---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there is a chronic infirmity by which…"
description: "\"If there is a chronic infirmity by which every teacher ought to be afflicted, it is, indeed, hope.\" — George Steiner"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/george-steiner-4683_faith_if-there-is-a-chronic-infirmity-by-which_2573785.png"
---

#  If there is a chronic infirmity by which every teacher…

![“If there is a chronic infirmity by which every teacher ought to be afflicted, it is, indeed, hope.” quote by George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/george-steiner-4683_faith_if-there-is-a-chronic-infirmity-by-which_2573785.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/george-steiner-4683_faith_if-there-is-a-chronic-infirmity-by-which_2573785.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/george-steiner-4683_faith_if-there-is-a-chronic-infirmity-by-which_2573785.png)

> “If there is a chronic infirmity by which every teacher ought to be afflicted, it is, indeed, hope.”

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

## About This Quote

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

Teachers inevitably carry hope, a chronic condition that drives their purpose and resilience.

**In simple terms:** Hope is a teacher’s constant companion.

Key Takeaway

Embrace hope as a guiding force.

Themes

education hope resilience

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- classroom teaching
- mentor counseling
- curriculum design

Key Concepts

philosophy pedagogy

Questions to Reflect On

- How does hope shape your teaching?
- What happens when hope fades?

A Different Perspective

Hope may be unrealistic without action.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith in god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-in-god/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Infirmity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infirmity/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/)

## Related quotes

> [... anybody with the brains and energy to become a teacher ought to want to become something better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florynce-kennedy/anybody-with-the-brains-and-energy-to-become-a-teacher-ought-to-want/)

[Florynce Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florynce-kennedy/)

> [No reception without reaction, no impression without correlative expression, -this is the great maxim which the teacher ought never to forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/no-reception-without-reaction-no-impression-without-correlative/)

[William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/)

> [A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle; ...they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-myriad-of-men-are-born-they-labor-and-sweat-and-struggle-they/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Be guided, only by the healer of the sick, the raiser of the dead, the friend of all who were afflicted and forlorn, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/be-guided-only-by-the-healer-of-the-sick-the-raiser-of-the-dead-the/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [Love may, indeed, love the beloved when her beauty is lost: but not because it is lost. Love may forgive all infirmities and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-may-indeed-love-the-beloved-when-her-beauty-is-lost-but-not/)

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

> [Gracefulness cannot subsist without ease; delicacy is not debility; nor must a woman be sick in order to please. Infirmity, and sickness may excite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/gracefulness-cannot-subsist-without-ease-delicacy-is-not-debility-nor/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [It is difficult to look at any newborn baby and accept that he or she will necessarily encounter pain, challenges, disappointments, and hardships in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-d-huntsman/it-is-difficult-to-look-at-any-newborn-baby-and-accept-that-he-or-she/)

[Eric D. Huntsman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-d-huntsman/)

> [The beginning of divine wisdom is clemency and gentleness, which arise from greatness of soul and the bearing of infirmities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-of-nineveh/the-beginning-of-divine-wisdom-is-clemency-and-gentleness-which-arise/)

[Isaac of Nineveh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-of-nineveh/)

> [Human infirmity in moderating and checking the emotions I name bondage : for, when a man is a prey to his emotions, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/human-infirmity-in-moderating-and-checking-the-emotions-i-name/)

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

> [Spiritual infirmities such as tepidity are caused, not only by chills but also by fevers, that is, by excessive zeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/spiritual-infirmities-such-as-tepidity-are-caused-not-only-by-chills/)

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

> [The cumulative weight of all mortal sins--past, present, and future--pressed upon that perfect, sinless, and sensitive Soul! All our infirmities and sicknesses were somehow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/the-cumulative-weight-of-all-mortal-sins-past-present-and-future/)

[Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/)

> [I am afraid, ... that health begins, after seventy, and often long before, to have a meaning different from that which it had at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/i-am-afraid-that-health-begins-after-seventy-and-often-long-before-to/)

[Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/)

> [Science appears but what in truth she is, Not as our glory and our absolute boast, But as a succedaneum, and a prop To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/science-appears-but-what-in-truth-she-is-not-as-our-glory-and-our/)

[William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/)

> [Fame is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/fame-is-the-spur-that-the-clear-spirit-doth-raise/)

[John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/)

> [Many patients imagine that they have tried everything. True, they have used many remedies, but they have never had the cause of their infirmity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-palmer/many-patients-imagine-that-they-have-tried-everything-true-they-have/)

[Daniel D. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-palmer/)

## More by George Steiner

> [“But there is a third mode of trancendence: in it language simply ceases, and the motion of spirit gives no further outward manifestation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/but-there-is-a-third-mode-of-trancendence-in-it-language-simply/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [Words that are saturated with lies or atrocity, do not easily resume life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/words-that-are-saturated-with-lies-or-atrocity-do-not-easily-resume/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [Every one of my opponents, every one of my critics, will tell you that I am a generalist spread far too thin in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/every-one-of-my-opponents-every-one-of-my-critics-will-tell-you-that/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [The very opposite of freedom is cliche, and nothing is less free, more inert with convention and hollow brutality, than a row of four-letter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-very-opposite-of-freedom-is-cliche-and-nothing-is-less-free-more/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [Books are in no hurry. An act of creation is in no hurry; it reads us, it privileges us infinitely. The notion that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/books-are-in-no-hurry-an-act-of-creation-is-in-no-hurry-it-reads-us/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [To starve a child of the spell of the story, of the canter of the poem, oral or written, is a kind of living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/to-starve-a-child-of-the-spell-of-the-story-of-the-canter-of-the-poem/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [I have every reason to believe that an individual man or woman fluent in several tongues seduces, possesses, remembers differently according to his or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/i-have-every-reason-to-believe-that-an-individual-man-or-woman-fluent/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [I believe that a work of art, like metaphors in language, can ask the most serious, difficult questions in a way which really makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/i-believe-that-a-work-of-art-like-metaphors-in-language-can-ask-the/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [To a degree which is difficult to determine, the esoteric impulse in twentieth-century music, literature and the arts reflects calculation. It looks to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/to-a-degree-which-is-difficult-to-determine-the-esoteric-impulse-in/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [Books are in no hurry. An act of creation is in no hurry; it reads us, it privileges us infinitely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/books-are-in-no-hurry-an-act-of-creation-is-in-no-hurry-it-reads-us-2/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [“The inception of human consciousness, the genesis of awareness, must have entailed prolonged 'condensations' around intractable nodes of wonder and terror, at the discriminations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-inception-of-human-consciousness-the-genesis-of-awareness-must/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [The immense majority of human biographies are a gray transit between domestic spasm and oblivion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-immense-majority-of-human-biographies-are-a-gray-transit-between/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [The new sound-sphere is global. It ripples at great speed across languages, ideologies, frontiers and races. The economics of this musical Esperanto is staggering.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-new-sound-sphere-is-global-it-ripples-at-great-speed-across/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [My father loved poetry and music. But deep in himself he thought teaching the finest thing a person could do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/my-father-loved-poetry-and-music-but-deep-in-himself-he-thought/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [Every language is a world. Without translation, we would inhabit parishes bordering on silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/every-language-is-a-world-without-translation-we-would-inhabit/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

[Explore all 104 George Steiner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

## More Faith quotes

> [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/)

[St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/)

> [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/)

[Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/)

> [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/)

[John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/)

> [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/)

Riffat Hassan

> [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/)

[Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/)

> [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [Holiness sincerity, and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/holiness-sincerity-and-faith/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [“The only limitations for your life are the limiting beliefs in your mind. —Matt Morris”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-morris-1/the-only-limitations-for-your-life-are-the-limiting-beliefs-in-your/)

Matt Morris (1

> [“Just because your faith is shaken doesn’t mean the faith is shaken. The eternal truths of the Kingdom aren’t altered or affected by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/just-because-your-faith-is-shaken-doesn-t-mean-the-faith-is-shaken/)

[Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/)

> [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/)

[Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/)

> [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [Once you pull the trigger, you've got to throw balls aggressively and with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/once-you-pull-the-trigger-you-ve-got-to-throw-balls-aggressively-and/)

[Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/)

[Browse all 37,796 Faith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If there is a chronic infirmity by which every teacher ought to be afflicted, it is, indeed, hope.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Steiner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/if-there-is-a-chronic-infirmity-by-which-every-teacher-ought-to-be/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Faith"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/if-there-is-a-chronic-infirmity-by-which-every-teacher-ought-to-be/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/george-steiner-4683_faith_if-there-is-a-chronic-infirmity-by-which_2573785.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/george-steiner-4683_faith_if-there-is-a-chronic-infirmity-by-which_2573785.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/george-steiner-4683_faith_if-there-is-a-chronic-infirmity-by-which_2573785.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If there is a chronic infirmity by which every teacher ought to be afflicted, it is, indeed, hope.” — George Steiner",
                "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": "George Steiner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If there is a chronic infirmity...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/if-there-is-a-chronic-infirmity-by-which-every-teacher-ought-to-be/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/if-there-is-a-chronic-infirmity-by-which-every-teacher-ought-to-be/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
