulfilling.”

Self Trouble Despair Fulfilling

Author:Norman Cousins

“The will to power is the will to ecstasy is the will to surrender is the will to submit and, in extremis, to die. Or to put it another way, the rage to attain a freedom and happiness one's psyche cannot accept creates enormous anxiety and ends in self-punishing despair.”

Way Ends Self Dies Accepting Despair Anxiety Rage Surrender Enormous Ecstasy Submit Another Way Will Power Freedom And Happiness

Author:Ellen Willis

“The messages our kids receive from teachers, coaches--and even, with the best intentions, from us - can push them toward pride or despair...toward self-righteousness or self-hatred.”

Self Kids Teacher Pride Despair Messages Hatred Intention Coaches Righteousness Self Hatred Self Righteousness Best Intentions

Book:Sidney and Norman: A Tale of Two Pigs

Source: Sidney and Norman: A Tale of Two Pigs

“A well-developed sense of self is a necessary if not sufficient condition of your well-being. Its presence does not guarantee fulfillment, but its absence guarantees some measure of anxiety, frustration, or despair.”

Ifs Wells Doe Self Conditions Despair Anxiety Absence Well Being Fulfillment Sufficient Guarantees Frustration Sense Of Self

Book:Nathaniel Brandens Self-Esteem Every Day: Reflections on Self-Esteem and Spirituality

Source: Nathaniel Brandens Self-Esteem Every Day: Reflections on Self-Esteem and Spirituality

“The main trouble with despair is that it is self-fulfilling. People who fear the worst tend to invite it. Heads that are down can't scan the horizon for new openings. Bursts of energy do not spring from a spirit of defeat. Ultimately, helplessness leads to hopelessness.”

People Self Spirit Energy Trouble Worst Despair Spring Defeat Opening Horizon Invites Fulfilling Hopelessness Helplessness

Author:Norman Cousins

“Writers matter in a society to the extent that we can help that society hear its unvoiced longing, encounter its erased and disregarded selves, break with complacency, numbness, despair.”

Self Matter Helping Break Despair Longing Encounters Complacency Numbness Disregarded

Author:Adrienne Rich

“Question of "Where We Begin" turns to be not only a formal question but also a question central to the attempt to make sense of things about which it is very difficult to make any sense - illness, death, despair, suicides, cruelty, the various troubles love can provoke, our inability to really know one another when we our inner selves are walled off by our bodies.”

Knows Self Body Turns Difficult Trouble Despair Suicide Illness Various Cruelty Make Sense Provoking Formal Inability Inner Self

Author:Kyle Minor

“As long as a man is persuaded that he can make even the smallest contribution to his salvation, he remains self-confident and does not utterly despair of himself, and so is not humbled before God. Such a man plans out for himself a position, an occasion, a work, which shall bring him final salvation, but which will not.”

Men Long Doe Self Plans Position Despair Remains Salvation Finals Occasions Contribution Smallest Self Confident

Author:Martin Luther

“For sex to be wholly satisfying, we must have at least as much concern for a partner as for self - a requirement that doesn't live comfortably alongside the exhortation to 'do your own thing.' In the end, we are left with an extraordinarily heightened set of expectations about the possibilities in human relationships that lives side by side with disillusion that, for many, borders on despair.”

Humans Ends Self Left Sex Sides Possibility Despair Expectations Concern Partners Borders Satisfying Requirements Human Relations Human Relationships Disillusion

Book:Erotic Wars: What Happened to the Sexual Revolution?

Source: Erotic Wars: What Happened to the Sexual Revolution?

“Adolescents swing from euphoric self-confidence and a kind of narcissistic strength in which they feel invulnerable and even immortal, to despair, self-emptiness, self-deprecation. At the same time they seem to see an emerging self that is unique and wonderful, they suffer an intense envy which tears narcissism into shreds, and makes other people's qualities hit them like an attack of lasers.”

“Violence is a cleansing force. It frees the native from his inferiority complex and from his despair and inaction; it makes him fearless and restores his self-respect”

Self Force Violence Despair Complexes Fearless Self Respect Native Inaction Inferiority Cleansing Inferiority Complex

Book:Damnés de la terre

Source: Damnés de la terre

“Subordination to morality can be slavish or vain or self- interested or resigned or gloomily enthusiastic or thoughtless or an act of despair, just as subordination to a prince can be: in itself it is nothing moral.”

Self Moral Morality Despair Vain Enthusiastic Resigned Subordination

Author:Friedrich Nietzsche

“To face the realities of our lives is not a reason for despair-despair is a tool of your enemies. Facing the realities of our lives gives us motivation for action. For you are not powerless... You know why the hard questions must be asked. It is not altruism, it is self-preservation-survival.”

Knows Giving Self Hard Reason Reality Action Faces Life Is Motivation Enemy Our Lives Despair Survival Tools Altruism Preservation Powerless Self Preservation Hard Questions

Author:Audre Lorde

“I can never suppose this country so far lost to all ideas of self-importance as to be willing to grant America independence; if that could ever be adopted I shall despair of this country being ever preserved from a state of inferiority and consequently falling into a very low class among the European States.”

Ifs I Can Ideas Self Country States America Fall Lost Class Willing Despair Lows Importance Independence Grants Adopted Inferiority Self-importance

Author:George III

“Once a person has taken their life, in the inner realms, the suicide will repeat automatically the feelings of despair and fear which preceded his self murder, and go through the act and the death struggle time after time with ghastly persistence... They remain conscious - often entangled in the final scene of the earth life for a very long time, unaware that they have lost the physical body.”

Persons Long Self Feelings Body Earth Lost Struggle Taken Scene Despair Long Time Conscious Murder Suicide Finals Persistence Realms Repeats Physical Body Ghastly Earth Life

Author:Annie Besant

“I write, and I feel how the correct and precise use of words is sometimes like a remedy to an illness. Like a contraption for purifying the air, I breathe in and exhale the murkiness and manipulations of linguistic scoundrels and language rapists of all shades and colors. I write and I feel how the tenderness and intimacy I maintain with language, with its different layers, its eroticism and humor and soul, give me back the person I used to be, me, before my self became nationalized and confiscated by the conflict, by governments and armies, by despair and tragedy.”

“It is also in despair of being able to understand or make any productive contribution to the highly organised chaos of our politico-economic system that large numbers of people simply abandon political and social committments. They just let society be taken over by a pattern of organisation which is as self-proliferative as a weed, and whose ends and values are neither human nor instinctive but mechanical.”

People Humans Ends Self Able Political Values Social Numbers Taken Economic Despair Chaos Patterns Contribution Productive Abandon Weed Organisation Large Numbers Economic Systems Organised

Author:Alan Watts

“Space is still filled with the noise of destruction and annihilation, the shouts of self-assurance and arrogance, the weeping of despair and helplessness. But round about the horizon the eternal realities stand silent in their age-old longing. There shines on them already the first mild light of the radiant fulfillment to come. From afar sound the first notes as of pipes and voices, not yet discernable as a song or melody. It is all far off still, and only just announced and foretold. But it is happening, today.”

“Inevitably out of the psychedelic experience emerges not despair, not self-indulgence, but wild-eyed idealism, that's the inevitable product of any psychedelically driven social process.”

Self Social Process Products Despair Driven Inevitable Idealism Indulgence Psychedelic Psychedelic Experience Self Indulgence

Author:Terence McKenna

“The individualism of American life, to our glory and despair, creates anger and encourages its release; for when everything is possible, limitations are irksome. When the desires of the self come first, the needs of others are annoying. When we think we deserve it all, reaping only a portion can enrage.”

Thinking Needs Firsts Self Desire Despair Glory Deserve Release Limitation Annoying Individualism Portions American Life Needs Of Others

Book:Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion

Source: Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion

“There is within me a friend who consoles me every time that troubles overwhelm me and misfortunes afflict me. The man who does not feel friendship towards himself is a public enemy, and he who finds no confidant within himself will die of despair. For life streams out of man's inner self and in no way from what surrounds him.”

Men Way Feels Doe Self Dies Enemy Trouble He Man Despair Streams Misfortunes Surround Inner Self Console Confidant Public Enemies

Author:Khalil Gibran

“You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear, as young as your hope, as old as your despair.”

“There were always in me, two women at least, one woman desperate and bewildered, who felt she was drowning and another who would leap into a scene, as upon a stage, conceal her true emotions because they were weaknesses, helplessness, despair, and present to the world only a smile, an eagerness, curiosity, enthusiasm, interest.”

World Two Self Felt Interest Emotion Stage Scene Despair Weakness Curiosity Enthusiasm Desperate Leap Drowning Helplessness One Woman Eagerness Bewildered True Emotions

Author:Anais Nin

“The langour of Youth - how unique and quintessential it is! How quickly, how irrecoverably, lost! The zest, the generous affections, the illusions, the despair, all the traditional attributes of Youth - all save this come and go with us through life...These things are a part of life itself; but languor - the relaxation of yet unwearied sinews, the mind sequestered and self-regarding, the sun standing still in the heavens and the earth throbbing to our own pulse - that belongs to Youth alone and dies with it.”

“All the stories and descriptions of that time without exception peak only of the patriotism, self-sacrifice, despair, grief, and heroism of the Russians. But in reality it was not like that...The majority of the people paid no attention to the general course of events but were influenced only by their immediate personal interests.”

People Self Stories Reality Courses Interest Grief Attention Sacrifice Events Despair Paid Majority Description Exception Heroism Self Sacrifice Personal Interest

Author:Leo Tolstoy

“I loved her enough to forget myself, my self pitying despairs, and be content that something she thought happy was going to happen.”

Self Enough Happens Forget Despair

Book:Breakfast at Tiffany's

Source: Breakfast at Tiffany's

“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. People grow old by deserting their ideals. Years wrinkle the skin, but giving up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, doubt, self-distrust, fear and despair - these are the long years that bow the head and turn the growing spirit back to dust. You are as young as your faith and as old as your doubts; as young as you self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair.”

People Giving Years Long Soul Self Young Spirit Turns Grows Numbers Worry Doubt Growing Despair Giving Up Ideals Skins Self Confidence Enthusiasm Dust Bows Distrust Wrinkles

Author:James E. Faust

“Despair is the absolute extreme of self-love. It is reached when a person deliberately turns his back on all help from anyone else in order to taste the rotten luxury of knowing himself to be lost”

Persons Self Helping Wisdom Order Turns Lost Knowing Self Love Taste Despair Absolutes Extremes Luxury Rotten

Book:New Seeds of Contemplation

Source: New Seeds of Contemplation

“It requires courage not to surrender oneself to the ingenious or compassionate counsels of despair that would induce a man to eliminate himself from the ranks of the living; but it does not follow from this that every huckster who is fattened and nourished in self-confidence has more courage than the man who yielded to despair.”

Men Doe Self Courage Despair Oneself Self Confidence Surrender Compassionate Ingenious

Author:Soren Kierkegaard

“Let me begin now, this very night, to emulate Christ. Cast off forever will be the old self and with it defeat, despair, doubt, and disbelief. To a newness of life I come--a life of faith, hope courage, and joy. No task looms too large; no responsibility too heavy; no duty is a burden. All things become possible.”

“One of the great tragedies of life, it seems to me, is when a person classifies himself as someone who has no talents or gifts. When, in disgust or discouragement, we allow ourselves to reach depressive levels of despair because of our demeaning self-appraisal, it is a sad day for us and a sad day in the eyes of God. For us to conclude that we have no gifts when we judge ourselves by stature, intelligence, grade-point average, wealth, power, position, or external appearance is not only unfair but unreasonable.”

“For Ragamuffins, God's name is Mercy. We see our darkness as a prized possession because it drives us into the heart of God. Without mercy our darkness would plunge us into despair - for some, self-destruction. Time alone with God reveals the unfathomable depths of the poverty of the spirit. We are so poor that even our poverty is not our own: It belongs to the mysterium tremendum of a loving God.”

Heart Self Spirit Names Poor Poverty Darkness Despair Destruction Mercy Depth Possession Loving God Plunge Self Destruction Unfathomable Alone Time Alone With God Prized Possessions

Author:Brennan Manning

“He ran as he'd never run before, with neither hope nor despair. He ran because the world was divided into opposites and his side had already been chosen for him, his only choice being whether or not to play his part with heart and courage. He ran because fate had placed him in a position of responsibility and he had accepted the burden. He ran because his self-respect required it. He ran because he loved his friends and this was the only thing he could do to end the madness that was killing and maiming them.”

World Love Heart Ends Self Play Running Age Choices Sides Responsibility Fate Position Despair Opposites Madness Killing Burden Accepted Chosen Ran Self Respect Divided

Author:Karl Marlantes

“Despair is the price one pays for self-awareness. Look deeply into life, and you'll always find despair.”

Looks Self Pay Awareness Despair Self Awareness

Author:Irvin D. Yalom

“So, using his pride like a shield against despair, dejection, and-most important— self-pity, Raoden raised his head to stare damnation in the eyes.”

Important Self Eye Pride Despair Raised Pity Staring Shields Self Pity Damnation

Book:Elantris: Tenth Anniversary Author's Definitive Edition

Source: Elantris: Tenth Anniversary Author's Definitive Edition

“Let him who cannot be alone beware of community... Let him who is not in community beware of being alone... Each by itself has profound perils and pitfalls. One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and the one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation and despair.”

Want Self Feelings Community Solitude Despair Profound Vanity Void Abyss Infatuation Peril Fellowship Plunge Pitfalls

Book:Life Together

Source: Life Together

“Emptiness and boredom: what an understatement. What I felt was complete desolation. Desolation, despair, and depression. Isn't there some other way to look at this? After all, angst of these dimensions is a luxury item. You need to be well fed, clothes, and housed to have time for this much self-pity.”

Way Needs Wells Looks Self Felt Despair Clothes Pity Luxury Boredom Dimensions Emptiness Feds Items Angst Self Pity Desolation Understatement Luxury Items

Author:Susanna Kaysen

“It is as though some old part of yourself wakes up in you, terrified, useless in the life you have, its skills and habits destructive but intact, and what is left of the present you, the person you have become, wilts and shrivels in sadness or despair: the person you have become is only a thin shell over this other, more electric and endangered self. The strongest, the least digested parts of your experience can rise up and put you back where you were when they occurred; all the rest of you stands back and weeps.”

Persons Self Left Sadness Habit Skills Despair Wake Up Useless Destructive Strongest Electric Shells Terrified Ptsd

Author:Peter Straub

“It's dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you're feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. So throw away your baggage and go forward. There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet, trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That's why you must walk so lightly. Lightly my darling.”

Feels Trying Children Self Hard Feelings Happens Dark Walks Feet Despair Things Happen Pity Darling Self Pity Baggage Quicksand Trying Too Hard

Author:Aldous Huxley

“A universe without purpose should neither depress us nor suggest that our lives are purposeless. Through an awe-inspiring cosmic history we find ourselves on this remote planet in a remote corner of the universe, endowed with intelligence and self-awareness. We should not despair, but should humbly rejoice in making the most of these gifts, and celebrate our brief moment in the sun.”

“Most humans, in varying degrees, are already dead. In one way or another they have lost their dreams, their ambitions, their desire for a better life. They have surrendered their fight for self-esteem and they have compromised their great potential. They have settled for a life of mediocrity, days of despair and nights of tears. They are no more than living deaths confined to cemeteries of their choice. Yet they need not remain in that state. They can be resurrected from their sorry condition. They can each perform the greatest miracle in the world. They can each come back from the dead.”

“Those who have attained things worth having in this world have worked while others idled, have persevered while others gave up in despair, have practiced ...the valuable habits of self-denial, industry, and singleness of purpose.”

World Inspirational Self Success Purpose This World Industry Habit Despair Valuable Denial Gave Up Self-denial Singleness Singleness Of Purpose

Author:Grenville Kleiser

“I know all about the despair of overcoming chronic temptation. It is not serious, provided self-offended petulance, annoyance at breaking records, impatience, etc., don't get the upper hand. No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep picking ourselves up each time...The only fatal thing is to lose one's temper and give up.”

Ifs Knows Giving Self Hands Happiness Fall Loses Records Serious Amount Despair Giving Up Overcoming Temptation Etc Temper Offended Impatience Annoyance Upper Hand Petulance

Author:C. S. Lewis

“If one is devoid of hope and thanksgiving, he cannot for long remain sinless, for he will, in despair, have slackened his resolve. Feelings of futility foster vulnerability. Self-pity is such a busy stagehand, rearranging the scenery to help sin make its entrance. No wonder the prophets say that without faith in the Lord, there is no hope.”

Ifs Long Self Helping Feelings Sin Wonder Lord Despair Adversity Busy Pity Vulnerability Prophet Resolve No Hope Self Pity Futility Entrances Scenery Rearranging

Author:Neal A. Maxwell

“Creativity requires introspection, self-examination, and a willingness to take risks. Because of this, artists are perhaps more susceptible to self-doubt and despair than those who do not court the creative muses.”

Self Artist Creativity Creative Doubt Risk Despair Court Self Discovery Willingness Muse Introspection Examination Susceptible Self-doubt Self-examination

Author:Eric Maisel

“Washington was a man of exceptional, almost excessive self-command, rarely permitting himself any show of discouragement or despair.”

Men Self Shows Courage Despair Command Exceptional Discouragement

Book:David McCullough American History E-book Box Set: John Adams, 1776, Truman, The Course of Human Events

Source: David McCullough American History E-book Box Set: John Adams, 1776, Truman, The Course of Human Events

“God put self-pity by the side of despair like the cure by the side of the disease.”

Self God Sides Despair Disease Pity Cures Self Pity

Book:Carnets: 1935-1942

Source: Carnets: 1935-1942

“If you are blessed with great fortunes. . . you may love your fate. But your fate never guarantees the security of those great fortunes. As soon as you realize your helplessness at the mercy of your fate, you are again in despair. Thus the hatred of fate can be generated not only by misfortunes, but also by great fortunes. Your hatred of fate is at the same time your hatred of your self. You hate your self for being so helpless under the crushing power of fate.”

Ifs May Self Hate Realizing Fate Security Love You Despair Hatred Mercy Blessed Fortune Crush Guarantees Misfortunes Helpless Hate You Helplessness

Author:T. K. Seung

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Despair Quotes