50 Holding Grudges Quotes to Break Away from the Shackles of Resentment

Grudges are sneaky. They fester within us, making us view people and the world in a dark and disconnected way. We, however, do not need to live like that and can learn to forgive and let go. Read the following 50 quotes to find some motivation to do just that.

Many of us have been hurt by someone in our lives, and sometimes the pain is so bad that we keep it within us for weeks, months, and sometimes even years. No matter what we do, we can not seem to move on. This can impact our daily lives, making it difficult to trust people and form new relationships.

It can take time as we imagine what would have happened had this person or people not inflicted the pain. Forgiveness and moving on may seem near impossible.

However, there is always hope. Allow the following 50 quotes to help you remember that you can and will be free of your grudges sooner rather than later.

Drake’s quote: "Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Laugh when you can. Apologize when you should and let go of what you can't change." | Image: AmoDays

Quotes on Forgiveness and Making Mistakes

"A life lived without forgiveness is a prison." ― William Arthur Ward

"I'm a forgiver. I might not forget, but I forgive. My mother, father, and older brother always told me: 'Don't hold grudges. If you do that, you don't lower yourself down to your adversary. Just treat people the way you want to be treated.' I honestly think that's why I was able to survive and have some success." ― Monte Irvin

"Denial is a major component in the grudge-holding process. You can't eliminate a problem that you don't acknowledge." — Wood Butler

"Never hold a grudge. Forgive others, and they will probably forgive you, too." — Barbara A. Lewis

"I'm just a person who forgives and forgets. I have a hard time holding grudges." ― Zachery Ty Bryan

William Arthur Ward’s quote: "A life lived without forgiveness is a prison." | Image: AmoDays

"Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on." ― Criss Jami

"Holding a grudge will only cause you pain and suffering. Forgiveness frees you from the past and is for your benefit. Being the better person trumps falling into his or her same behavior pattern." — Deborah M. Parise

"Always remember that negative feelings and undue grudges will swallow you up, so be ready to forgive someone who, at any point in time, angered you." ― Dr. Prem Jagyasi

"My mother raised me to not hold grudges, so I rather forgive and let my tiny heart be at peace." ― Nitya Prakash

"We cannot embrace God's forgiveness if we are so busy clinging to past wounds and nursing old grudges." — T. D. Jakes

Criss Jami’s quote: "Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on." | Image: AmoDays

"Nursing a grudge only perpetuates the offender's power over you. He continues to live in your head, reinforcing your frustration, polluting your imagination with thoughts of getting even. Don't let him get away with that. He may or may not deserve forgiveness, but you deserve better than to waste your energy being angry at him. Letting go is the best revenge. Forgiveness is the identifying marker of the stronger party to the dispute. It is truly a favor you do yourself, not an undeserved gesture to the person who hurt you. Be kind to yourself and forgive." ― Harold S. Kushner

Quotes on the Side Effects of Holding a Grudge

"There is enough heartache and sorrow in this life without our adding to it through our own stubbornness, bitterness, and resentment." — Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"Holding a grudge will only consume you, your judgment toward others and the individuals around you." — Brad Taylor

"Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." — Buddha

"You can never reach closure or peace with a situation until you stop holding grudges." — Bonnie Eaker Weil

Raymond Wells’ quote: "Never hold a grudge within your heart and mind. It will only destroy you." | Image: AmoDays

"Grudges seldom hurt anyone except the one bearing them." — Sherrilyn Kenyon

"Never hold a grudge within your heart and mind. It will only destroy you." — Raymond Wells

"Holding a grudge is letting someone live rent-free in your head!" — Miriam Mukasa

"Resentments and grudges are two of the main culprits that perpetuate cycles of self-abuse and victimhood." — Debbie Ford

"Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Laugh when you can. Apologize when you should and let go of what you can't change." — Drake

Nelson Mandela’s quote: "Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies." | Image: AmoDays

"Holding a grudge will only affect you. The other person might not even care about the fact that you resent him/her." — Foster J. Pickton

"Holding a grudge will only destroy yourself. To forgive will cleanse it." — Mark McCallister

"There is enough heartache and sorrow in this life without our adding to it through our own stubbornness, bitterness, and resentment." — Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"Do not bear grudges. A heart full of grudges can never be fulfilled." ― Gift Gugu Mona

"He who holds grudges against other people or hatred in his heart will never be truly happy until he has forgiven and let go of that anger by the best possible means." — John Lennon

Debbie Ford's quote: "Resentments and grudges are two of the main culprits that perpetuate cycles of self-abuse and victimhood." | Image: AmoDays

"Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies." — Nelson Mandela

Life Is Short Quotes

"To be fair, life is too short. There is no point holding grudges or anything like that." — Ant McPartlin

"Life is too short for long-term grudges." — Elon Musk

"Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs." ― Charlotte Bronte

"I believe that life is short, and there is too much time wasted bearing grudges, and I like to move on." ― Sam Taylor-Johnson

Ant McPartlin's quote: "To be fair, life is too short. There is no point holding grudges or anything like that." | Image: AmoDays

Quotes on How Holding Grudges Weighs Us Down

"Forgiveness isn't for the other person. It's for you. Holding a grudge gets heavy and depletes energy. Forgiveness offloads excess baggage, freeing us to live light." ― Laurie Buchanan

"There's enormous energy required to carry grudges - enormous energy! And I'm getting too old to expend my energy that way cause I think every person has a limited amount of energy. So I have given up all grudges." ― Ed Koch

"Resentment and holding grudges are impediments to growth." — Donna Kendall

"Holding grudges, having animosity, or harboring bad feelings towards someone else will keep you anchored to your past and prevent you from attaining all of the success that awaits you in your future." — Lionel L. Nowell

"Holding grudges or resentments stops energy from flowing." — Edward J. Langan

More Quotes on Grudges

Liane Moriarty’s quote: They say it's good to let your grudges go, but I don't know, I'm quite fond of my grudge. I tend it like a little pet." | Image: AmoDays

"To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it." ― Confucius

"There are certain grudges that are every bit as irrational as they are uplifting. A person must protect them at all costs, especially in old age." ― Jonathan Lee

"The idea of letting go of the grudge is to deal with the pain without re-traumatizing self." — Ryan Kent

"In wider spaces, people bearing historical grudges with each other were separated by the muting qualities of distance." ― Tim Cope

"They say it's good to let your grudges go, but I don't know, I'm quite fond of my grudge. I tend it like a little pet." — Liane Moriarty

Rahul Vaidya’s quote: "I don't have the patience and the strength to hold on to the grudges." | Image: AmoDays

"No matter what happens, never hold grudges. Grudges are the worst things in life. No matter if that grudge is justified, it's the poison that kills entire cities." — Pepper Winters

"Holding a grudge against someone means you think you know what they deserve, and you take it upon yourself to give it to them." — Timothy Keller

"Resentment and grudges are things we dare not collect in our spirits, for they will spoil and rot, producing poison that will contaminate our words as well as our actions." — Rick Orrell

"I learned a long time ago that you need to bury the hatchet. No need to hold grudges. That only weighs you down." — Ken Shamrock

Confucius’ quote: “To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it." | Image: AmoDays

"Too heavy to carry grudges, she leaves love and hope droplets wherever she goes." ― Melody Lee

"You will never hold grudges when you know that your blessings are better than your bitterness." ― Thandazo Perfect Khumalo

"I was not a forgiving person. I latched onto grudges and raised them like a favorite pet, never forgetting to feed them, entertain them, and keep them company." ― Parker S. Huntington

"I don't have the patience and the strength to hold on to the grudges." — Rahul Vaidya

"Holding grudges only exacerbates the situation." — Mark Boynton

Elon Musk’s quote: "Life is too short for long-term grudges." | Image: AmoDays

While these quotes are inspiring and motivating, it is, unfortunately, easier said than done to let go of some of the pain in our lives. This is why it's always good to rely on the support of others, be it family, friends, and, if you genuinely feel traumatized by an incident in your past, perhaps a mental health professional.

Of course, to do this, you would have to begin opening up to people once again; a difficult step to take if you have trust issues, but perhaps the first one to a brighter future. To help you take this step, read these 83 quotes to address your trust issues.