Despair is just an adjective" is a phrase that has been used by various people, but it's most famously attributed to author Jack Kerouac in his novel 'Big Sur'.
In the book, the main character, Jack Duluoz, is struggling with a mental breakdown and alcoholism. He's feeling hopeless and in a state of deep despair. His friend, the character Lorenzo, tells him, "Despair is just an adjective."
Lorenzo is trying to tell him that despair is not a permanent state of being, but a temporary feeling—a description of a moment, not a definition of who you are. The phrase suggests that feelings like despair are not inherent to a person, but rather fleeting states that can change
