He who foresees calamities suffers them twice over.
—Beilby Porteus (1731–1809) Anglican Bishop of London
To despond is to be ungrateful beforehand.—Be not looking for evil.—Often thou drainest the gall of fear while evil is passing by thy dwelling.
—Martin Farquhar Tupper (1810–89) English Poet, Writer
Sorrow itself is not so hard to bear as the thought of sorrow coming. Airy ghosts that work no harm do terrify us more than men in steel with bloody purposes.
—Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836–1907) American Writer, Poet, Critic, Editor
No mind is much employed upon the present; recollection and anticipation fill up almost all our moments.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
We sometimes complain of the levity of our friends to justify our own by anticipation.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
A man’s delight in looking forward to and hoping for some particular satisfaction is a part of the pleasure flowing out of it, enjoyed in advance. But this is afterward deducted, for the more we look forward to anything the less we enjoy it when it comes.
—Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German Philosopher
Our thinking and our behaviour are always in anticipation of a response. It is therefore fear-based.
—Deepak Chopra (b.1946) Indian-born American Physician, Public Speaker, Writer
The so called unconscious inferences can be traced back to the all-preserving memory, which presents us with parallel experiences and hence already knows the consequences of an action. It is not anticipation of the effects; rather, it is the feeling: identical causes, identical effects .
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
It has been well said that no man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when to-morrow’s burden is added to the burden of to-day that the weight is more than a man can bear.
—George MacDonald (1824–1905) Scottish Novelist, Lecturer, Poet
All earthly delights are sweeter in expectation than enjoyment; but all spiritual pleasures more in fruition than expectation.
—Owen Feltham (1602–68) English Essayist
If pleasures are greatest in anticipation, just remember that this is also true of troubles.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
Why need a man forestall his date of grief, and run to meet that he would most avoid?
—John Milton (1608–74) English Poet, Civil Servant, Scholar, Debater
There is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it.
—Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) British-born American Film Director, Film Producer
It is worse to apprehend than to suffer.
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
When things mean a very great deal to you, exciting anticipation just isn’t safe.
—Dodie Smith (1896–1990) American Author, Playwright
To tremble before anticipated evils, is to bemoan what thou hast never lost.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Nothing is so good as it seems beforehand.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
In all worldly things that a man pursues with the greatest eagerness and intention of mind, he finds not half the pleasure in the actual possession of them as he proposed to himself in the expectation.
—Robert South (1634–1716) English Theologian, Preacher
We often tremble at an empty terror, yet the false fancy brings a real misery.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
Nothing is so wretched or foolish as to anticipate misfortunes. What madness it is to be expecting evil before it comes.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
The worst evils are those that never arrive.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Therein lies the defect of revenge: it’s all in the anticipation; the thing itself is a pain, not a pleasure; at least the pain is the biggest end of it.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
We love to expect, and when expectation is either disappointed or gratified, we want to be again expecting.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
What we anticipate seldom occurs; what we least expected generally happens.
—Benjamin Disraeli (1804–81) British Head of State
All things that are, are with more spirit chased than enjoyed.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
A great source of calamity lies in regret and anticipation; therefore a person is wise who thinks of the present alone, regardless of the past or future.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
We usually get what we anticipate.
—Claude M. Bristol (1891–1951) American Journalist, Self-Help Author
But if we learn to think of it as anticipation, as learning, as growing, if we think of the time we spend waiting for the big things of life as an opportunity instead of a passing of time, what wonderful horizons open out!
—Anna Neagle (1904–86) English Actress
The poetry is all in the anticipation, for there is none in reality
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
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