--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The hardest thing in life is to know…" description: "\"The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn.\" — Anonymous" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/anonymous-1_bridge_the-hardest-thing-in-life-is-to-know-whi_2358851.jpg" --- # The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross… ![“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/anonymous-1_bridge_the-hardest-thing-in-life-is-to-know-whi_2358851.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/anonymous-1_bridge_the-hardest-thing-in-life-is-to-know-whi_2358851.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/anonymous-1_bridge_the-hardest-thing-in-life-is-to-know-whi_2358851.jpg) > “The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing which relationships to maintain or end is a crucial life skill. **In simple terms:** Decide which bridges to keep or destroy. Key Takeaway Prioritize healthy connections. Themes relationships decision‑making growth Mood thoughtful determined Type advice reflective When to use this quote - career moves - friendship circles - family boundaries - personal projects Key Concepts psychology life strategy Questions to Reflect On - What criteria guide your bridge decisions? - How do you heal after a bridge is burned? A Different Perspective Burning bridges can cause regret. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridge/) [Bridge Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridge-cross-942602/) [Hardest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardest/) [Hardest thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardest-thing/) [Know Bridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-bridge-3401492/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [“Sometimes the hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/sometimes-the-hardest-thing-in-life-is-to-know-which-bridge-to-cross/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Children and geniuses know that there is no bridge, only the water that lets itself be crossed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-char/children-and-geniuses-know-that-there-is-no-bridge-only-the-water/) [René Char](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-char/) > [“Most people see those who help them as a bridge; they cross the bridge and move on, without even looking back! To sincerely stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/most-people-see-those-who-help-them-as-a-bridge-they-cross-the-bridge/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Life is a bridge. Cross over it, but build no house on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-chatwin/life-is-a-bridge-cross-over-it-but-build-no-house-on-it/) [Bruce Chatwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-chatwin/) > [Your mouth on mine our bridge to cross and serve where we would go. Utopia of sensations the flesh could never know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanna-bonta/your-mouth-on-mine-our-bridge-to-cross-and-serve-where-we-would-go/) [Vanna Bonta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanna-bonta/) > [When you don't forgive you break the bridge that him himself must cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-don-t-forgive-you-break-the-bridge-that-him-himself-must/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ “Understanding’s not enough. Understanding’s from outside; merely a function of the mind. \[. . .\] To enter, that’s the secret. To become the bridge,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-fisher/understanding-s-not-enough-understanding-s-from-outside-merely-a/) [Catherine Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-fisher/) > [That is the hardest thing of all. It is much harder to judge yourself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-is-the-hardest-thing-of-all-it-is-much-harder-to-judge-yourself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Losing Someone You Love Is The Hardest Thing Anyone Could Go Through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-you-love-is-the-hardest-thing-anyone-could-go-through/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The hardest thing I'll ever have to do, is to keep my true feelings for you buried inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-hardest-thing-i-ll-ever-have-to-do-is-to-keep-my-true-feelings/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The hardest thing in the world is seeing someone and acting like they didn't once mean the world to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-hardest-thing-in-the-world-is-seeing-someone-and-acting-like-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The hardest things to let go of are the things you never really had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-hardest-things-to-let-go-of-are-the-things-you-never-really-had/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The hardest thing ever is to whatch the one you love fall in love with someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-hardest-thing-ever-is-to-whatch-the-one-you-love-fall-in-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the hardest things in life is having love in your heart that you can't utter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-hardest-things-in-life-is-having-love-in-your-heart-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The two hardest things to contemplate in life ... are failure and age; those are one and the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-two-hardest-things-to-contemplate-in-life-are-failure-and-age/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Bridge quotes > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [“Art is what gets us beyond what is real. It makes reality more real. It also shortens the distance we gotta travel to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-pritchett/art-is-what-gets-us-beyond-what-is-real-it-makes-reality-more-real-it/) [Laura Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-pritchett/) > [People who have lost relationships often wonder why they can't just let it be water under the bridge. It is water under the bridge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-fairley/people-who-have-lost-relationships-often-wonder-why-they-can-t-just/) [Grant Fairley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-fairley/) > [Telling your story is transformative. For both the storyteller and their audience, a new bridge to understanding is created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-burton/telling-your-story-is-transformative-for-both-the-storyteller-and/) [Susan Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-burton/) > [The real test of a bridge player isn’t in keeping out of trouble, but in escaping once he’s in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-sheinwold/the-real-test-of-a-bridge-player-isn-t-in-keeping-out-of-trouble-but/) [Alfred Sheinwold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-sheinwold/) > [“Mr Benz, the parapet of an Italian bridge doesn’t look like the proper place for you,” said Chase.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefania-mattana/mr-benz-the-parapet-of-an-italian-bridge-doesn-t-look-like-the-proper/) [Stefania Mattana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefania-mattana/) > [I find that it's best to take one step at a time and cross each bridge as they come to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stuhlbarg/i-find-that-it-s-best-to-take-one-step-at-a-time-and-cross-each/) [Michael Stuhlbarg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stuhlbarg/) > [“Houses built on bridges are scandals. A bridge wants to not be. If it could choose its shape, a bridge would be no shape,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-mi-ville/houses-built-on-bridges-are-scandals-a-bridge-wants-to-not-be-if-it/) [China Miéville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-mi-ville/) > [Bridge the gap with closed minds though careful dissection of ideas and solid presentation of fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximillian-degenerez/bridge-the-gap-with-closed-minds-though-careful-dissection-of-ideas/) [Maximillian Degenerez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximillian-degenerez/) > [I remember, many years ago, coming over the Brooklyn Bridge in the night and seeing the skyline of Manhattan, with the Twin Towers. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/i-remember-many-years-ago-coming-over-the-brooklyn-bridge-in-the/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [My parents wielded disposal cameras and Polaroids with the best of them, occasionally begging for at least one decent photo of my brother and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pilon/my-parents-wielded-disposal-cameras-and-polaroids-with-the-best-of/) [Mary Pilon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pilon/) > [“Love is a bridge between your future and mine. A bridge constructed entirely out of trust, honesty, and in our case, wooden planks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/love-is-a-bridge-between-your-future-and-mine-a-bridge-constructed/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [What I do is I'm trying to bridge the gap between yoga and fitness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-ingber/what-i-do-is-i-m-trying-to-bridge-the-gap-between-yoga-and-fitness/) [Mandy Ingber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-ingber/) > [Historically, Hong Kong has served as an important bridge between China and the world. Our freedoms, stability and the rule of law have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/historically-hong-kong-has-served-as-an-important-bridge-between/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [Tower Bridge would make a cool house. I like the idea of living over the river.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-broad/tower-bridge-would-make-a-cool-house-i-like-the-idea-of-living-over/) [Stuart Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-broad/) [Browse all 736 Bridge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridge/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-hardest-thing-in-life-is-to-know-which-bridge-to-cross-and-which/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bridge" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-hardest-thing-in-life-is-to-know-which-bridge-to-cross-and-which/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/anonymous-1_bridge_the-hardest-thing-in-life-is-to-know-whi_2358851.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/anonymous-1_bridge_the-hardest-thing-in-life-is-to-know-whi_2358851.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/anonymous-1_bridge_the-hardest-thing-in-life-is-to-know-whi_2358851.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn.” — Anonymous", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The hardest thing in life is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-hardest-thing-in-life-is-to-know-which-bridge-to-cross-and-which/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-hardest-thing-in-life-is-to-know-which-bridge-to-cross-and-which/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```