Who said “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”?

Verified

English Proverb. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceRecorded in Wolfgang Mieder, A Dictionary of American proverbs (1992), p. 710

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

Source checked · Something wrong? Report a correction

Authors A–Z
“Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”
— English Proverb
VerifiedRecorded in Wolfgang Mieder, A Dictionary of American proverbs (1992), p. 710 · evidenceHope

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Recorded in Wolfgang Mieder, A Dictionary of American proverbs (1992), p. 710.

APA

English Proverb (n.d.). Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/21956-hope-for-the-best-but-prepare-for-the/

MLA

English Proverb. “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/21956-hope-for-the-best-but-prepare-for-the/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

English Proverb. “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/21956-hope-for-the-best-but-prepare-for-the/.

Related quotes

More quotes by English Proverb

“Still waters run deep.”
VerifiedRecorded in Gyula Paczolay, European proverbs: in 55 languages, with equivalents in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese (1997), p. 373 · evidenceDetails & citeSilence
All 71 English Proverb quotes →