Philosophy is a discipline that studies fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. It delves into abstract concepts and seeks to understand the nature of reality and the underlying principles that govern it. Simply put, a better understanding of life’s philosophy makes you understand life’s purpose better.
Challenges are inevitable, but they also provide opportunities for growth and learning. The philosophy of life makes it wise to understand the cause of suffering. Knowledge is valuable, but true wisdom comes from the thoughtful and compassionate application of knowledge.
Here are 60 Philosophical Quotes that will help you to explore the deep meaning of life and not just surviving on this planet; finding the purpose and learning the true meaning of your life.
Philosophy of Life Quotes
Philosophy often addresses questions related to the meaning and purpose of life. Different philosophical traditions offer diverse perspectives on what gives life significance and how individuals can find purpose.
- “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” – ― Lewis Carroll
- “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” — George Bernard Shaw
- “If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to.” – Lao Tzu
- “No matter how many plans you make or how much in control you are, life is always winging it.” – Carroll Bryant
- “Never form a friendship with a man who is not better than you.” — Confucius
- “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi
- “Don’t bite off more than you can chew because nobody looks attractive spitting it back out.” – Carroll Bryant
- “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” – Mark Twain
- “Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.” — Confucius
- “The past has no power over the present moment.” — Eckhart Tolle
- “Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” – Germany Kent
- “Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay.” – Simone de Beauvoir
- “The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs
- “Conquer yourself rather than the world.” — Rene Descartes
- “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” — Oscar Wilde
- “Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the most wonderful things that will ever happen to us.” – Nicole Reed
- “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” – Lao Tzu
Philosophy Quotes About Life Lessons
In essence, philosophy provides a framework for individuals to explore, question, and reflect on the deeper aspects of life. It can contribute to personal growth, ethical decision-making, and a broader understanding of the world and one’s place in it.
- “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “It’s strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death.” – Jim Morrison
- “Nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself.” — Ludwig Wittgenstein
- “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West
- “There is no sun without shadow, and it is essential to know the night.” – Albert Camus
- “A hungry stomach, an empty wallet and a broken heart can teach you the best lessons of life.” – Robin William
- “Life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced.” — Soren Kierkegaard
- “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” – Heraclitus
- “No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.” — Alan Watts
- “The moment you stop trying to become a better person, is the moment you start to become worse than what you already are.” – Carroll Bryant
- “Don’t live your life through what-ifs, live it with I knows.” – Marco Zuniga
- “Love is born into every human being; it calls back the halves of our original nature together; it tries to make one out of two and heal the wound of human nature.” — Plato
- “Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.” – Christopher Markus
- “An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “Happiness is a state of mind. It’s just according to the way you look at things.” – Walt Disney Company
- “There is nothing stronger than gentleness.” – John Wooden
- “You only learn when you give your whole being to something.” — J. Krishnamurti
- “Life contains but two tragedies. One is not to get your heart’s desire; the other is to get it.” – Socrates
- “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” — Aristotle
- “Why should we build our happiness on the opinions of others, when we can find it in our own hearts?” — John-Jacques Rousseau
- “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” — the Dalai Lama
- “Stay low, stay quiet, keep it simple, don’t expect too much, enjoy what you have.” – Dean Koontz
- “The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius
Philosophy Quotes for Inspiration
Life is constantly changing, and nothing is permanent. Understanding and accepting the impermanence of situations, emotions, and experiences can help you navigate life’s ups and downs with greater resilience.
- “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” – Victor Frankl
- “We do not describe the world we see. We see the world we can describe.” — René Descartes
- “It does not dwell on dreams and forget to live.” — J.K. Rowling
- “Have you ever sensed that our soul is immortal and never dies?” – Plato
- “The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.” – Bob Marley
- “Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.” — Albert Einstein
- “Those who are wise won’t be busy, and those who are too busy can’t be wise.” – Lin Yutang
- “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.” – Bruce Lee
- “I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them.” — John Stuart Mill
- “Every man is a creature of the age in which he lives and few are able to raise themselves above the ideas of the time.” – Voltaire
- “Man’s status in the natural world is determined, therefore, by the quality of his thinking.” – Manly P. Hall
- “Eyes and ears are poor witnesses to people if they have uncultured souls.” — Heraclitus
- “Life is a constant process of dying.” – Arthur Schopenhauer
- “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” — William James
- “All I know is that I do not know anything” – Socrates
- “Life is too deep for words, so don’t try to describe it, just live it.” – C.S. Lewis
- “Rules for happiness: something to do, someone to love, something to hope for.” — Immanuel Kant
- “Reason has always existed, but not always in a reasonable form.” — Karl Marx
- “Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.” – Franz Kafka
- “There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do.” – Freya Stark
“Pursue Meaning, Not Just Happiness — Strive for a life that is meaningful and purposeful, rather than simply chasing momentary happiness.”