---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This life’s hard, but it’s harder if…"
description: "\"“This life’s hard, but it’s harder if you’re stupid.”\" — George V. Higgins"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/george-v-higgins-32928_hard_this-life-s-hard-but-it-s-harder-if-you_227246.png"
---

#  This life’s hard, but it’s harder if you’re stupid.

![“This life’s hard, but it’s harder if you’re stupid.” quote by George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/george-v-higgins-32928_hard_this-life-s-hard-but-it-s-harder-if-you_227246.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/george-v-higgins-32928_hard_this-life-s-hard-but-it-s-harder-if-you_227246.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/george-v-higgins-32928_hard_this-life-s-hard-but-it-s-harder-if-you_227246.png)

> ““This life’s hard, but it’s harder if you’re stupid.””

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

## About This Quote

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

Hardships intensify when one makes foolish choices, highlighting the cost of poor judgment.

**In simple terms:** Stupidity makes life harder.

Key Takeaway

Avoid needless mistakes.

Themes

wisdom consequences self‑control

Mood

cautionary direct

Type

motivational practical

When to use this quote

- decision making
- career planning
- financial choices
- relationships

Key Concepts

behavioral economics risk assessment

Questions to Reflect On

- What choices could you improve?
- How do you learn from errors?

A Different Perspective

Intelligence alone isn’t enough.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

## Related quotes

> [Life is hard, but it's even harder when you're stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/life-is-hard-but-it-s-even-harder-when-you-re-stupid/)

[John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/)

> [Life is hard, it's even harder when you are stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/life-is-hard-it-s-even-harder-when-you-are-stupid/)

[John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/)

> [Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/life-is-hard-it-s-harder-if-you-re-stupid/)

[John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/)

> [Life is hard, but it's harder if you're stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-hard-but-it-s-harder-if-you-re-stupid/)

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

> [Life's hard. It's even harder when you're stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/life-s-hard-it-s-even-harder-when-you-re-stupid/)

[John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/)

> [Lifes hard. But its harder if you're. stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lifes-hard-but-its-harder-if-you-re-stupid/)

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

> [“Life’s hard. It’s even harder when you’re stupid.” ― John Wayne”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-s-hard-it-s-even-harder-when-you-re-stupid-john-wayne/)

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

> [Life is hard, but it's even harder when you don't wanna face it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-ashley/life-is-hard-but-it-s-even-harder-when-you-don-t-wanna-face-it/)

[Katie Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-ashley/)

> [“Natalie wasn't the type of person who blamed others for the stupid things they did. She tried to be very understanding of their idiocy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gannon/natalie-wasn-t-the-type-of-person-who-blamed-others-for-the-stupid/)

Elizabeth Gannon

> [It's a hard world out there,it's even harder if your stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/it-s-a-hard-world-out-there-it-s-even-harder-if-your-stupid/)

[John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/)

> [Life is hard but being stupid makes it harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/life-is-hard-but-being-stupid-makes-it-harder/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [My dad always told me to play hard and know that the people you're competing with and against are working just as hard or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hudson/my-dad-always-told-me-to-play-hard-and-know-that-the-people-you-re/)

[Tim Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hudson/)

> [Love is hard to get into, but even harder to get out of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-hard-to-get-into-but-even-harder-to-get-out-of/)

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

> [“Sometimes we try to hard to be something we are not, perhaps being ourselves is harder than we think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-brearley/sometimes-we-try-to-hard-to-be-something-we-are-not-perhaps-being/)

Carol Brearley

> [The minute we think we went hard, go harder. We gotta work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-khaled/the-minute-we-think-we-went-hard-go-harder-we-gotta-work/)

[DJ Khaled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-khaled/)

## More by George V. Higgins

> [Egotism: The art of seeing in yourself what others cannot see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/egotism-the-art-of-seeing-in-yourself-what-others-cannot-see/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [You cannot write well without data.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/you-cannot-write-well-without-data/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [Show the reader what the character thinks about, and then the reader will think about it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/show-the-reader-what-the-character-thinks-about-and-then-the-reader/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [Nobody ever got started on a career as a writer by exercising good judgment, and no one ever will, either, so the sooner you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/nobody-ever-got-started-on-a-career-as-a-writer-by-exercising-good/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [“The customary blizzard of pigeons wheeled briefly across the walk and settled back around an old lady who fed them from a large, wrinkled,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/the-customary-blizzard-of-pigeons-wheeled-briefly-across-the-walk-and/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [Life is hard but being stupid makes it harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/life-is-hard-but-being-stupid-makes-it-harder/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [What You Lose on the Swings You Make Up on the Merry-Go-Round,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/what-you-lose-on-the-swings-you-make-up-on-the-merry-go-round/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [“Nobody ever got started on a career as a writer by exercising good judgment, and no one ever will, either, so the sooner you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/nobody-ever-got-started-on-a-career-as-a-writer-by-exercising-good-2/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [Rental formal wear of the sky-blue, brocade and shiny varieties is favored by upwardly mobile young gangsters drafted as groomsmen for weddings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/rental-formal-wear-of-the-sky-blue-brocade-and-shiny-varieties-is/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [The characters are telling you the story. I’m not telling you the story, they’re going to do it. If I do it right, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/the-characters-are-telling-you-the-story-i-m-not-telling-you-the/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [The Red Sox are a religion. Every year we re-enact the agony and the temptation in the Garden. Baseball child's play? Hell, up here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/the-red-sox-are-a-religion-every-year-we-re-enact-the-agony-and-the/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [Politics is a choice of enemas. You're gonna get it up the ass, no matter what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/politics-is-a-choice-of-enemas-you-re-gonna-get-it-up-the-ass-no/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [The seductiveness of baseball is that almost everyone with an abiding interest in it knows exactly how it should be played. And secretly believes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/the-seductiveness-of-baseball-is-that-almost-everyone-with-an-abiding/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

> [A cop told me, a long time ago, that there’s no substitute for knowing what you’re doing. Most of us scribblers do not. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/a-cop-told-me-a-long-time-ago-that-there-s-no-substitute-for-knowing/)

[George V. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

[Explore all 15 George V. Higgins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/)

## More Hard quotes

> [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/)

[Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/)

> [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/)

[Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/)

> [It is hard to admit to someone that you love him..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misherie/it-is-hard-to-admit-to-someone-that-you-love-him/)

[Misherie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misherie/)

> [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/)

[Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/)

> [There Was Many Time I Had Wanted To Give Up In Life On So Many Things…But Naw F\*\*\* That...I'm Not Going To Never Give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/out-spoken/there-was-many-time-i-had-wanted-to-give-up-in-life-on-so-many-things/)

Out Spoken

> [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/)

[Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/)

> [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/)

[Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/)

> [In our society we have hard nerds and soft nerds. The hard nerds are the ones who used to have the slide rules at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/in-our-society-we-have-hard-nerds-and-soft-nerds-the-hard-nerds-are/)

[Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/)

> [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/)

[Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/)

> [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/)

[Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/)

> [High school, going into my junior year, I kind of had the idea I was going to be the starting running back. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/high-school-going-into-my-junior-year-i-kind-of-had-the-idea-i-was/)

[Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/)

[An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/)

> [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/)

[Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/)

Browse all 29,826 Hard quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“This life’s hard, but it’s harder if you’re stupid.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George V. Higgins"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/this-life-s-hard-but-it-s-harder-if-you-re-stupid/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Hard"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/this-life-s-hard-but-it-s-harder-if-you-re-stupid/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/george-v-higgins-32928_hard_this-life-s-hard-but-it-s-harder-if-you_227246.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/george-v-higgins-32928_hard_this-life-s-hard-but-it-s-harder-if-you_227246.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/george-v-higgins-32928_hard_this-life-s-hard-but-it-s-harder-if-you_227246.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“This life’s hard, but it’s harder if you’re stupid.” — George V. Higgins",
                "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 V. Higgins",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-v-higgins/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“This life’s hard, but it’s harder...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/this-life-s-hard-but-it-s-harder-if-you-re-stupid/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-v-higgins/this-life-s-hard-but-it-s-harder-if-you-re-stupid/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
