15 Powerful Quotes by Robin Williams That Make You Realize That the Strongest People Are Often the Saddest

Editor's note: This article was originally published on December 8, 2021. It has since been updated.

Robin Williams was an actor who brought smiles and laughter to hundreds of thousands of people, but not many knew about his internal pain and struggles. He was funny, sad, and depressed, all at the same time. His life is a testimony to the fact that none of those qualities are mutually exclusive. In fact, a sad person would try harder to change the world around them. And Williams tried his best. He used his comedy to spread positivity even he was going through the darkest days himself.

Just because mental health issues are not visible doesn't mean that they are not there. It is okay to just check up on people and see how they are doing once in a while. People who seem happy on the outside could be struggling within and might be scared to tell others in fear of being judged. As an individual, it is important to keep a tab on your own mental health. Williams was open enough to speak about mental health and suicide sometimes but in the end, the struggle was too much for him.

His portrayal of all the roles he took has always been applauded. In films like Jumanji, Mrs. Doubtfire, Bicentennial Man, and Good Will Hunting, his characters were inspiring and earnest. He used humor to touch the hearts of many, which is why people love going back to his films over and over. Despite his brilliance and positivity, he struggled and lost the battle on August 11, 2014, when he took his own life.

Towards the end of his life, it was not just depression but a lot more he was fighting and did not even know.

1. "Comedy is acting out optimism."

2. "Make your life spectacular, I know I did."

3. "You can do anything you want. You are bound by nothing."

4. "Carpe Diem, every day!!!"

5. "If you're that depressed, reach out to someone. And remember, suicide is a permanent solution, to a temporary problem."

6. "Don't associate yourself with toxic people. It's better to be alone and love yourself than be surrounded by people that make you hate yourself."

He did not know that he had Lewy body disease (LBD), a debilitating disease that impacts memory and makes physical movement difficult. It also leads to other neurological problems like dementia and hallucinations. It was only during his autopsy that it was found that he had this condition. "I will never know the true depth of his suffering," his wife, Susan Schneider Williams, was reported as saying by Telegraph UK.

Previously, he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The LBD would have made normal life a terror for him. He was found crying on the sets often and had great difficulty in remembering his lines. And for an actor of his caliber, it was like someone took away the best part of him.

7. "I think the saddest people always try their hardest to make people happy because they know what it’s like to feel absolutely worthless and they don’t want anyone else to feel like that."

8. "You will have bad times, but they will always wake you up to the stuff you weren't paying attention to."

9. "I used to think the worst thing in life is to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone."

10. "I believe in destiny. There must be a reason that I am as I am. There must be."

11. "There are no rules. Just follow your heart."

12. "There’s no shame in failing. The only shame is not giving things your best shot."

13. "Sometimes you can have a whole lifetime in a day and never notice that this is a beautiful as it gets."

14. "Time is the best teacher, unfortunately, it kills all of its students."

15. "Real loss is only possible when you love something more than you love yourself."

References:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/news/sobbing-arms-every-day-robin-williamss-on-set-suffering-revealed/ 

http://www.quoteambition.com/best-robin-williams-quotes-life-laughter/