Quotes: Resilience
Resilience on this page is shown as the steady practice of returning to effort so that fear and setbacks become fuel for growth — a teaching in the Bhagavad Gita echoed by Winston Churchill’s persistence and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s plea to begin again. It is not a fixed quality but a set of choices and small acts that restore strength.
The quotations move between active acceptance and refusal to surrender. They ask the reader whether resilience is waiting for change or learning to adjust the sails, start anew, and be remade by experience.
22 quotes on this theme, each with its source and insight
The quotes
“On this path effort never goes to waste, and there is no failure. Even a little effort toward spiritual awareness will protect you from the greatest fear.”
Source: Bhagavad Gita, 2.40 · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The sentiment matches Bhagavad Gita 2.40: sincere effort on the path is not lost and even small practice protects from great fear.
- What remains uncertain
- The English sentence is a contemporary translation/paraphrase; published translations of 2.40 vary in wording and emphasis.
This line says that sincere practice always counts: effort on the spiritual path accumulates and shields you from deep fear. It echoes the Bhagavad Gita (2.40), where Krishna comforts Arjuna on the battlefield by affirming that small practice still has protective power.
“Fail I alone, in words and deeds? / Why, all men strive and who succeeds?”
Source: The Last Ride Together, 1855 · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The line is a direct verse from Robert Browning’s poem The Last Ride Together (1855).
Browning turns a lover’s private failure into a wider truth: everyone strives, yet success is never guaranteed. In the dramatic lyric “The Last Ride Together” (1855) the speaker’s questions widen a personal loss into a shared human condition, finding consolation in the dignity of trying.
“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
MisattributedWhat we know
- What is documented
- Research identifies early anonymous instances (1950s) and a related 1938 advertisement; Churchill’s writings and speeches do not contain this wording.
- What remains uncertain
- The attribution is disputed and widely regarded as apocryphal: the saying likely originated as an anonymous motivational proverb later linked to Churchill.
The line distills a practical truth: keeping enthusiasm is what turns repeated setbacks into eventual progress. Its theme matches Winston Churchill’s public persona, which explains the misattribution, but scholars find no trace of this exact wording in his corpus. It’s a later, popular maxim, not a verified Churchill quote.
“Hope is not a resting place but a starting point — a cactus, not a cushion.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is widely attributed online to H. Jackson Brown Jr., but the supplied evidence does not cite a primary source in his published works.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution is weakly supported and disputed: available references are mostly quotation collections rather than an original documented text.
The line reframes hope as a tough beginning rather than a soft refuge: an image of a cactus insists on resilience and effort instead of comfort. Its short, punchy style fits modern American inspirational aphorisms even though the original source is unknown.
“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
Source: Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin, film, 1997 · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- Widely attributed online to A. A. Milne, but the best evidence points to the 1997 film adaptation rather than Milne’s original writings.
- What remains uncertain
- The exact wording is likely apocryphal: no clear match appears in Milne’s books and the line seems to originate in a posthumous adaptation.
The line comforts by naming three underestimated strengths—bravery, strength, intelligence—and nudges you to remember them. Its warm, modern self-help tone comes not from Milne’s original books but from later adaptations and internet sharing. The clearest source ties it to the 1997 Pooh film, not Milne himself.
“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
MisattributedWhat we know
- What is documented
- Available evidence finds no occurrence of this wording in Lewis’s published work; a close variant appears in Chicken Soup for the Soul credited to "Author Unknown."
- What remains uncertain
- The attribution to C. S. Lewis is unreliable: the ‘‘monkey bars’’ phrasing likely postdates Lewis and the true origin remains unestablished.
The image makes recovery feel tangible: progress sometimes demands letting go before you can move on. It’s a modern motivational analogy, widely shared online — but no primary source ties these exact words to C. S. Lewis.
“For what it’s worth, it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over again.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
MisattributedWhat we know
- What is documented
- Available evidence points to Eric Roth’s 2008 screenplay for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as the origin of this wording, not to Fitzgerald’s published texts.
- What remains uncertain
- Widely circulated under Fitzgerald’s name, the quote appears to be a condensed or paraphrased version of a longer film monologue rather than a line from Fitzgerald himself.
This line celebrates intentional reinvention: the idea that you can choose who you become and begin again. Its popular wording, however, traces to the 2008 film screenplay for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button rather than Fitzgerald’s published works.
“I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”
Source: Benjamin Button, written by Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) · Check the source
MisattributedWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is recorded in the film’s script by Eric Roth and is spoken onscreen by the character Benjamin Button.
- What remains uncertain
- Common citations credit F. Scott Fitzgerald, but that attribution is apocryphal: the passage was written for the 2008 screenplay, not the 1922 story.
The lines are an appeal to personal reinvention and openness to new experience rather than a historical aphorism. They do not come from Fitzgerald’s 1922 story but from Eric Roth’s screenplay for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), where Benjamin reads them in a voice‑over letter. The passage frames life as improvable and restartable.
“I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
Source: I'm Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired, December 20, 1964 · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The line appears in Hamer's speech “I’m Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired,” delivered December 20, 1964, in Harlem.
Hamer turns personal exhaustion into political charge: the line ties bodily weariness to the cumulative toll of racism and voter suppression. Delivered in Harlem in 1964, it names tiredness as moral evidence that the status quo must change now.
“If you fail, never give up because F.A.I.L. means ‘First Attempt In Learning.’ End is not the end; in fact, E.N.D. means ‘Effort Never Dies.’ If you get ‘no’ as an answer, remember N.O. means ‘Next Opportunity.’”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is widely circulated under A. P. J. Abdul Kalam’s name in secondary compilations, but no primary speech, book, or archive has been found for this exact passage.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution is disputed and leans apocryphal: it may reproduce what he said informally, but the precise phrasing lacks documentary verification.
This compact acronym trick turns failure into a practical lesson: each word is reframed as a prompt to learn, keep trying, and see refusals as new chances. Its catchy structure explains why educators and social posts have reused it as a quick pep message.
“When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven.”
Source: Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman, 1886 · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is recorded in Sarah H. Bradford's 1886 biography as Tubman's own recollection of her escape.
- What remains uncertain
- The quotation is transmitted via Bradford's book rather than a contemporaneous autograph by Tubman; minor wording variants appear in later retellings.
The line captures the shocking moment freedom becomes real: Tubman checks her own hands to confirm she is the same person, then sees the landscape transfigured. Sarah H. Bradford published this recollection in 1886, giving a vivid account of escape, identity, and awe.
“Change is never painful, only the resistance to change is painful.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is widely circulated with Gautama Buddha’s name, but searches do not locate it in canonical or primary sources.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution is disputed and likely apocryphal: the saying appears in modern quote collections rather than verifiable early Buddhist texts.
The line distills a Buddhist insight: change itself isn't the problem—clinging is. It points to how mental resistance turns natural flux into suffering and urges a practice of letting go. The saying is commonly credited to Gautama Buddha but lacks verification in primary Buddhist texts.
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is reliably attributed to William Arthur Ward across many quotation collections and author pages, though those sources are secondary rather than the original publication.
- What remains uncertain
- No primary publication or recording by Ward was identified in the provided search results, and minor wording variants appear across sources.
The line contrasts three ways people meet difficulty: gripe, wish, or act. Using a sailing image it reminds us that while we can't command the wind, we can change how we sail. It's a concise call to practical responsibility rooted in mid‑20th‑century American inspirational writing.
“You can't change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react to it.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is widely reproduced under Nicky Gumbel’s name on quotation websites, but no authenticated sermon, book, or verified social-media post has been located.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution is disputed: a Twitter post dated 11 March 2014 is cited in some datasets but has not been independently verified, and no earlier source has been established.
The line captures a simple power: you can’t control others, but you can control your response. It echoes ideas from Stoic practice and modern therapy that emphasize personal agency in how we interpret and react to events. Its brevity explains why it spreads as everyday advice.
“For us, compromise never means surrender, but a step forward and some rest. That is all and nothing else.”
Source: To Young Political Workers, 2 February 1931 · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The sentence appears verbatim in Bhagat Singh’s dated primary text “To Young Political Workers” (2 Feb 1931) and is preserved in archival editions.
Bhagat Singh reframes compromise as a tactical move: not surrender, but a deliberate step forward and brief rest to continue the struggle. The line appears in his dated 2 February 1931 piece “To Young Political Workers,” where he debates revolutionary strategy.
“We all get distracted, the question is, would you bounce back or bounce backwards?”
Source: Growing Apart (To Get Closer), song (lyrics) · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The line appears in published lyric transcriptions for Kendrick Lamar’s “Growing Apart (To Get Closer),” credited to him as performer and writer.
- What remains uncertain
- The exact wording supplied here is a variant/paraphrase of the transcribed lyric rather than a verbatim, independently verified quote.
This line frames distraction as a fork: it’s not neutral but a moment that can lead to recovery or to slipping back. It comes from Kendrick Lamar’s song “Growing Apart (To Get Closer),” where he weighs ambition, temptation and moral responsibility. The contrast turns a lyric into a prompt for action.
“What does not kill me makes me stronger.”
Source: Twilight of the Idols ("Maxims and Arrows", aphorism 8), 1889 · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The sentence appears as aphorism 8 in the “Maxims and Arrows” section of Twilight of the Idols, published 1889.
Nietzsche frames hardship as a possible crucible: suffering can be raw material for greater independence, creativity, or self-mastery, but only when actively transformed. The line appears in Twilight of the Idols (1889) among short maxims that challenge easy comforts.
“Meanings are not determined by situations, but we determine ourselves by the meanings we give to situations.”
Source: What Life Should Mean to You, p. 14 · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is traceable to Adler's What Life Should Mean to You, notably the sentence found on page 14 of English editions.
Adler argues that events don't fix our identity—our interpretations do. By assigning meaning to situations we shape motives and choices. This line appears in What Life Should Mean to You and captures his move from determinism to human agency.
“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.”
Source: McCall's interview, 1980 · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- A 1980 McCall's interview quotes Moore saying lines like “Pain nourishes my courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave,” and later collections expand the wording.
- What remains uncertain
- Evidence supports the quote’s substance from the interview, but the exact phrasing widely circulated comes mainly from secondary compilations rather than a verifiable primary transcript.
The line frames growth as something earned by taking risks and learning from mistakes: courage deepens through hardship rather than comfort. It reflects Mary Tyler Moore’s public message about resilience and is traced to a 1980 McCall's interview, though exact wording is partly disputed.
“There'll be ups and downs, smiles and frowns.”
Source: R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, Ups & Downs (2004) · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The line appears verbatim in the refrain of Snoop Dogg’s song Ups & Downs, released on R&G (2004).
The line captures life's duality—joys and struggles as one continuous path. In Snoop Dogg’s song “Ups & Downs” the refrain frames that truth as hard‑won family wisdom applied to love and hardship. It appears on R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004).
“The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door.”
Source: Women Who Run With the Wolves · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The phrasing is consistently attributed to Clarissa Pinkola Estés and is cited in connection with Women Who Run With the Wolves in reputable quote collections.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution is well established across sources, though the strongest confirmation would be a direct page citation from the book; the examined indexes reproduce the passage without a primary-page image.
Estés frames certain pains and longings as threshold experiences that grant access to the deeper, instinctive Self. The passage, associated with Women Who Run With the Wolves, suggests that scars, old stories, and intense longing can become openings to a more embodied, sane life.
“I never lose. Either I win or I learn.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- Contemporary fact‑checks find no reliable occurrence of this phrase in Mandela’s recorded speeches or writings.
- What remains uncertain
- Although widely credited to Mandela, the quote’s provenance is unverified; it should be treated as disputed or likely apocryphal.
The line captures a resilient outlook: when plans fail, you treat the setback as fuel for growth. It’s widely ascribed to Nelson Mandela but lacks a verifiable primary source—yet it remains popular as a leadership and perseverance motto.