--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hope had stolen into his life just as he…" description: "\"“Hope had stolen into his life just as he was growing comfortable with despair.”\" — David Leavitt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/068/david-leavitt-25573_despair_hope-had-stolen-into-his-life-just-as-he_407672.jpg" --- # Hope had stolen into his life just as he was growing… ![“Hope had stolen into his life just as he was growing comfortable with despair.” quote by David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/068/david-leavitt-25573_despair_hope-had-stolen-into-his-life-just-as-he_407672.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/068/david-leavitt-25573_despair_hope-had-stolen-into-his-life-just-as-he_407672.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/068/david-leavitt-25573_despair_hope-had-stolen-into-his-life-just-as-he_407672.jpg) > ““Hope had stolen into his life just as he was growing comfortable with despair.”” [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hope appears unexpectedly when one is accustomed to hopelessness, offering a chance for renewal. **In simple terms:** Hope arrives when despair feels safe. Key Takeaway Embrace hope when comfort turns to gloom. Themes hope despair renewal Mood reflective optimistic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - creative block - relationship recovery - mental health therapy Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - Can you identify moments when hope entered unexpectedly? - How does hope change your perception of despair? A Different Perspective Hope can be fragile and may not resolve underlying issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) ## Related quotes > [“To not know what to do during the vacations is just a proof that society and the school system has stolen your life from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/to-not-know-what-to-do-during-the-vacations-is-just-a-proof-that/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [I could hear the knock and whistle of the water pipes, the purr of the calico cat. And at that moment a happiness filled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/i-could-hear-the-knock-and-whistle-of-the-water-pipes-the-purr-of-the/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [“If Erik existed and lived life in despair, We wish him to know we are here and we care.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/if-erik-existed-and-lived-life-in-despair-we-wish-him-to-know-we-are/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [Boast is always a cry of despair, except in the young it is a cry of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-berenson/boast-is-always-a-cry-of-despair-except-in-the-young-it-is-a-cry-of/) [Bernard Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-berenson/) > [Knowing that all things contrary to God's laws are transient, let us avoid despair and radiate hope for a warless world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/knowing-that-all-things-contrary-to-god-s-laws-are-transient-let-us/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [I love because I know how it feels like not to be loved. I am humbled for what I have and for who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/i-love-because-i-know-how-it-feels-like-not-to-be-loved-i-am-humbled/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [You have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/you-have-to-maintain-a-fine-balance-between-hope-and-despair/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [“Even my Buddhist friends have been feeling despair and when they go bad, you know the end is nigh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/even-my-buddhist-friends-have-been-feeling-despair-and-when-they-go/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How rarely do our emotions meet the object they seem to deserve? How hopelessly we signal; how dark the sky; how big the waves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/how-rarely-do-our-emotions-meet-the-object-they-seem-to-deserve-how/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [Your spirit is the part of you that seeks meaning and purpose. It's the part drawn to hope, that will not give in to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/your-spirit-is-the-part-of-you-that-seeks-meaning-and-purpose-it-s/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [Things aren't what they used to be' is the rallying cry of small minds. When men say things used to be better, they invariably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/things-aren-t-what-they-used-to-be-is-the-rallying-cry-of-small-minds/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [It is perhaps my greatest hope, Mr. President, that some day we'll consider tax and spending measures with no one else in mind but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/it-is-perhaps-my-greatest-hope-mr-president-that-some-day-we-ll/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“She searched her mind for a single day when it had felt good to be alive. There must have been one, surely?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-abbott/she-searched-her-mind-for-a-single-day-when-it-had-felt-good-to-be/) [Rachel Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-abbott/) > [“As ofttimes as it rains on my little spot of earth, you'd think I'd grow accustomed to the gloom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/as-ofttimes-as-it-rains-on-my-little-spot-of-earth-you-d-think-i-d/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) ## More by David Leavitt > [The Term Paper Artist' represents two models of writing, one of the little boy bouncing his ball, generating stories for the sheer pleasure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/the-term-paper-artist-represents-two-models-of-writing-one-of-the/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [I could hear the knock and whistle of the water pipes, the purr of the calico cat. And at that moment a happiness filled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/i-could-hear-the-knock-and-whistle-of-the-water-pipes-the-purr-of-the/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [Childhood smells of perfume and brownies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/childhood-smells-of-perfume-and-brownies/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [It was an instinct to put the world in order that powered her mending split infinitives and snipping off dangling participles, smoothing away the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/it-was-an-instinct-to-put-the-world-in-order-that-powered-her-mending/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [In a memoir, I think, the contract implies a certain degree of truth. I think you have to be as true to your memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/in-a-memoir-i-think-the-contract-implies-a-certain-degree-of-truth-i/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [Obviously any fiction is going to be a combination of what is invented, what is overheard, what is experienced, what is experienced by people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/obviously-any-fiction-is-going-to-be-a-combination-of-what-is/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [“Cautiously his foot explored, wiggled as it could, and finally felt warm flesh under the pants leg.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/cautiously-his-foot-explored-wiggled-as-it-could-and-finally-felt/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [It is so common to write autobiographical fiction in which your own experience is thinly disguised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/it-is-so-common-to-write-autobiographical-fiction-in-which-your-own/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [“Sometimes I think you are doomed to happiness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/sometimes-i-think-you-are-doomed-to-happiness/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [“She looked toward the window, smiling away her life”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/she-looked-toward-the-window-smiling-away-her-life/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [We all spend so much time worrying about the future that the present moment slips right out of our hands. And so all we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/we-all-spend-so-much-time-worrying-about-the-future-that-the-present/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [“Sex, my darling, is often the least important part of a passion. You'll learn that when you get older. - Maria Luisa (Tushi) Strauss”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/sex-my-darling-is-often-the-least-important-part-of-a-passion-you-ll/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [When one writer tries to silence another, he silences every writer-and in the end he also silences himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/when-one-writer-tries-to-silence-another-he-silences-every-writer-and/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [You are not supposed to get it. It's a paradox. All of mathematics is built on paradoxes. That's the biggest paradox of all-all this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/you-are-not-supposed-to-get-it-it-s-a-paradox-all-of-mathematics-is/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [I think it's very funny that someone would exaggerate to make himself look worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/i-think-it-s-very-funny-that-someone-would-exaggerate-to-make-himself/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) [Explore all 22 David Leavitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) ## More Despair quotes > [“As ofttimes as it rains on my little spot of earth, you'd think I'd grow accustomed to the gloom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/as-ofttimes-as-it-rains-on-my-little-spot-of-earth-you-d-think-i-d/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“She searched her mind for a single day when it had felt good to be alive. There must have been one, surely?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-abbott/she-searched-her-mind-for-a-single-day-when-it-had-felt-good-to-be/) [Rachel Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-abbott/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [Your spirit is the part of you that seeks meaning and purpose. It's the part drawn to hope, that will not give in to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/your-spirit-is-the-part-of-you-that-seeks-meaning-and-purpose-it-s/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [My God, whose son, as on this night, took on Him the form of man, and for man vouchsafed to suffer and bleed, controls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/my-god-whose-son-as-on-this-night-took-on-him-the-form-of-man-and-for/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [The modernist writers found despair inspirational.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-modernist-writers-found-despair-inspirational/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The skin and shell of things Though fair are not Thy wish nor prayer but got My meer despair of wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/the-skin-and-shell-of-things-though-fair-are-not-thy-wish-nor-prayer/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [“A fine setting for a fit of despair,” it occurred to him, “if I were only standing here by accident instead of design.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/a-fine-setting-for-a-fit-of-despair-it-occurred-to-him-if-i-were-only/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Enough for this bow & arrow. It caused me nothing but sorrow. No need for another tomorrow. In your heart, I will never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louaiq8/enough-for-this-bow-arrow-it-caused-me-nothing-but-sorrow-no-need-for/) Louaiq8 > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Do not consider despair as a thick and high wall standing on your way; it is just a darkness and you can still walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/do-not-consider-despair-as-a-thick-and-high-wall-standing-on-your-way/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an impossible aim. It is, one is told, the unforgivable sin, but it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/despair-is-the-price-one-pays-for-setting-oneself-an-impossible-aim/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [A speculative despair is unpardonable where it our duty to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/a-speculative-despair-is-unpardonable-where-it-our-duty-to-act/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I have noticed that there is no dissatisfaction like that of the rich. Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Browse all 3,181 Despair quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Hope had stolen into his life just as he was growing comfortable with despair.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Leavitt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/hope-had-stolen-into-his-life-just-as-he-was-growing-comfortable-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Despair" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/hope-had-stolen-into-his-life-just-as-he-was-growing-comfortable-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/068/david-leavitt-25573_despair_hope-had-stolen-into-his-life-just-as-he_407672.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/068/david-leavitt-25573_despair_hope-had-stolen-into-his-life-just-as-he_407672.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/068/david-leavitt-25573_despair_hope-had-stolen-into-his-life-just-as-he_407672.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Hope had stolen into his life just as he was growing comfortable with despair.” — David Leavitt", "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": "David Leavitt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Hope had stolen into his life...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/hope-had-stolen-into-his-life-just-as-he-was-growing-comfortable-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/hope-had-stolen-into-his-life-just-as-he-was-growing-comfortable-with/#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 } } ] } ```