--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sad Patience, too near neighbour to…" description: "\"Sad Patience, too near neighbour to despair.\" — Matthew Arnold" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/matthew-arnold-1235_despair_sad-patience-too-near-neighbour-to-despa_1164753.jpg" --- # Sad Patience, too near neighbour to despair. ![“Sad Patience, too near neighbour to despair.” quote by Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/matthew-arnold-1235_despair_sad-patience-too-near-neighbour-to-despa_1164753.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/matthew-arnold-1235_despair_sad-patience-too-near-neighbour-to-despa_1164753.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/matthew-arnold-1235_despair_sad-patience-too-near-neighbour-to-despa_1164753.jpg) > “Sad Patience, too near neighbour to despair.” [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker laments that excessive patience can become a precursor to hopelessness. **In simple terms:** Too much patience leads to despair. Key Takeaway Balance patience with action. Themes patience despair hope balance Mood melancholic reflective Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - relationship strain - mental health - creative writing Key Concepts existentialism emotional resilience Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize when patience turns harmful? - What actions can restore hope? A Different Perspective Patience alone cannot solve deep sorrow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Near Neighbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/near-neighbour-1773205/) [Neighbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbour/) [Neighbour Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbour-despair-3349858/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Patience Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience-near-3349860/) [Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad/) [Sad Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad-patience-3349859/) ## Related quotes > [“Power is the near neighbour of necessity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/power-is-the-near-neighbour-of-necessity/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [Better a near neighbour than a distant cousin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italian-proverb/better-a-near-neighbour-than-a-distant-cousin/) [Italian Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italian-proverb/) > [“Your self-defense becomes a self-defeat when you are doing it for selfish reasons! 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I know my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-horgan/hackney-gets-a-bit-of-a-bad-rap-but-it-s-the-only-place-i-ve-ever/) [Sharon Horgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-horgan/) ## More by Matthew Arnold > [Culture looks beyond machinery, culture hates hatred; culture has one great passion, the passion for sweetness and light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/culture-looks-beyond-machinery-culture-hates-hatred-culture-has-one/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) > [We must hold fast to the austere but true doctrine as to what really governs politics and saves or destroys states. Having in mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/we-must-hold-fast-to-the-austere-but-true-doctrine-as-to-what-really/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) > [“Culture is the endeavour to know the best and to make this knowledge prevail for the good of all humankind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/culture-is-the-endeavour-to-know-the-best-and-to-make-this-knowledge/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) > [The difference between genuine poetry and the poetry of Dryden, Pope, and all their school, is briefly this: their poetry is conceived and composed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/the-difference-between-genuine-poetry-and-the-poetry-of-dryden-pope/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) > [Culture, the acquainting ourselves with the best that has been known and said in the world, and thus with the history of the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/culture-the-acquainting-ourselves-with-the-best-that-has-been-known/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) > [Strew on her roses, roses, And never a spray of yew! 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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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. 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