---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Oft have I heard that grief softens the…"
description: "\"Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind And makes it fearful and degenerate.\" — William Shakespeare"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/william-shakespeare-4_death_oft-have-i-heard-that-grief-softens-the_3089613.jpg"
---

#  Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind And makes it…

![“Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind And makes it fearful and degenerate.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/william-shakespeare-4_death_oft-have-i-heard-that-grief-softens-the_3089613.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/william-shakespeare-4_death_oft-have-i-heard-that-grief-softens-the_3089613.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/william-shakespeare-4_death_oft-have-i-heard-that-grief-softens-the_3089613.jpg)

> “Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind And makes it fearful and degenerate.”

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

## About This Quote

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

Grief can cloud judgment, making thoughts fearful and distorted, warning that sorrow may impair clear thinking.

**In simple terms:** Grief makes the mind fearful and twisted.

Key Takeaway

Seek clarity and support when grieving.

Themes

grief mental health psychology vulnerability

Mood

somber introspective thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- counseling
- journaling
- mindfulness practices
- support groups

Key Concepts

cognitive distortion emotional regulation coping mechanisms

Questions to Reflect On

- How does grief affect your decision making?
- What strategies help maintain clarity?

A Different Perspective

Grief’s impact varies; some find growth rather than degeneration.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Fearful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fearful/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/)

## Related quotes

> [Sometimes we read or hear too much news that makes us fearful or suspicious of others. We can forget that most of the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-clarkson/sometimes-we-read-or-hear-too-much-news-that-makes-us-fearful-or/)

[Adrienne Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-clarkson/)

> [A lot of people live in fear because they haven't figured out how you're going to react when faced with a certain set of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/a-lot-of-people-live-in-fear-because-they-haven-t-figured-out-how-you/)

[Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/)

> [“There is an odd quirk in the human mind that makes a fearful man prefer to go quietly to a wicked-looking, gnarled "witch" for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-garrett/there-is-an-odd-quirk-in-the-human-mind-that-makes-a-fearful-man/)

[Randall Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-garrett/)

> [For the most part, the best man's spirit makes a fearful sprite to haunt his grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/for-the-most-part-the-best-man-s-spirit-makes-a-fearful-sprite-to/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [If we start with "limits" and a premise of scarcity and fear, it makes us fearful of each other, and that makes us vulnerable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/if-we-start-with-limits-and-a-premise-of-scarcity-and-fear-it-makes/)

[Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/)

> [Human beings are compelled to live within a lie, but they can be compelled to do so only because they are in fact capable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/human-beings-are-compelled-to-live-within-a-lie-but-they-can-be/)

[Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/)

> [By consequence I hold that no one ever did, or can do, anything for "society."... Comte invented the term altruism as an antonym for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-j-nock/by-consequence-i-hold-that-no-one-ever-did-or-can-do-anything-for/)

[Albert J. Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-j-nock/)

> [We have either to progress or to degenerate. Our ancestors did great things in the past, but we have to grow into a fuller…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/we-have-either-to-progress-or-to-degenerate-our-ancestors-did-great/)

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

> [Without the truth of the people, politics degenerates into mere spectacle and democracy declines, leaving demagoguery and cynicism to fill the void.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/without-the-truth-of-the-people-politics-degenerates-into-mere/)

[Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/)

> [Our most pressing obligation is to do all in our power to obtain a revival that will result in a reformed, revitalized, purified church.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/our-most-pressing-obligation-is-to-do-all-in-our-power-to-obtain-a/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [A writer of story books! What kind of business in life-what mode of glorifying God, or being serviceable to mankind in his day and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/a-writer-of-story-books-what-kind-of-business-in-life-what-mode-of/)

[Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/)

> [Charlotte slammed the paper down onto her desk with an exclamation of rage. “Aloysius Starkweather is the most stubborn, hypocritical, obstinate, degenerate—” She broke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/charlotte-slammed-the-paper-down-onto-her-desk-with-an-exclamation-of/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Christianity is not a law of bondage; and if it respect the hand of God which sometimes raises up tyrants, it draws up where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-henri-lacordaire/christianity-is-not-a-law-of-bondage-and-if-it-respect-the-hand-of/)

[Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-henri-lacordaire/)

> [People who reject transcendent authority can no longer persuade one another through rational arguments; everything is reduced to personal opinion. Debates about ideas thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/people-who-reject-transcendent-authority-can-no-longer-persuade-one/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [I find Nigeria very frustrating. I am not alone in this. There are many Nigerians abroad. As you know, the brain drain is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/i-find-nigeria-very-frustrating-i-am-not-alone-in-this-there-are-many/)

[Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/)

## More by William Shakespeare

> [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/divers-philosophers-hold-that-the-lips-is-parcel-of-the-mouth/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. Julius Caesar (2.1.248-251)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-hast-no-figures-nor-no-fantasies-which-busy-care-draws-in-the/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Truth needs no color; beauty, no pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/truth-needs-no-color-beauty-no-pencil/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Have you not heard it said full oft, A woman's nay doth stand for naught?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/have-you-not-heard-it-said-full-oft-a-woman-s-nay-doth-stand-for/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Omittance is no quittance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/omittance-is-no-quittance/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.' And yet, I warrant, it had upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yes-madam-yet-i-cannot-choose-but-laugh-to-think-it-should-leave/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-take-thee-at-thy-word-call-me-but-love-and-i-ll-be-new-baptized/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

[Explore all 5,604 William Shakespeare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

## More Death quotes

> [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/)

[Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/)

> [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/)

[Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/)

> [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/)

[Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/)

> [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/)

J. Anthony Torino

> [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/)

[Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/)

> [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/)

Alan W. Powers

> [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/)

[Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/)

> [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/)

[Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/)

> [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/)

[Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/)

[Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind And makes it fearful and degenerate.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Shakespeare"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/oft-have-i-heard-that-grief-softens-the-mind-and-makes-it-fearful-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Death"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/oft-have-i-heard-that-grief-softens-the-mind-and-makes-it-fearful-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/william-shakespeare-4_death_oft-have-i-heard-that-grief-softens-the_3089613.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/william-shakespeare-4_death_oft-have-i-heard-that-grief-softens-the_3089613.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/william-shakespeare-4_death_oft-have-i-heard-that-grief-softens-the_3089613.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind And makes it fearful and degenerate.” — William Shakespeare",
                "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": "William Shakespeare",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Oft have I heard that grief...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/oft-have-i-heard-that-grief-softens-the-mind-and-makes-it-fearful-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/oft-have-i-heard-that-grief-softens-the-mind-and-makes-it-fearful-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
