Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.
—The Dhammapada Buddhist Anthology of Verses
Develop an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music-the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.
—Henry Miller (1891–1980) American Novelist
I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my works.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Everything has been figured out, except how to live.
—Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–80) French Philosopher, Playwright, Novelist, Screenwriter, Political Activist
When one cultivates to the utmost the principles of his nature, and exercises them on the principle of reciprocity, he is not far from the path.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
You can get all A’s and still flunk life.
—Walker Percy (1916–90) American Novelist
The superior man honors his virtuous nature, and maintains constant inquiry and study, seeking to carry it out to its breadth and greatness, so as to omit none of the more exquisite and minute points which it embraces, and to raise it to its greatest height and brilliancy.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
At fifteen my heart was set on learning; at thirty I stood firm; at forty I had no more doubts; at fifty I knew the mandate of heaven; at sixty my ear was obedient; at seventy I could follow my heart’s desire without transgressing the norm.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget.
—Arundhati Roy (b.1961) Indian Author, Actress, Activist
The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
When you are laboring for others, let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Being in humaneness is good. If we select other goodness and thus are far apart from humaneness, how can we be the wise?
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Although your father and mother are dead, if you propose to yourself any good work, only reflect how it will make their names illustrious, and your purpose will be fixed.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
I want you to be everything that’s you, deep at the center of your being.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Get busy living, or get busy dying.
—Stephen King (b.1947) American Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Screenwriter, Columnist, Film Director
Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
How great is the path proper to the Sage! Like overflowing water, it sends forth and nourishes all things, and rises up to the height of heaven. All-complete is its greatness! It embraces the three hundred rules of ceremony, and the three thousand rules of demeanor. It waits for the proper man, and then it is trodden. Hence it is said, ‘Only by perfect virtue can the perfect path, in all its courses, be made a fact.’
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
The injury of prodigality leads to this, that he that will not economize will have to agonize.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
The Path is not far from man. When men try to pursue a course, which is far from the common indications of consciousness, this course cannot be considered The Path.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Tzu-kung asked, ‘Is there a single word which can be a guide to conduct throughout one’s life?’ The Master said, ‘It is perhaps the word ‘shu.’ Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Consideration for others is the basic of a good life, a good society.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Study the past, if you would define the future.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
When the Superior Man eats he does not try to stuff himself; at rest he does not seek perfect comfort; he is diligent in his work and careful in speech. He avails himself to people of the Tao and thereby corrects himself. This is the kind of person of whom you can say, ‘he loves learning.’
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Sometimes I can hear my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I’m not living.
—Jonathan Safran Foer (b.1977) American Novelist
People living deeply have no fear of death.
—Anais Nin (1903–77) French-American Essayist
Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.
—Albert Camus (1913–60) Algerian-born French Philosopher, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist, Author
I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk.
—Tony Robbins (b.1960) American Self-Help Author, Entrepreneur
What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher