45 Burning Bridges Quotes on Letting Go of Negative People

Ending any relationship has pros and cons, so learn more about them through these burning bridges quotes.

Burning bridges means committing to a decision you can never take back or revoke. This goes for many aspects of life, such as ending a relationship, turning your back on fake friends, letting go of toxic family members, and even quitting a job with a hostile work environment.

In many ways, burning a bridge is helpful and cathartic. However, some people still believe that bridges should never be burned; after all, you’ll never know when you’ll need help from someone.

But think about it; is it worth keeping a toxic relationship just because you might need something from them in the future? It’s unfair for you and the other people involved, too.

So, while burning bridges can cause you heartbreak and pain, remember that allowing yourself to get stuck in a toxic relationship with family members, friends, or a partner would be even worse. Read on to find the most relatable burning bridges quotes ever!

Best Burning Bridges Quotes

1. “Sometimes you need to burn bridges to stop yourself from crossing them again.” – Anonymous

2. “Stop telling me not to burn bridges. Some bridges are meant to be burnt, some roads are never meant to be traveled again.” – Steve Maraboli

3. “Burning bridges behind you is understandable. It’s the bridges before us that we burn—not realizing we may need to cross—that brings regret.” – Anthony Liccione

4. “Burn the bridges that lead back to your old way of living.” – Anonymous

5. “Careful not to burn bridges; you just might need to cross back.” – Anonymous

6. “Never burn bridges. If it’s a faulty bridge, then close it off and let it fall on its own.” – Gregor Collins

7. “Don’t burn bridges. You’ll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

8. “Burning a bridge, for example, does not just impact the situation at hand. It can impact opportunities you may never be aware of.” – Valorie Burton

9. “There are two reasons why some bridges need to be burned. First, it prevents the offender from re-crossing to cause more havoc. Two, it serves as a warning to others that your boundaries must be respected. Not all bridges need to remain intact.” – Kurian Mathew Tharakan

10. “People burn their bridges until they realize they’re stranded—and then it’s too late.” – Anonymous

Burning Bridges Quotes for Some Comforting Words

11. “It makes no difference if I burn my bridges behind me—I never retreat.” – Fiorello LaGuardia

12. “Sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge.” – Don Henley

13. “I demolish my bridges behind me―then there is no choice but to move forward.” – Fridtjof Nansen

14. “Once the smoke from that burning bridge begins to settle, glance back. Take one good look at how far you’ve come, breathe in some fresh air, and be thankful you weren’t stuck there.” – Anonymous

15. “With every bridge that burns, a new path is opened for the way your destiny is to be shaped. If you believe in destiny then you must believe that the bridge was burned so you can find a new way to go to find the destiny that you were meant to follow.” – Terry Perkins

16. “If the bridge to your past is burned behind you, then you have no choice but to travel the path into a successful future.” – John Di Lemme

17. “Sometimes burning bridges isn’t a bad thing. It prevents you from going back to a place you should never have been, to begin with.” – Anonymous

18. “The only way you can write is by the light of the bridges burning behind you.” – Richard Peck

19. “You don’t have to worry about burning bridges if you’re building your own.” – Kerry E. Wagner

Quotes About Burning Bridges With Toxic Family Members

20. “Light a few candles and burn a few bridges. Not everyone deserves to be part of your journey.” – Anonymous

21. “I don’t regret burning my bridges. I regret that some people weren’t on them while I was doing it.” – Anonymous

22. “Bridges are meant for burning when the people and memories they join aren’t the same.” – Jim Croce

23. “Dishonest hearts burn bridges. Don’t worry if they move forward from mistreating you, they have nothing to fall back on. They torched it all.” – Anonymous

Burning Bridges Quotes for Everyone Who’s in a Relationship

24. “I burned bridges because I can swim. Don’t ever think I need you.” – Anonymous

25. “Find your fire and do not be afraid to burn bridges that deserve to fall.” – Anonymous

26. “You kept burning the bridges, and I kept trying hard to reach your arms, despite the fear of getting burnt.” – Anonymous

27. “Burning bridges behind me, all I want is to forget you somehow.” – Remy David Shand

28. “When all your love is lost, and burning bridges can’t be crossed, Lord, won’t You let me know or give me one more reason to go?” – Christopher Bridges

Burning Bridges Quotes About Friendship

29. “Any bridge to the past that refuses to burn just gives the enemy an invitation and an entry point back into your life.” – Femi Olorunnisola

30. “Be careful of the bridges you’re willing to burn when trying to get ahead. You’ll never know when you’ll need a friend again.” – Anonymous

31. “Don’t burn bridges. Keep your integrity. If you don’t get along, just keep your distance.” – Anonymous

32. “Be careful of those who give you false confidence to betray those who trust you. You may end up burning your bridges.” – De philosopher DJ Kyos

Short but Heartbreaking Burning Bridges Quotes

33. “There’s no fall greater than one from a burnt bridge.” – Carlos Wallace

34. “Burning one’s bridges is never a good thing.” – Katherine Hall Page

35. “When you regret burning the bridges, pray that it would light the way.” – Amit Kalantri

36. “The hardest thing in life to learn is which bridge to cross and which to burn.” – David Russell

37. “The only bad thing about burning your bridges behind you is that the world is round.” – Anonymous

Funny Burning Bridges Quotes to Make You Smile

38. “Sometimes you just have to turn around, give a little smile, throw the match, and burn that bridge.” – Anonymous

39. “Never burn a bridge unless your foe is on it, Captain.” – Phil Foglio

40. “Never burn a bridge. Just shut it down for renovations for a while.” – Anonymous

41. “I don’t burn bridges. I just fail to maintain them and let them structurally degrade over time.” – Anonymous

42. “They say don’t burn bridges you may have to cross later. I say I don’t mind swimming if the bridge was fucked up, to begin with.” – Anonymous

Sad Burning Bridges Quotes and Lyrics From Songs

43. “I can feel a strong desire, a distant fire burning through the past. Deep inside my heart is yearning, a bridge is burning.” – Remy David Shand

44. “Why’d we want to burn those bridges? Why’d we want to light such a flame?” – Daniel Smith Chauncey

45. “These bridges burning so fast, we can’t just stomp ’em out as if you know what I’m talking about.” – Ludacris

Have You Ever Burned a Bridge Before?

Toxic relationships with the people around us can suck our energy dry. Sometimes, no matter how hurtful they are, we still try to cover for them or defend them.

During those times, we fight and do our best to salvage whatever is left of our relationship with them. We understand the pain of trying to fight for something to work to no avail.

However, no matter how much you try to hold on to things, remember that some bridges are meant to be burned. You shouldn’t let yourself suffer any more abuse or invalidation.

Like what we’ve learned from the burning bridges quotes above, cutting these people off can have two consequences. We can either succumb to the grief of losing them or regret that we stayed in that relationship.

It’s easy to resolve the first issue, as you only need to keep an open and strong mind capable of moving on from the pain. However, for the latter, remember that regrets aren’t something that can be taken away in a blink of an eye.

So, if you’re stuck in a negative space with the people around you, know that burning that bridge is an option you could consider. You’ll never thrive in a toxic environment, so when faced with a similar situation, choose self-care and self-love!

Karen Danao

Hi, I’m Karen, a content curator and writer for Quote Ambition; I’m also a marketing and advertising professional. Beyond the keyboard and the screen, I’m someone who’s out to enjoy every bit that life has to offer!

Poetry, philosophy, history, and movies are all topics I love writing about! However, my true passion is in traveling, photography, and finding common ground to which everyone from different cultures can relate.

With the many places I’ve been to, I found that love, inspiration, and happiness are some things that bring people together. No matter how different we are on the outside, I’m a true believer that our emotions don’t lie; if you dig deep into our psyche, we’re all the same inside.

This belief was further amplified when I joined Quote Ambition. Through the quotes I’ve read, collected, organized, and written about, I found that humans are resilient, creative, and compassionate.

We take from each others’ hearts and courage, and it’s through our individual experiences that we learn how to rise above our challenges and pain. In so many ways, Quote Ambition is a platform that allows people from all over the world to gain the inspiration they need anytime, anywhere!

You can find me on MuckRack and LinkedIn.