The triumph of hope over experience


What's the meaning of the phrase 'The triumph of hope over experience'?

A literal view of the subject of remarriage.

What's the origin of the phrase 'The triumph of hope over experience'?

This remark is reported to have been said by Samuel Johnson in James Boswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson, 1791. The occasion was Johnson’s hearing of a man who had remarried soon after the death of a wife to whom he had been unhappily married.

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
The triumph of hope over experience

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