Sad Quotes When Life Really Sucks

How to Deal With Sadness When Life Hands You a Bad Set of Cards

Sometimes, life is just unfair. You play by the rules of the game, yet you get shortchanged. When you are at the pinnacle of happiness, life takes away what you hold dear. Do you feel angry and frustrated about this turn of fate? Do you want to scream your head off at some invisible force that seems to override all your dreams?

Love and friendship have an intimate relationship with pain and sorrow. The loss of a beloved or a true friend is incomparable. When life deals you a crushing blow, you may find it difficult to accept your fate and move on. You will want to question why you were the unlucky one. While it is okay to feel dejected, don't allow self-pity to break your spirit. 

If you are feeling let down and low, here are top 10 sad quotes that help to express your grief. Use these quotes to vent your frustrations. Share your pain with your near and dear ones, so that they can help you cope with your sorrow. 

01
of 10

John Greenleaf Whittier

Sadness
Credit: Frank Huster/Getty Images

"For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.'"

Regret is not a happy place, and you don't want to go there. It is best to put the past behind you and move on. Life offers new opportunities to those who seek it. This quote by John Whittier hits home the point that regret brings about lifetime sadness.

02
of 10

Clive Barker


"Any fool can be happy. It takes a man with real heart to make beauty out of the stuff that makes us weep."

English writer and film director Clive Barker tells you that happiness is a fool's prerogative. If you want to find inner beauty, look towards sad souls. They can reach deep within and bring out the best.

03
of 10

Paulo Coelho


"Tears are words that need to be written."

The famous author of the book, The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho is considered a legendary writer with a spiritual touch. His words have a tenderness that touches your heart and makes you feel safe.

04
of 10

Winston Churchill


Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong.

It's lonely at the top. When you are alone, you learn to fend for yourself. Lonely people hardly have friends, but they are the ones who are driven to achieve success. These are words from Britain's greatest politician, Winston Churchill.

05
of 10

Marcus Aurelius


Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears.

According to Marcus Aurelius, pain is a perception. If you choose to ignore the pain and focus on moving on, you will not feel the pain. When the pain disappears, the hurting heart learns to mend itself.

06
of 10

Wendy Wunder, The Probability of Miracles


"This is what it felt like to have a broken heart. It felt less like a cracking down the middle and more like she had swallowed it whole and it sat bruised and bleeding in the pit of her stomach."

Those who have been left broken hearted, or abandoned would know how it feels to suffer a heartbreak. This quote brings to mind the acute sadness you must have felt when you were surrounded by grief. Wendy Wunder uses the right words to evoke sadness in your heart.

07
of 10

Haruki Murakami


"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional."

Often when we feel rejected, or unlucky, we suffer the sadness and humiliation. We torment ourselves by asking, "Why me!" A prudent person, however, would choose to focus on how to improve the situation. Suffering does not lead to positive outcomes. While we cannot control fate, and things that happen to us, we can easily control how we respond to the situation. This quote is by the famous Japanese writer Haruki Murakami.

08
of 10

Taraji P. Henson


"Every human walks around with a certain kind of sadness. They may not wear it on their sleeves, but it's there if you look deep." 

A deeply introspective quote, this one from American actress Taraji Henson reflects on the thought that you can't experience happiness if you have never been sad. Sadness exists within every heart. It is up to you how you want to express it.

09
of 10

Wizard of Oz


"Hearts will never be practical until they are made unbreakable."

The Wizard of Oz is full of truisms, and metaphors about life. Every character in the movie is on a journey of self-discovery. This quote is an allusion to the fragile nature of heart and how it can easily be broken with harsh words.

10
of 10

Yoko Ono


"Experiencing sadness and anger can make you feel more creative, and by being creative, you can get beyond your pain or negativity."

Second wife of John Lennon, Yoko Ono is a celebrated filmmaker and peace activist. This quote reveals that sadness can be channeled to release your creativity. You may discover your hidden potential if you channel your sadness.