Nothing is so good as it seems beforehand.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
It is worse to apprehend than to suffer.
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
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
The worst evils are those that never arrive.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Such is the state of life, that none are happy but by the anticipation of change: the change itself is nothing; when we have made it, the next wish is to change again. The world is not yet exhausted; let me see something tomorrow which I never saw before.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
It has been a thousand times observed, and I must observe it once more, that the hours we pass with happy prospects in view are more pleasing than those crowned with fruition.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
We love to expect, and when expectation is either disappointed or gratified, we want to be again expecting.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Many live in dread of what is coming. Why should we? The unknown puts adventure into life … The unexpected around the corner gives a sense of anticipation and surprise. Thank God for the unknown future.
—E. Stanley Jones (1884–1973) American Methodist Priest, Theologian
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
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
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
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 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
He who foresees calamities suffers them twice over.
—Beilby Porteus (1731–1809) Anglican Bishop of London
Few enterprises of great labor or hazard would be undertaken if we had not the power of magnifying the advantages we expect from them.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
The poetry is all in the anticipation, for there is none in reality
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
After all, our worst misfortunes never happen, and most miseries lie in anticipation.
—Honore de Balzac (1799–1850) French Novelist
Such is the state of life that none are happy but by the anticipation of change. The change itself is nothing. When we have made it, the next wish is to change again.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
Expecting is the greatest impediment to living. In anticipation of tomorrow, it loses today.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
No mind is much employed upon the present; recollection and anticipation fill up almost all our moments.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
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
To tremble before anticipated evils, is to bemoan what thou hast never lost.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
One of the key qualities that you need to be a great hockey player is fantastic anticipation and feel for the game – if you know where the puck is going before it is hit, that is half the battle.
—Wayne Gretzky (b.1961) Canadian Sportsperson
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
Our desires always disappoint us; for though we meet with something that gives us satisfaction, yet it never thoroughly answers our expectation.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
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
When things mean a very great deal to you, exciting anticipation just isn’t safe.
—Dodie Smith (1896–1990) British Novelist, Playwright, Writer
If pleasures are greatest in anticipation, just remember that this is also true of troubles.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
There is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it.
—Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) British-born American Film Director, Film Producer