Sympathy is never wasted except when you give it to yourself.
—John W. Raper (1870–1950) American Journalist, Aphorist
Optimism and self-pity are the positive and negative poles of modern cowardice.
—Cyril Connolly (1903–74) British Literary Critic, Writer
This life is not for complaint, but for satisfaction.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Misery is a communicable disease.
—Martha Graham (1894–1991) American Choreographer
The human mind can bear plenty of reality, but not too much unintermittent gloom.
—Margaret Drabble (b.1939) English Novelist, Critic, Biographer, Short Story Writer
Despair is the absolute extreme of self-love. It is reached when a man deliberately turns his back on all help from anyone else in order to taste the rotten luxury of knowing himself to be lost.
—Thomas Merton (1915–68) American Trappist Monk
Self-pity is one of the most dangerous forms of self-centeredness. It fogs our vision.
—Unknown
The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not. The cure is occupation.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
The great thing in the world is to know how to be sufficient unto oneself.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
I am convinced, the longer I live, that life and its blessings are not so entirely unjustly distributed as when we are suffering greatly we are inclined to suppose.
—Mary Todd Lincoln (1818–82) American First lady
Do not weep; do not wax indignant. Understand.
—Baruch Spinoza (1632–77) Dutch Philosopher, Theologian
You can overcome anything if you don’t bellyache.
—Bernard M. Baruch (1870–1965) American Financier, Economic Consultant
Worldly desires are like sunbeams in a dark room. They seem solid until you try to grasp one.
—Nachman of Breslov (1772–1810) Ukrainian Jewish Rabbi
When any anxiety or gloom of the mind takes hold of you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaining; but exert yourselves to hide it, and by endeavoring to hide it you drive it away.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
A man’s as miserable as he thinks he is.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Every man supposes himself not to be fully understood or appreciated.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
In life so wretched? Isn’t it rather your hands which are too small, your vision which is muddied? You are the one who must grow up.
—Dag Hammarskjold (1905–61) Swedish Statesman, UN Diplomat
He’s simply got the instinct for being unhappy highly developed.
—Saki (Hector Hugh Munro) (1870–1916) British Short Story Writer, Satirist, Historian
To hear complaints is wearisome alike to the wretched and the happy.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Self-pity is a death that has no resurrection, a sinkhole from which no rescuing hand can drag you because you have chosen to sink.
—Elisabeth Elliot (1926–2015) American Christian Author, Speaker, Missionary
Despair is criminal.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Even the cry from the depths is an affirmation: why cry if there is no hint of hope of hearing?
—Martin E. Marty (1928–2025) American Lutheran Theologian, Religious Historian
I got the blues thinking of the future, so I left off and made some marmalade. It’s amazing how it cheers one up to shred oranges and scrub the floor.
—D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930) English Novelist, Playwright, Poet, Essayist, Critic
When you find yourself overpowered, as it were, by melancholy, the best way is to go out and do something.
—John Keble (1792–1866) English Anglican Priest, Poet
The best mask for demoralization is daring.
—Lucian (c.120–c.200 CE) Greek Satirist, Rhetorician, Writer
Self-pity is our worst enemy, and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
Without ever having felt sorry for itself.
—D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930) English Novelist, Playwright, Poet, Essayist, Critic
Sadness is almost never anything but a form of fatigue.
—Andre Gide (1869–1951) French Novelist
What poison is to food, self-pity is to life.
—Oliver G. Wilson
Grumbling is the death of love.
—Marlene Dietrich (1901–92) German-American Film Actress, Cabaret Performer
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