Disappointment is one of those emotions that can quickly spiral out of control. Whether it’s getting passed over for a promotion or feeling underappreciated at home, we all encounter difficult situations on a daily basis—many of which can lead us to question our abilities in the workplace or even our self-worth. Yet we don’t have to go far to find some powerful words of wisdom. These quotes about disappointment can help encourage and empower us even in the face of disappointing circumstances.
Overcoming feelings of disappointment can make you feel like you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. It can also renew your self-confidence and remind you to never give up on your goals.
To help you find comfort, embrace positive vibes, uplift your spirits and express your disappointment in words you might not have, we’ve gathered 60 of the most profound disappointment quotes from experts, thinkers and leaders in multiple domains. Let’s get you back on track.
Comforting Quotes For When You’re Upset And Disappointed
Sometimes when you’re feeling downtrodden because of a mistake you’ve made or a situation that didn’t go your way, finding comfort is the best thing you need. These deep quotes about disappointment help you find solace no matter your situation. Feelings of being upset and disappointed are challenging, but it can also be comforting to remember that they’re usually temporary. These quotes about disappointment can help remind us that we can move forward.
- “Disappointment is a temporary detour on the road to success.” —Zig Ziglar
- “This too shall pass.” —Persian adage
- “Your past does not equal your future.” —Tony Robbins
- “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” —Helen Keller
- “Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place.” —Lance Armstrong
- “Failure is delay, but not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead-end street.” —William Arthur Ward
- “But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” —Matthew 5:4
- “Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” —Dalai Lama
- “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” —C.S. Lewis
Related: Uplifting Quotes About New Beginnings
Encouraging Quotes to Overcome Hurt And Disappointment
When you’re in the throes of it, disappointment can feel like a mountain or a wave that keeps pushing you away from your goal. When you’re feeling the pain of disappointment, be gentle with yourself and know that it’s OK to admit your disappointment to help you deal with it. Here are some powerful quotes about hurt and disappointment to help you learn from the experience and turn things around.
- “You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It won’t happen automatically.” —Joel Osteen
- “One mistake does not have to rule a person’s entire life.” —Joyce Meyer
- “The secret of life is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” —Paulo Coelho
- “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” —Maya Angelou
- “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” —Oprah Winfrey
- “Healing never came when I clawed in search of it. Instead, it came when I was willing to listen to the lesson the pain was here to teach me.” —Lauren Fortenberry
- “Life is very interesting… in the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths.” —Drew Barrymore
- “Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look.” —Marcus Aurelius
- “Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” —William Ellery Channing
- “If you remain calm in the midst of great chaos, it is the surest guarantee that it will eventually subside.” —Julie Andrews Edwards
Related: 55 Beautiful Quotes About Gratitude
Deep Quotes About Disappointment
Sometimes, expressing what we feel in words can feel impossible. Our feelings are too powerful to be converted to mere language. If you’re feeling like that because of a disappointing situation, the following hurt and disappointment quotes can help you understand or acknowledge your situation a bit more.
- “My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes.” —L. M. Montgomery
- “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” —Epictetus
- “Despair is an aspect of spirit, it has to do with the eternal in a person.” —Soren Kierkegaard
- “There is no love of life without despair of life.” —Albert Camus
- “We must accept the finite disappointment, but in spite of this we must maintain the infinite hope.” —Martin Luther King Jr.
- “Disappointment is the nurse of wisdom.” —Sir Boyle Roche
- “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did.” —Mark Twain
- “Disappointment is a sort of bankruptcy—the bankruptcy of a soul that expends too much in hope and expectation.” —Eric Hoffer
- “If you expect nothing from somebody you are never disappointed.” —Sylvia Plath
- “You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.” —Beverly Sills
Wise Words About Disappointment to Empower You
Most of us have reflected on the disappointment and pain in our lives. While it can be challenging to face the reality of disappointment, hearing words of wisdom from those who have prevailed can empower us. Discover some wise words about being disappointed or upset from wise philosophers, sages, thinkers, writers, leaders and more.
- “Nothing out there will ever satisfy you except temporarily and superficially, but you may need to experience many disillusionments before you realize that truth.” —Eckhart Tolle
- “There is no normal life that is free of pain. It’s the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth.” —Fred Rogers
- “Assuming is the root of all disappointments.” —Rogienel Reyes
- “Many of our disappointments and much of our unhappiness arise from our forming false notions of things and persons.” —Abigail Adams
- “Most things disappoint till you look deeper.” —Graham Greene
- “Disappointment is a sign that you had expectations; it’s a sign that something didn’t turn out the way you had hoped. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.” —Mel Robbins
- “Disappointment is just the initial shock of the universe reminding you that life doesn’t always go according to plan.” —Sarah Dessen
- “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” —Marilyn Monroe
- “We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.” —Jim Rohn
- “Disappointments are to the soul what the thunderstorm is to the air.” —Friedrich Schiller
Inspiring Quotes to Get Over Being Let Down
Having our expectations—and our trust—crushed is an admittedly unfortunate part of life. I’ve had my hopes dashed many times in the short time I’ve been on this planet, and it doesn’t get any easier. These positive disappointment quotes may help you overcome the feeling of being let down.
- “At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” —Frida Kahlo
- “When you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on.” —Theodore Roosevelt
- “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” —Albert Einstein
- “I still take failure very seriously, but I’ve found that the only way I could overcome the feeling is to keep on working and trying to benefit from failures or disappointments. There are always some lessons to be learned. So I keep on working.” —Denton Cooley, M.D.
- “The most important decision you make is to be in a good mood.” —Voltaire
- “Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.” —Jane Austen
- “Disappointment is an opportunity to dig deeper within yourself and discover the strength to persevere.” —Elizabeth Gilbert
- “Strive for that greatness of spirit that measures life not by its disappointments but by its possibilities.” —W.E.B. Dubois
- “Happiness is beneficial for the body, but it is grief that develops the powers of the mind.” —Marcel Proust
- “Keep your face always towards the sunshine, and the shadows will fall behind you.” —M.B. Whitman
Powerful Sayings For Handling Life’s Disappointments
It’s pretty much guaranteed that we will face disappointing events over and over again. But it doesn’t matter how many times you face disappointment, it matters how you face it. These quotes for life’s disappointments can help you put your life in perspective.
- “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” —Thomas A. Edison
- “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” —Babe Ruth
- “The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won‘t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.” —Barack Obama
- “The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire, the size of your dream, and how you handle disappointment along the way.” —Robert Kiyosaki
- “We can’t expect to be sheltered from every little thing. Disappointment is a fact of life—one that must be dealt with.” —Joyce Meyer
- “The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.” —Conan O’Brien
- “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” —Ernest Hemingway
- “Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” —Lao Tzu
- “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” —John Archibald Wheeler
- “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” —Vivian Greene
Your Disappointment Won’t Last Forever
Notice a theme throughout almost all these brilliant quotes? Conquering disappointment is all about perspective. It’s about remembering that while feeling let down can be emotionally challenging at times, it usually doesn’t hang around forever.
Positive practices such as acknowledging the disappointment, recognizing your self-worth, practicing gratitude and focusing on personal growth can help us get over disappointment. It’s not easy, but facing adversity doesn’t have to mean defeat.
Our expectations are sometimes met with disappointment; unfortunately, it’s part of life. Use these disappointment quotes as a reminder that with the right mindset, goals and strategies, you can overcome disappointing circumstances and push forward.
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