By Maxime Lagacé
Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page.
Here are 100 of the best adversity quotes I could find. The goal? To inspire you and remind you that adversity is something you should accept and embrace. In fact, it’s often the exact thing we need to learn and grow. Enjoy!
Prosperity tries the fortunate, adversity the great. Rose Kennedy
Meaning follows courage. Maxime Lagacé
Stop seeking gratification and adversity won’t bother you anymore. Maxime Lagacé
Adversity reveals strength. Comfort reveals weakness. James Clear
Everyone goes through adversity in life, but what matters is how you learn from it. Lou Holtz
When you have a strong enough why, every type of adversity becomes irrelevant. Gal Shapira
The amount of growth you will experience in your life depends on how much uncertainty you can handle. Thibaut
With every adversity comes a blessing because a shock acts as a reminder to oneself that we must not get stale in routine. Bruce Lee
The easy path leads downhill. Jocko Willink
If you’re struggling, you’re learning. Jack Butcher
The highest level of wisdom is when you not only accept but love adversity. Maxime Lagacé
Heroes are heroes because they are heroic in behavior, not because they won or lost. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit. Napoleon Hill
Ask, ‘Why is this so unbearable? Why can’t I endure it?’ You’ll be embarrassed to answer. Marcus Aurelius
Only fools think they can grow feeling comfortable. Maxime Lagacé
Related
- 120 Never Give Up Quotes To Help You Try Again (And Again)
- 100 Resilience Quotes To Increase Mental Toughness
- 89 Determination Quotes To Be More Resolute
Enjoying the quotes so far?
Keep reading and you’ll discover even more great quotes by Bruce Lee, Einstein, Paulo Coelho, etc.
After all, the greatest minds in history have all been through adversity too.
How did they succeed?
By pushing hard even when it seems absurd and without hope.
In fact, once you have found something truly important to you, you’ll learn to be indifferent to discomfort. That’s the key to your success.
And please keep in mind: the adversity you’re facing is natural.
Life will throw adversity FOR you, not TO you.
Use it.
The Best Adversity Quotes
Audacity augments courage; hesitation, fear. Publilius Syrus
We find comfort among those who agree with us – growth among those who don’t. Frank A. Clark
Adversity introduces a man to himself. Albert Einstein
Don’t run towards failure but don’t run from it. John Cena
It’s easy to be mentally strong when things go well. But true mental strength becomes apparent in the midst of adversity. Amy Morin
It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop. Dieter F. Uchtdorf
So much joy comes from suffering in the name of something that matters to you. Tom Bilyeu
In the meantime, cling tooth and nail to the following rule: not to give in to adversity, not to trust prosperity, and always take full note of fortune’s habit of behaving just as she pleases. Marcus Aurelius
Adversity draws men together and produces beauty and harmony in life’s relationships, just as the cold of winter produces ice-flowers on the window-panes, which vanish with the warmth. Søren Kierkegaard
It turns out that adversity and failure are actually useful and even necessary for developing strong-minded and successful adults. Mark Manson (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Amazon book)
To not give a fuck about adversity, you must first give a fuck about something more important than adversity. Mark Manson
Adversity and failure are necessary for developing strong-minded and successful humans. Mark Manson
Adversity is an opportunity to show great character. Bad things are good things in disguise. Gal Shapira
Sometimes we are blessed with being able to choose the time, and the arena, and the manner of our revolution, but more usually we must do battle where we are standing. Audre Lorde
Adversity is always opportunity. @TheStoicEmperor
If you have a strong belief in yourself, in what you are doing and what you want to do, no adversity is too difficult to overcome. Napoleon Hill
Life gets better when you do things when you don’t “feel” like it because it’s good for future you. Greg Isenberg
Plants grow weak without wind. Maxime Lagacé
Do what is easy and your life will be hard. Do what is hard and your life will become easy. Les Brown
Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with our will being severely tested. Paulo Coelho
Adversity is the foundation of success. Gary Vaynerchuk
No resistance, no growth. Jack Butcher
Part 2. Adversity Quotes That Are…
The Most Famous Adversity Quotes
Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters. Victor Hugo
One needs adversaries to exist. Charles de Gaulle
Kites rise highest against the wind – not with it. Winston Churchill
Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful. Zig Ziglar
There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time. Malcolm X
Adversity often produces an unexpected opportunity. Look for it! Appreciate and utilize it! This is difficult to do if you’re feeling sorry for yourself because you’re faced with adversity. John Wooden
Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records. William Arthur Ward
Someone who is able to be happy even when confronted with difficulties, has the capacity to offer a sense of joy to herself and to others. Thich Nhat Hanh
Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way. Les Brown
The only thing in your control is your effort. That’s all and that’s everything. Mark Cuban
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present. Francis Bacon
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power. Abraham Lincoln
One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity. Albert Schweitzer
Adversity is the diamond dust Heaven polishes its jewels with. Thomas Carlyle
Adversity has the same effect on a man that severe training has on the pugilist: it reduces him to his fighting weight. Josh Billings
In prosperity it is very easy to find a friend; but in adversity it is most difficult of all things. Epictetus
I can bounce back from adversity and reinvent my life – it’s possible. Les Brown
Adversity always presents opportunities for introspection. Abdul Kalam
Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men. Seneca
Inspirational Adversity Quotes
The amateur avoids discomfort. The pro leans in. Maxime Lagacé
It’s often in crises that the biggest leaps in progress are made. Mark Manson
The more something scares you, the more you should do it. Mark Manson
The more you execute, the quieter the haters become. Anthony Pompliano
When facing a particular challenge, never dwell upon the difficulty of the circumstance you find yourself in. Instead, focus on the opportunities that this situation presents. Rhonda Byrne
I contend that not only can you laugh at adversity, but it is essential to do so if you are to deal with setbacks without defeat. Allen Klein
You always show up. When it rains, when it’s cold, when you feel bad, when something happens that gets in the way… You respect yourself enough to do what’s right regardless of adversity. Gal Shapira
The best performers are not consistently great, but they are great at being consistent. Steve Magness
Adversity can feed virtue like rain nourishes earth. @TheStoicEmperor
Adversity sharpens the blade of will. @TheStoicEmperor
The moment you realize that you can be energized by adversity just by laughing at it and moving forward is the day you are reborn. Adrian Iliapoulos
It’s a simple fact of life: if you want to do something incredible, something that makes you stand out above the rest, then you have to become comfortable being different – that means being misunderstood, criticized, even hated. Mark Manson
It’s often in crises that the biggest leaps in progress are made. Mark Manson
You are as big as the level of adversity you conquer. Gal Shapira
It is easy to do anything in victory. It is in defeat that a man reveals himself. Floyd Patterson
The challenge in front of you is an indication of the power within you. Steven Furtick
Trust yourself, ignore the doubters. Gal Shapira
Be so relentless that the haters have to respect the hustle. Anthony Pompliano
Any finish line is merely the start of the next race. John Cena
Related: 10 Ways Successful People Push Through Adversity (entrepreneur.com)
Wise Adversity Quotes
He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. Sun Tzu
Fools resist. The wise embrace. Maxime Lagacé
Learn to lose. This is arguably much more important than learning to win. Yvan Byeajee
If you watch how nature deals with adversity, continually renewing itself, you can’t help but learn. Bernie Siegel
Nothing will change unless you’ll get uncomfortable. Through discomfort solutions are found faster. Gal Shapira
Pain and adversity are powerful vehicles to promote personal growth. Nothing helps you learn, grow, and evolve more quickly. Nothing offers you as big an opportunity to reclaim more of your authentic power as a person. Richard Bach
Bravery is not the absence of fear. Bravery is feeling the fear, the doubt, the insecurity, and deciding that something else is more important. Mark Manson
Any experience — good or bad — can have value. Unlocking that value is determined by our choices. Mark Manson
To be happy we need something to solve. Happiness requires problems. Happiness is therefore a form of action; it’s an activity, not something that is passively bestowed upon you. Mark Manson
There is tremendous power in acceptance. To fully accept suffering and misfortune frees you from fear. @TheStoicEmperor
When this is all over, the middle path – the one we grew impatient of and bored with – is going to seem so deeply appealing. Alain de Botton
We don’t really learn anything properly until there is a problem, until we are in pain, until something fails to go as we had hoped … We suffer, therefore we think. Alain de Botton (How Proust Can Change Your Life, Amazon book)
The secret to winning is learning how to lose. That is, learning to bounce back from failure and disappointment — undeterred — and continuing to steadily march toward your potential. Your response to failure determines your capacity for success. James Clear
Complaining increases the weight of the burden. James Clear
I used to resent obstacles along the path, thinking, ‘If only that hadn’t happened life would be so good.’ Then I suddenly realized, life is the obstacles. There is no underlying path. Janna Levin
We should always be asking ourselves: “Is this something that is, or is not, in my control?” Epictetus
If adversity cannot bring the best in you, prosperity can never will. @Thenakedpoet2
In prosperity our friends know us; in adversity we know our friends. John Churton Collins
No exponential upside without volatility. Jack Butcher
Related: How to Be Patient (and Why It Matters) (healthline.com)
Part 3. Conclusion
In a time when everything goes well, my mind is pampered with enjoyment, possessiveness, etc. Only in times of adversity, privation, or mishap, does my mind function and think properly of my state. This close examination of self strengthens my mind and leads me to understand and be understood. Bruce Lee
Further Readings
- Topic: Motivation
- 100+ Powerful Motivational Quotes For Success
- 80 Hard Work Quotes To Bring Out The Best In Yourself
- 100 Courage Quotes That Will Make You Feel Bold
- “ADVERSITY IS THE FOUNDATION OF SUCCESS” – Gary Vaynerchuk Motivation (5-minute YouTube video)
- 129 Perseverance Quotes To Bring You Mental Endurance
- 61 Strength Quotes That Will Make You Strong
- How To Be Successful In Life
Hope you enjoyed these inspiring adversity quotes.
Sometimes just a few simple words are all you need to find motivation and inspiration.
If you did like the quotes, please share them with a friend today!
What’s your favorite adversity quote? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.
Table Of Contents
Part 1
Top 15 Images
Best Quotes
Part 2
Quotes That ARE
Famous
Inspirational
Wise
Part 3
Conclusion