56 Feeling Defeated Quotes to Motivate You and Help Pick Yourself Up

Feeling defeated can be a challenging and overwhelming experience. It's common to feel discouraged, unmotivated, and unsure of what to do when things go differently than planned. These 56 feeling defeated quotes will help you remember that it is a temporary state you can overcome and move forward.

Some feelings are sure to happen in one's life, and feeling defeated is one of those because where there is success, there is also failure. However, how you process this phase determines if you will rise and try again or wallow in self-pity.

Once you are defeated, it is advisable to acknowledge your feelings and allow yourself to experience and process them. If this is difficult to do yourself, there is nothing wrong with reaching out for support by talking to someone you trust about your feelings. You can also consider seeking professional help, such as a therapist or counselor.

Don't jump to conclusions and learn from your experiences to avoid similar setbacks in the future and grow as a person. Remember, feeling defeated does not reflect your worth as a person. With time, patience, persistence, and reading these 56 quotes, you can overcome this phase and emerge stronger on the other side.

Maya Angelou's quote: "We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated." | Image: AmoDays

Feeling Defeated Quotes to Remind You That You're Not a Failure

"Failure is another stepping stone to greatness." — Oprah Winfrey

"Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat." — Napoleon Hill

"Let me define a leader. He must have vision and passion and not be afraid of any problem. Instead, he should know how to defeat it. Most importantly, he must work with integrity." — A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

"Victory and defeat are a part of life, which are to be viewed with equanimity." — Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Oprah Winfrey's quote: "Failure is another stepping stone to greatness." | Image: AmoDays

"When you take risks, you learn that there will be times when you succeed, and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important." — Ellen DeGeneres

"It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default." — J. K. Rowling

"Failure is a part of the process. You just learn to pick yourself back up." — Michelle Obama

"Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly." — John F. Kennedy

Ellen DeGeneres' quote: "When you take risks, you learn that there will be times when you succeed, and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important." | Image: AmoDays

"There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period." — Brene Brown

"You've got to learn to survive a defeat. That's when you develop character." — Richard Nixon

"When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal." — Napoleon Hill

"Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out." — Benjamin Franklin

Brene Brown's quote: "There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period." | Image: AmoDays

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat." — Sun Tzu

"When I think about the negative things that happened in my life, I don't feel defeated; I feel stronger." ― Nadine Sadaka Boulos

"I have become convinced that God thoroughly enjoys fixing and saving things that are broken. That means that no matter how hurt and defeated you feel, no matter how badly you have been damaged, God can repair you. God can give anyone a second chance." ― Melody Carlson

"To smile when you are defeated means your defeat is already defeated!" ― Mehmet Murat Ildan

Sun Tzu's quote: "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat." | Image: AmoDays

Feeling Defeated Quotes to Inspire Resilience

"We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated." — Maya Angelou

"If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life." — Marcus Garvey

"There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age." — Sophia Loren

"Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent." — Marilyn vos Savant

Marcus Garvey's quote: "If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life." | Image: AmoDays

"A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits." — Richard M. Nixon

"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

"Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily." — Napoleon Bonaparte

"It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated... it is finished when it surrenders." — Ben Stein

Richard M. Nixon's quote: "A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits." | Image: AmoDays

"It is better to be defeated standing for a high principle than to run by committing subterfuge." — Grover Cleveland

"A good man would prefer to be defeated than to defeat injustice by evil means." — Sallust

"Truth cannot be defeated." — Edwin Louis Cole

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail." — Confucius

Grover Cleveland's quote: "It is better to be defeated standing for a high principle than to run by committing subterfuge." | Image: AmoDays

"Winners don't believe in fate like others do. They simply cannot accept defeat." — David Silva

"Children have a lesson adults should learn, to not be ashamed of failing, but to get up and try again. Most of us adults are so afraid, so cautious, so 'safe,' and therefore so shrinking and rigid and afraid that it is why so many humans fail. Most middle-aged adults have resigned themselves to failure." — Malcolm X

"When we give ourselves permission to fail, we, at the same time, give ourselves permission to excel." — Eloise Ristad

"There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope." — Bernard Williams

David Silva's quote: "Winners don't believe in fate like others do. They simply cannot accept defeat." | Image: AmoDays

"It's only when you risk failure that you discover things. When you play it safe, you're not expressing the utmost of your human experience." — Lupita Nyong'o

"Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality." — Bruce Lee

"Grind me, crush me, beat me / But low I shall not lie / I shall bounce back with much more fervor / And my zeal shall touch the sky…" ― Neelam Saxena Chandra

"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

Lupita Nyong'o's quote: "It's only when you risk failure that you discover things. When you play it safe, you're not expressing the utmost of your human experience." | Image: AmoDays

"You may lose battles, you may even lose wars, but you are really defeated and utterly annihilated if you lose faith and hope." ― Bangambiki Habyarimana

Feeling Defeated Quotes That Prove You're Not Alone

"As I grow older, much older, I will experience many things, and I will hit rock bottom again and again. Again and again I will suffer; again and again I will get back on my feet. I will not be defeated. I won't let my spirit be destroyed." ― Banana Yoshimoto

"A night of crying has silenced me. This morning it seems the whole world is against me. I've never before felt so barren, so empty. I've never before thought the daylight to be ... my enemy. My enemy." ― Shaun Hick

Bangambiki Habyarimana's quote: "You may lose battles, you may even lose wars, but you are really defeated and utterly annihilated if you lose faith and hope." | Image: AmoDays

"History has become littered with the broken souls of the defeated." ― Steven Redhead

"Just because I face a defeat does not mean I am defeated." ― Jeffrey Fry

"I kept waiting for this momentous breakdown, with everything crashing down in some spectacular show. What I didn't recognize, is that all along I had been crumbling slowly and quietly, like unfired clay. It's almost boring how unspectacular it is. Nothing earth shattering happened, in fact that's the problem; day after day nothing happens. You just feel incapable, unfocused, disorganized, and defeated. Make some strong coffee and get to work. You're not alone." ― Riitta Klint

"Even in this game, which was my last ray of hope. I met defeat." ― Shinobu Kaitani

"But I live, I live, with an absolutely continuous sense of failure. I am always defeated, always." ― Iris Murdoch

Steven Redhead's quote: "History has become littered with the broken souls of the defeated." | Image: AmoDays

"I don't necessarily sit around inviting life to knock me down, but when it does I don't wait around for an invitation to stand back up either." ― Craig D. Lounsbrough

"You will have to reconcile yourself, as I do, as Isabel does, to being the defeated." ― Philippa Gregory

Craig D. Lounsbrough's quote: "I don't necessarily sit around inviting life to knock me down, but when it does, I don't wait around for an invitation to stand back up either." | Image: AmoDays

To get over feeling defeated, you can start by writing a gratitude journal, which helps you keep track of why you need to be thankful. You can also take a break and rest to perform better or find a mentor to guide you and help you learn.

In addition, you need to let go of negative thoughts, self-talk, and emotions. They will only drain you further, leaving you worse at the end of the day. If you're reading this and you've had a tough day, these additional Snoopy quotes will remedy that.