---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She has been hanging on to the hope of…"
description: "\"She has been hanging on to the hope of him for so long that she doesn't realize there isn't anything left to hope for.\" — David Levithan"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/david-levithan-67_hanging-on_she-has-been-hanging-on-to-the-hope-of-h_1354568.jpg"
---

#  She has been hanging on to the hope of him for so long…

![“She has been hanging on to the hope of him for so long that she doesn't realize there isn't anything left to hope for.” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/david-levithan-67_hanging-on_she-has-been-hanging-on-to-the-hope-of-h_1354568.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/david-levithan-67_hanging-on_she-has-been-hanging-on-to-the-hope-of-h_1354568.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/david-levithan-67_hanging-on_she-has-been-hanging-on-to-the-hope-of-h_1354568.jpg)

> “She has been hanging on to the hope of him for so long that she doesn't realize there isn't anything left to hope for.”

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Prolonged hope can become empty when reality offers nothing left to anticipate.

**In simple terms:** Hope can become hollow.

Key Takeaway

Recognize when hope is futile.

Themes

hope despair illusion relationships growth

Mood

melancholic introspective

Type

literary emotional

When to use this quote

- breakup
- long‑term unreciprocated love
- personal recovery
- mental health counseling

Key Concepts

emotional dependence psychological stagnation

Questions to Reflect On

- When does hope become harmful?
- How to shift from false hope to acceptance?

A Different Perspective

Hope may be necessary for motivation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/)

## Related quotes

> [By a thread we're hanging on In the hope you don't let go. If you ever leave me know I wanna go with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-cole/by-a-thread-we-re-hanging-on-in-the-hope-you-don-t-let-go-if-you-ever/)

[Cheryl Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-cole/)

> [“Even though we knew she was going to die eventually, when it happened it was still a terrible, rude shock. I thought I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-edelman/even-though-we-knew-she-was-going-to-die-eventually-when-it-happened/)

[Hope Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-edelman/)

> [“Once you are left with no hope, it is hope you are left with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-kripal/once-you-are-left-with-no-hope-it-is-hope-you-are-left-with/)

Deepak Kripal

> [I have hope for you, if only because you're the only one left to hope for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-have-hope-for-you-if-only-because-you-re-the-only-one-left-to-hope/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [Everyone else has left before. I hope you'll be the one who decides to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proudlesbian/everyone-else-has-left-before-i-hope-you-ll-be-the-one-who-decides-to/)

ProudLesbian

> [The swine who stole my dog doesn't realize what he did to me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-swine-who-stole-my-dog-doesn-t-realize-what-he-did-to-me/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [I just hope I'm around long enough to see it through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-just-hope-i-m-around-long-enough-to-see-it-through/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [This sport has given me so much that my hope would be to give back as much as I can for as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/this-sport-has-given-me-so-much-that-my-hope-would-be-to-give-back-as/)

[Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/)

> [To live is to Hope. As long as we breath, we must hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jehan-fostanes-nayga/to-live-is-to-hope-as-long-as-we-breath-we-must-hope/)

[Jehan Fostanes Nayga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jehan-fostanes-nayga/)

> [There is always hope, as long as the canvases are empty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustav-klimt/there-is-always-hope-as-long-as-the-canvases-are-empty/)

[Gustav Klimt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustav-klimt/)

> [ \[On General William Boykin\] I hope he's not long for this world. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-totenberg/on-general-william-boykin-i-hope-he-s-not-long-for-this-world/)

[Nina Totenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-totenberg/)

> [I won't be seeing you for a long while, I hope it's not as long as these country miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jas-rob/i-won-t-be-seeing-you-for-a-long-while-i-hope-it-s-not-as-long-as/)

Jas&amp;rob

> [“She doesn’t realize that she becomes so involved in him that she loses herself, and in the process, she risks losing him as well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-argov/she-doesn-t-realize-that-she-becomes-so-involved-in-him-that-she/)

[Sherry Argov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-argov/)

> [God help him." He chortled. "He doesn't realize he loves her. And even if he did, he wouldn't admitted it." -Dr. Whitticomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mcnaught/god-help-him-he-chortled-he-doesn-t-realize-he-loves-her-and-even-if/)

[Judith McNaught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-mcnaught/)

> [Someone who doesn't realize how special you are probably doesn't deserve to be with you anyway. -](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/someone-who-doesn-t-realize-how-special-you-are-probably-doesn-t/)

[Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/)

## More by David Levithan

> [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. And the simplicity is the sensation of it being just her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-past-and-the-future-are-what-s-complicated-it-s-the-present-that/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [“Patrick: Is she worth the trouble? Cameron: I thought she was- Patrick: Either she is, or she isn't. So give it a shot, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/patrick-is-she-worth-the-trouble-cameron-i-thought-she-was-patrick/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [“We saw our friends die. But we also see our friends live. So many of them live, and we often toast their long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-saw-our-friends-die-but-we-also-see-our-friends-live-so-many-of/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [maybe tonight you're scared of falling, and maybe there's somebody here or somewhere else you're thinking about, worrying over, fretting over, trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/maybe-tonight-you-re-scared-of-falling-and-maybe-there-s-somebody/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [“You never told me what you saw in him, not convincingly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-never-told-me-what-you-saw-in-him-not-convincingly/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [“i nod to the other will grayson, up onstage. he nods to me. we have something between us, him and me. but the truth?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-nod-to-the-other-will-grayson-up-onstage-he-nods-to-me-we-have/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [But I still has enough longing for that concept that I didn't want to dispel it completely. Meaning: I didn't want to tell Lily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/but-i-still-has-enough-longing-for-that-concept-that-i-didn-t-want-to/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [“When you break someone's heart, you also break yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-break-someone-s-heart-you-also-break-yours/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [“Because toward the end all the words started leaving. Except for the ones that had to lock up at the end of the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-toward-the-end-all-the-words-started-leaving-except-for-the/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [“ misgivings , n . Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us. "There are things I miss,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/misgivings-n-last-night-i-got-up-the-courage-to-ask-you-if-you/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

[Explore all 1,648 David Levithan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

## More Hanging on quotes

> [Always leave a sinking ship. There's no virtue in hanging on to losers. And stocks don't have feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-dunnan/always-leave-a-sinking-ship-there-s-no-virtue-in-hanging-on-to-losers/)

[Nancy Dunnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-dunnan/)

> [The student ends up lusting after time with the teacher, hanging on her every word, and forgetting that this is about him or her,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoketsu-norman-fischer/the-student-ends-up-lusting-after-time-with-the-teacher-hanging-on/)

[Zoketsu Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoketsu-norman-fischer/)

> [We've never managed, either one of us, to get all the way into life. We're hanging on to the outside for all we're worth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/we-ve-never-managed-either-one-of-us-to-get-all-the-way-into-life-we/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [As long as the mind is there, your body and your world are there. Your world is mind-made, subjective, enclosed within the mind, fragmentary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/as-long-as-the-mind-is-there-your-body-and-your-world-are-there-your/)

[Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/)

> [Have you been called to go out on a limb for God? You can bet it won't be easy. Limb-climbing has never been easy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/have-you-been-called-to-go-out-on-a-limb-for-god-you-can-bet-it-won-t/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

> [as a lobbyist he had long ago concluded there was no difference in how Democrats and Republicans conducted the business of government. The game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hiaasen/as-a-lobbyist-he-had-long-ago-concluded-there-was-no-difference-in/)

[Carl Hiaasen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hiaasen/)

> [I don't have my diploma from the University of Nebraska hanging on my office wall, and I don't have my diploma from Columbia up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-don-t-have-my-diploma-from-the-university-of-nebraska-hanging-on-my/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

> [A strategist is one who helps people relax into their creative skills. People won't rally unless an idea is beautiful... Everyone is hanging on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pier-giorgio-di-cicco/a-strategist-is-one-who-helps-people-relax-into-their-creative-skills/)

[Pier Giorgio Di Cicco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pier-giorgio-di-cicco/)

> [I lie on the floor, washed by nothing and hanging on. I cry at night. I am afraid of hearing voices, or a voice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-lie-on-the-floor-washed-by-nothing-and-hanging-on-i-cry-at-night-i/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [I had a constant fascination with the darkside. It is another world, bordering on insanity, and demonic possession, or what I thought was my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hughes/i-had-a-constant-fascination-with-the-darkside-it-is-another-world/)

[Glenn Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hughes/)

> [When the painting is hanging on your wall for a long time, you don't notice it. You get tired of it, even if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-iglesias/when-the-painting-is-hanging-on-your-wall-for-a-long-time-you-don-t/)

[Julio Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-iglesias/)

> [Clouds are like boogers hanging on the nostrils of the moon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/clouds-are-like-boogers-hanging-on-the-nostrils-of-the-moon/)

[Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/)

> [Besides, it doesn't matter if it's real. It never does with dreams. They aren't anything anyway but lifesavers to cling to so you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-tharp/besides-it-doesn-t-matter-if-it-s-real-it-never-does-with-dreams-they/)

[Tim Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tharp/)

> [My own experience is that once a story has been written, one has to cross out the beginning and the end. It is there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/my-own-experience-is-that-once-a-story-has-been-written-one-has-to/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [As I look around, I get this sinking feeling that we're off track, that there's something sick in the soul of our country. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-cameron/as-i-look-around-i-get-this-sinking-feeling-that-we-re-off-track-that/)

[Kirk Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-cameron/)

Browse all 131 Hanging on quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "She has been hanging on to the hope of him for so long that she doesn't realize there isn't anything left to hope for.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Levithan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/she-has-been-hanging-on-to-the-hope-of-him-for-so-long-that-she-doesn/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Hanging on"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/she-has-been-hanging-on-to-the-hope-of-him-for-so-long-that-she-doesn/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/david-levithan-67_hanging-on_she-has-been-hanging-on-to-the-hope-of-h_1354568.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/david-levithan-67_hanging-on_she-has-been-hanging-on-to-the-hope-of-h_1354568.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/david-levithan-67_hanging-on_she-has-been-hanging-on-to-the-hope-of-h_1354568.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“She has been hanging on to the hope of him for so long that she doesn't realize there isn't anything left to…” — David Levithan",
                "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 Levithan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "She has been hanging on to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/she-has-been-hanging-on-to-the-hope-of-him-for-so-long-that-she-doesn/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/she-has-been-hanging-on-to-the-hope-of-him-for-so-long-that-she-doesn/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
