43 Feeling Defeated Quotes to Lift Your Spirits
Life is full of tough times and better times. Sometimes we feel so defeated that we can’t go on, and other times we miraculously find the strength to carry on and smile again. You might fail a test in your master’s program, or you might get a poor performance rating at work. You may feel like you’re at the end of your rope, but many times it’s necessary to hold your head high and keep trudging along because there is no time for self-pity.
We all have low times like this, so I’d like to share these 43 inspirational feeling defeated quotes to lift your spirits during challenging times and help you shine authentically again. Put these quotes in a safe place and reach for them the next time you are feeling defeated!
Key Takeaways
- Embrace setbacks as the first step toward eventual success and recognize your own strength to overcome feelings of defeat.
- Step out of your comfort zone to confront challenges, armed with the wisdom of these empowering and inspirational quotes.
What are Feelings of Defeat?
Feeling defeated encompasses a complex emotional state that arises when you experience setbacks, disappointments, or failures. There are different kinds of feelings of defeat:
- Subjective Defeat: This occurs when you feel mentally drained or emotionally beaten. It might result from personal struggles, unmet expectations, negative self-talk — or even excessive fatigue. For instance, struggling to perfect a new hobby or facing repeated rejection can evoke feelings of defeat. In these situations, it’s essential to recognize that setbacks are part of life’s journey and feeling defeated is not the end of your story. You can overcome these feelings.
- Literal Defeat: Literal defeat refers to tangible losses or failures. Imagine losing first place in a competition, falling short despite standing up for something, or facing a series of rejections from job applications. These concrete experiences can lead to feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness. However, it’s crucial to remember that setbacks don’t define your entire narrative. The story isn’t over until you decide it’s over; there’s always room for growth and redemption. You can keep going.
When feeling defeated, consider strategies like practicing meditation, seeking support, and reframing your mindset. Remember that setbacks are opportunities for learning and growth, and they don’t diminish your potential for future victories.
Feeling defeated quotes can also lift your spirits when you feel inadequate. So, let’s look at 43 of the best quotes for feeling defeated and shifting your mindset.
Feeling Defeated Quotes from Inspirational Leaders (14)
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
Albert Einstein
“What defines us is how well we rise after falling.”
Zig Ziglar
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
Mark Twain
“Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep going. Tough situations build strong people in the end.”
Roy T. Bennett
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’”
Eleanor Roosevelt
“You are not your circumstances. You are your possibilities. If you know that, you can do anything.”
Oprah Winfrey
“You are not a victim. No matter what you have been through, you’re still here. You may have been challenged, hurt, betrayed, beaten, and discouraged, but nothing has defeated you. You are still here! You have been delayed but not denied. You are not a victim, you are a victor. You have a history of victory.”
Steve Maraboli
“You are not defeated when you lose. You are defeated when you quit.”
Paulo Coelho
“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
“You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed or unworthy. We were created to be victorious.”
Joel Osteen
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
Maya Angelou
“Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.”
Marilyn vox Savant
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Quotes about Feeling Defeated from Around the World (9)
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston S. Churchill
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. Defeat is a detour, not a dead-end.”
Nelson Mandela
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
Confucius
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.”
Japanese Proverb
“You become strong by defying defeat and by turning loss into gain and failure to success.”
Napoleon Bonaparte
“Victory is not final. Defeat is not failure. It’s all about courage.”
Winston Churchill
“Anyone can deal with victory. Only the mighty can bear defeat.”
Adolf Hitler
“Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.”
Bruce Lee
“The one who has conquered himself is a far greater hero than he who has defeated a thousand times a thousand men.”
Buddha
More Uplifting Quotes for When You Feel Defeated (10)
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
Napoleon Hill
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
Vince Lombardi
“The greatest test of courage on the earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”
R.G. Ingersoll
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”
Henry Ford
“Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”
Muhammad Ali
“Defeat doesn’t finish a man, quit does. A man is not finished when he’s defeated. He’s finished when he quits.”
Richard M. Nixon
“Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
Ernest Hemingway
“If you haven’t confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started.”
Marcus Garvey
“It is better to be defeated standing for a high principle than to run by committing subterfuge.”
Grover Cleveland
“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is, something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.”
Christian C. Larson
Short Inspirational Quotes about Feeling Defeated (10)
“The comeback is always stronger than the setback.” — Catherine Plano
“Defeat isn’t bitter if you don’t swallow it.” — Grenville Kleiser
“Defeat begins with the fear that one has lost.” — Kaba Abe
“Defeat your fears and you can never be defeated.” — Jeffrey Fry
“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald
“In the end, everything will be okay. If it’s not okay, it’s not yet the end.” — Fernando Sabino
“Hope is the last thing a person does before they are defeated.” — Henry Rollins
“Defeat never comes to any man until he admits it.” — Josephus Daniels
“To be defeated and yet not surrender, is victory.” — Jozef Pilsudski
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
Final Thoughts: Feeling Defeated Quotes
In conclusion, these feeling defeated quotes should serve as a guiding light in moments of despair, reminding you that setbacks are merely the first step toward eventual triumph. I hope they empower you to embrace your own strength and acknowledge that within every feeling of defeat lies the potential for growth and resilience.
These words of wisdom should propel you beyond the confines of your comfort zone and prepare you for the next challenge with renewed determination, empowerment, and lasting hope.
The last thing I’d like to remind you about is we all have bad days where we hit rock bottom. However, I encourage you to be your own sunshine to see through the feelings of defeat and find the motivation to rise and shine like the rock star that you are!
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Love to ALL! ~ Susan
