Despair, in short, seeks its own environment as surely as water finds its own level.
—Al Alvarez (1929–2019) English Critic, Poet, Novelist
He who despairs wants love and faith, for faith, hope, and love are three torches which blend their light together, nor does the one shine without the other.
—Metastasio (1698–1782) Italian Poet, Librettist
The depth of our despair measures what capability and height of claim we have to hope.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
I will indulge my sorrows, and give way to all the pangs and fury of despair.
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Politician
I can imagine no more comfortable frame of mind for the conduct of life than a humorous resignation.
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
In all things it is better to hope than to despair.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Beware of desperate steps.—The darkest day, live till tomorrow, will have passed away.
—William Cowper (1731–1800) English Anglican Poet, Hymn writer
Man dies of cold, not of darkness.
—Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936) Spanish Educator, Philosopher, Author
It is not hard to live through a day, if you can live through a moment. What creates despair is the imagination, which pretends there is a future, and insists on predicting millions of moments, thousands of days, and so drains you that you cannot live the moment at hand.
—Andre Dubus (1936–99) American Short Story Writer, Essayist
Despair gives the shocking ease to the mind that mortification gives to the body.
—George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1746–1816) British Nobleman, Politician
He that despairs degrades the Deity, and seems to intimate that He is insufficient, or not just to his word; in vain hath he read the Scriptures, the world, and man.
—Owen Feltham (1602–1668) English Essayist
The reason why all men honor love is because it looks up, and not down; aspires and not despairs.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
With the situation as gray as it could be, no one was more conspicuous in his calm presence of mind than Washington. They must be “cool but determined” he had told the men before the battle, when spirits were high. Now, in the face of catastrophe, he was demonstrating what he meant by his own example. Whatever anger or torment or despair he felt, he kept to himself.
—David McCullough (1933–2022) American Historian
So long as we have failed to eliminate any of the causes of human despair, we do not have the right to try to eliminate those means by which man tries to cleanse himself of despair.
—Antonin Artaud (1896–1948) French Actor, Drama Theorist
Whether or not we have hope depends on two dimensions of our explanatory style; pervasiveness and permanence. Finding temporary and specific causes for misfortune is the art of hope: Temporary causes limit helplessness in time, and specific causes limit helplessness to the original situation. On the other hand, permanent causes produce helplessness far into the future, and universal causes spread helplessness through all your endeavors. Finding permanent and universal causes for misfortune is the practice of despair… The optimistic style of explaining good events is the opposite of that used for bad events: It’s internal rather than external. People who believe they cause good things tend to like themselves better than people who believe good things come from other people or circumstances.
—Martin Seligman (b.1942) American Psychologist, Author
It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his Helper is omnipotent.
—Jeremy Taylor
He that despairs measures Providence by his own little contracted model and limits infinite power to finite apprehensions.
—Robert South (1634–1716) English Theologian, Preacher
Give up the feeling of responsibility, let go your hold, resign the care of your destiny to higher powers, be genuinely indifferent as to what becomes of it all and you will find not only that you gain a perfect inward relief, but often also, in addition, the particular goods you sincerely thought you were renouncing.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
She wore far too much rouge last night and not quite enough clothes. That is always a sign of despair in a woman.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Despair is the damp of hell, as joy is the serenity of heaven.
—John Donne (1572–1631) English Poet, Cleric
Then my verse I dishonor, my pictures despise, my person degrade and my temper chastise; and the pen is my terror, the pencil my shame; and my talents I bury, and dead is my fame.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
They had both noticed that a life of dissipation sometimes gave to a face the look of gaunt suffering spirituality that a life of asceticism was supposed to give and quite often did not.
—Katherine Anne Porter (1890–1980) American Short-Story Writer, Novelist
Because I remember, I despair. Because I remember, I have the duty to reject despair.
—Elie Wiesel (1928–2016) Romanian-born American Writer, Professor, Political Activist
Today we come across an individual who behaves like an automaton, who does not know or understand himself, and the only person that he knows is the person that he is supposed to be, whose meaningless chatter has replaced communicative speech, whose synthetic smile has replaced genuine laughter, and whose sense of dull despair has taken the place of genuine pain. Two statements may be said concerning this individual. One is that he suffers from defects of spontaneity and individuality which may seem to be incurable. At the same time it may be said of him he does not differ essentially from the millions of the rest of us who walk upon this earth.
—Erich Fromm (1900–80) German-American Psychoanalyst, Social Philosopher
Despair is the only genuine atheism.
—Jean Paul (1763–1825) German Novelist, Humorist
Depression is the inability to construct a future.
—Rollo May (1909–94) American Philosopher
Let judges secretly despair of justice: their verdicts will be more acute. Let generals secretly despair of triumph; killing will be defamed. Let priests secretly despair of faith: their compassion will be true.
—Leonard Cohen (1934–2016) Canadian Singer, Songwriter, Poet, Novelist
The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Washington was a man of exceptional, almost excessive self-command, rarely permitting himself any show of discouragement or despair.
—David McCullough (1933–2022) American Historian
Religion converts despair, which destroys, into resignation, which submits.
—Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington (1789–1849) Irish Novelist, Writer