Everyone goes through hardships now and then – it’s an unfortunate part of life. However, it’s always worth remembering that other people have been where you are and, as Alexander Pope once wrote: “hope springs eternal.” Here are 15 beautiful quotes to give you hope during tough times.
15 Beautiful Quotes That Will Give You Hope
1. Hope Is Being Able To See That There Is Light Despite All Of The Darkness – Desmond Tutu
This simple quote reminds us exactly what hope is and, perhaps more importantly, what hope is for. Even in the darkest moments, it is hope that enables people to see the positive things around them, or the things that are soon to come.
2. Three Grand Essentials To Happiness In This Life Are Something To Do, Something To Love, And Something To Hope For – Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison argues that there are only 3 things you need to be happy, one of which being hope. While the first two often keep you rooted in the present, it can be argued (as many of the following quotes do) that hope is a reason to keep looking towards the future.
3. Hope Is A Risk That Must Be Run – Georges Bernanos
When times are tough, hope often seems like a risk – after all, you’re investing your emotions into things that may or may not come to be. Still, nobody puts it better than George Bernanos. Hope is necessary, even if it isn’t always guaranteed to work out.
4. We Must Accept Infinite Disappointment, But Never Lose Infinite Hope – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr was a man of many eloquent words, but this is perhaps one of his lesser known quotes. Infinite disappointment – the fact that things might not always work out – is something we must accept, but not at the cost of losing hope.
5. Hope Is The Thing With Feathers That Perches In The Soul – And Sings The Tunes Without The Words -And Never Stops At All – Emily Dickinson
There is something charming about Emily Dickinson’s metaphor – comparing hope to a singing bird – that it’s hard not to feel positive. Hope never stops and is often beyond words (although many of the quotes here do a very good job of defining it) or simple comprehension.
6. It Is Often In The Darkest Skies That We See The Brightest Stars – Richard Evans
There are many quotes similar to Richard Evens’, but his is rooted in a degree of scientific truth. To see the twinkling light of stars so many light-years away, we need the most darkest surroundings. Perhaps that is what hope is; the starlight that shines when all immediate lights go out.
7. Learn From Yesterday, Live For Today, Hope For Tomorrow. The Important Thing Is To Not Stop Questioning – Albert Einstein
For Albert Einstein, learning was always an important facet of life. Here, in this quote, he combines it with the concept of hope. Einstein believed we should never stop asking questions and perhaps tomorrow would bring new answers.
8. Hope Is A Good Thing, Maybe The Best Of Things And No Good Thing Ever Dies – Andy Dufresne (The Shawshank Redemption)
The Shawshank Redemption is a film that already inspires many for its concept of hope, but few quotes summarise this like the one above. Andy Dufresne’s reason to keep on going is so easily summarised by the ongoing existence of hope, that it’s easy to apply this concept to everyday life.
9. Hope Is The Pillar That Holds Up The World. Hope Is The Dream Of A Waking Man – Pliney The Elder
This is perhaps one of the oldest quotes on the list, from Roman author and philosopher Pliney The Eldar. Here, Pliney summarises hope as a vital structure, one that supports the world itself. He also compares it to the realm between dreaming and being awake, which is something we can all relate to.
10. It’s Amazing How A Little Tomorrow Can Make Up For A Whole Lot Of Yesterday – John Guare
Nothing can change the past, but future events can make past mistakes seem meaningless or irrelevant in time. Many of the quotes here focus on the future and, as John Guare so effortlessly defines it, some small hope for the future can outweigh all the troubles of the past.
11. Hope Will Never Be Silent – Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk clearly has similar views to Emily Dickinson, although with a much different tone. The above quote suggests that hope never goes away and is always around. Perhaps, then, it is just our ability or desire to listen that changes over time?
12. When You Have Lost Hope, You Have Lost Everything. And When You Think All Is Lost, When All Is Dire And Bleak, There Is Always Hope – Pittacus Lore (I Am Number Four)
Pittacus Lore is the name for a collection of ghost writers, so its hard to say who truly wrote the above remarks. Still, it shows hope as a cycle, that always appears when its own absence causes darkness and despair. Hope is reliable and will always return.
13. You Can Cut All The Flowers But You Cannot Keep Spring From Coming – Pablo Neruda
Speaking of cycles, Pablo Neruda compares hope to the spring bursting forth after winter and autumn. Despite any attempts of man to prevent this, both hope and spring are inevitable facets of life. Nobody else can get in the way of your hope.
14. The Capacity For Hope Is The Most Significant Fact Of Life. It Provides Human Beings With A Sense Of Destination And The Energy To Get Started – Norman Cousins
Is hope a reason to keep on going, or is it the reason to exist in the first place? Norman Cousins would arguably state the latter, as hope gives people purpose and reason. Without hope, there would be no pointing starting great works or efforts. Hope is the destination that makes the journey worthwhile.
15. I Don’t Think Of All The Misery, But Of The Beauty That Still Remains – Anne Frank
Anne Frank’s diary is one of the most famous books in the world yet, despite her situation, Anne Frank always had an appreciation for the brighter things in life. In this quote, she focuses on the remaining positivity rather than the despair around her. That is the perfect example of hope and the benefits it can give someone in the darkest of hours.
For many that have come before, even the darkest hour is not without hope. Take comfort in the fact that everyone experiences difficulties in life. Which quotes did you find the most inspiring and uplifting? Are there any you personal favorites you would like to suggest?
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