Adversity Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old Adversity quotes, Adversity sayings, and Adversity proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.


A burden that one chooses is not feltt.      -- Italian (on self-reliance)
A hard beginning maketh a good ending.      -- John Heywood (c. 1497-1580)
A stumble is not a fall.      -- Haitian (on adversity)
A true champion believes in themselves when no one else does.      -- nosagirl05
Adversity is a gift.      -- unknown
Adversity makes strange bedfellows.      -- William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
Anyone can stand adversity but to test a person's character, give them power.      -- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
Constant dripping will wear away a stone.      -- Greek Proverb
Difficulties make you a jewel.      -- Japanese (on adversity)
Don't buy other people's problems.      -- Chinese (on buying and selling)
Don't let the critics get you down.      -- unknown
Every adversity carries with it the seed of equal or greater benefit.      -- Napolean Hill ()
Everybody makes mistakes.      -- unknown
Familiarity breeds contempt.      -- Aesop (c.620-560 BC)
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.      -- William Congreve (1670-1729)
If God wants people to suffer, he sends them too much understanding.      -- Yiddish (on balance and moderation)
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.      -- Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
If you would hit the mark, you must aim a little above it.      -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
Into every life a little rain must fall.      -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) "into each life some rain must fall."
It is better to give than to receive.      -- Jesus
It is the last straw that breaks the camel's back.      -- Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
It's not the end of the world.      -- unknown
Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do, doesn't mean it's useless.      -- Thomas Edison (1847-1931)
Kingdoms divided soon fall.      -- Bible (Matthew 12:25)
Life isn't all beer and skittles.      -- Thomas Chandler Haliburton (1796-1865)
Necessity never made a good bargain.      -- Ben Franklin (1706-1790)
No news is good news.      -- unknown
One man's beard is on fire; another man warms his hands on it.      -- Kashmiri (on perversity)
Out of adversity comes opportunity.      -- Ben Franklin (1706-1790)
Roll with the punches.      -- unknown
Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.      -- African Proverb
What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger.      -- unknown, thanks to Raymond who because of this saying is now invincible.
When you die, make others cry because you left something behind not because they lost something.      -- Submitter's name lost
When you fall into a pit, you either die or get out.      -- Chinese (on adversity)