A life without adventure is likely to be unsatisfying, but a life in which adventure is allowed to take whatever form it will is sure to be short.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
Man needs difficulties; they are necessary for health.
—Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) Swiss Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher
Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.
—William Feather (1889–1981) American Publisher, Author
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
Youth is the period in which a man can be hopeless. The end of every episode is the end of the world. But the power of hoping through everything, the knowledge that the soul survives its adventures, that great inspiration comes to the middle-aged.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
And yet a little tumult, now and then, is an agreeable quickener of sensation; such as a revolution, a battle, or an adventure of any lively description.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
We are the men of intrinsic value, who can strike our fortunes out of ourselves, whose worth is independent of accidents in life, or revolutions in government: we have heads to get money, and hearts to spend it.
—George Farquhar (1677–1707) Irish Dramatist
Every production of an artist should be the expression of an adventure of his soul.
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
You must pray that the way be long, full of adventures and experiences.
—Constantine P. Cavafy (1863–1933) Egyptian Greek Poet
It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves—in finding themselves.
—Andre Gide (1869–1951) French Novelist
Do not dare not to dare.
—C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) Irish-born British Academic, Author, Literary Scholar
We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.
—Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964) Indian Head of State
Who dares nothing, need hope for nothing.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
Life is either a great adventure or nothing.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
Marriage is an adventure, like going to war.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
A race preserves its vigor so long as it harbors a real contrast between what has been and what may be; and so long as it is nerved by the vigor to adventure beyond the safeties of the past. Without adventure civilization is in full decay.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
The thirst for adventure is the vent which Destiny offers; a war, a crusade, a gold mine, a new country, speak to the imagination and offer swing and play to the confined powers.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Marriage is the only adventure open to the cowardly.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
The sea is dangerous and its storms terrible, but these obstacles have never been sufficient reason to remain ashore… Unlike the mediocre, intrepid spirits seek victory over those things that seem impossible… It is with an iron will that they embark on the most daring of all endeavors… to meet the shadowy future without fear and conquer the unknown.
—Anonymous
We should come home from adventures, and perils, and discoveries every day with new experience and character.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
It is in the compelling zest of high adventure and of victory, and in creative action, that man finds his supreme joys.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–44) French Novelist, Aviator
A large volume of adventures may be grasped within this little span of life, by him who interests his heart in everything.
—Laurence Sterne (1713–68) Irish Anglican Novelist, Clergyman
Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively, unless you can choose a challenge instead of a competence.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian
And what if I did run my ship aground; oh, still it was splendid to sail it.
—Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) Norwegian Playwright
If we do not find anything very pleasant, at least we shall find something new.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Life is pure adventure and the sooner we realize that, the quicker we will be able to treat life as art.
—Maya Angelou (1928–2014) American Poet
Stuff your eyes with wonder … live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.
—Ray Bradbury (b.1920) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
Art flourishes where there is a sense of adventure.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
I am actually not at all a man of science, not an observer, not an experimenter, not a thinker. I am by temperament nothing but a conquistador
—Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychoanalytic
Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling him to the public.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
If we didn’t live adventurously, plucking the wild goat by the beard, and trembling over precipices, we should never be depressed, I’ve no doubt; but already should be faded, fatalistic and aged.
—Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) English Novelist
Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and the glory of the climb.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
Life is an adventure in forgiveness.
—Norman Cousins (1915–90) American Journalist, Author, Academic, Activist
The test of an adventure is that when you’re in the middle of it, you say to yourself, ‘Oh, now I’ve got myself into an awful mess; I wish I were sitting quietly at home.’ And the sign that something’s wrong with you is when you sit quietly at home wishing you were out having lots of adventure.
—Thornton Wilder (1897–1975) American Novelist, Playwright
By now you’ve gotten the picture. We can’t escape fear. We can only transform it into a companion that accompanies us in all our exciting adventures; it is not an anchor holding us transfixed to one spot.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
I am not an adventurer by choice but by fate.
—Vincent van Gogh (1853–90) Dutch Painter
People who make no mistakes lack boldness and the spirit of adventure. They are the brakes on the wheels of progress.
—Dale Turner (1917–2006) American Priest, Columnist, Epigrammist
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
—Robert F. Kennedy (1925–68) American Politician, Civil Rights Activist
To die will be an awfully big adventure.
—J. M. Barrie (1860–1937) Scottish Novelist, Dramatist
You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water. Don’t let yourself indulge in vain wishes.
—Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) Bengali Poet, Polymath
The little reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when the storm had passed over.
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
The danger of an adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort.
—Paulo Coelho (b.1947) Brazilian Songwriter, Novelist
Adventure is worthwhile.
—Amelia Earhart (1897–1937) American Aviator
I am restless. I am athirst for faraway things. My soul goes out in a longing to touch the skirt of the dim distance. O Great Beyond, O the keen call of thy flute! I forget, I ever forget, that I have no wings to fly, that I am bound in this spot evermore.
—Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) Bengali Poet, Polymath