Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined! As you simplify your life, the laws of the Universe will be simpler, solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can.
—Cary Grant (1904–86) British-American Film Actor
Simplicity is the nature of great souls.
—Indian Proverb
The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.
—Hans Hofmann (1880–1966) German-American Painter
It can scarcely be denied that the supreme goal of all theory is to make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
A childlike mind, in its simplicity, practices that science of good to which the wise may be blind.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
Avoid fragmentation: Find your focus and seek simplicity. Purposeful living calls for elegant efficiency and economy of effort—expanding the minimum time and energy necessary to achieve desired goals.
—Dan Millman (b.1946) American Children’s Books Writer, Sportsperson
The sculptor produces the beautiful statue by chipping away such parts of the marble block as are not needed—it is a process of elimination.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
They are the guiding oracles which man has found out for himself in that great business of ours, of learning how to be, to do, to do without, and to depart.
—John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn (1838–1923) British Political Leader, Writer, Editor, Journalist
If we live, we live; if we die, we die; if we suffer, we suffer; if we are terrified, we are terrified. There is no problem about it.
—Alan Watts (1915–73) British-American Philosopher, Author
Our affluent society contains those of talent and insight who are driven to prefer poverty, to choose it, rather than submit to the desolation of an empty abundance.
—Michael Harrington (1928–89) American Socialist, Writer, Political Activist, Academic
When the solution is simple, God is answering.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
To poke a wood fire is more solid enjoyment than almost anything else in the world.
—Charles Dudley Warner (1829–1900) American Essayist, Novelist
In my life there are not that many questions I can’t properly deal with using my $40 adding machine and dog-eared compound interest table.
—Charlie Munger (b.1924) American Investor, Philanthropist
If you want to be found, stand where the seeker seeks.
—Sidney Lanier (1842–81) American Poet
The idea is to get the pencil moving quickly.
—Bernard Malamud (1914–86) American Novelist, Short-Story Writer
What is conceived well is expressed clearly.
—Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux (1636–1711) French Poet, Satirist, Literary Critic
Fame or integrity: which is more important? Money or happiness: which is more valuable? Success or failure: which is more destructive? If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
It is a fair trade and an equal exchange: to the extent that you depart from things, thus far, no more and no less, God enters into you with all that is his, as far as you have stripped yourself of yourself in all things. It is here that you should begin, whatever the cost, for it is here that you will find true peace, and nowhere else.
—Meister Eckhart (c.1260–1327) German Christian Mystic
The main obligation is to amuse yourself.
—S. J. Perelman (1904–79) American Humorist, Author, Screenwriter
Simplicity is the seal of truth.
—Common Proverb
For every problem there is a solution which is simple, clean and wrong.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
Simplicity of character is the natural result of profound thought.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
God always takes the simplest way.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
If you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted in pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days.
—Annie Dillard (b.1945) Essayist, Novelist, Poet, Naturalist, Mystic
A truly great man never puts away the simplicity of a child.
—Chinese Proverb
Every contrivance of man, every tool, every instrument, every utensil, every article designed for use, of each and every kind, evolved from a very simple beginnings.
—Robert Collier (1885–1950) American Self-Help Author
Simplicity is nature’s first step, and the last of art.
—Philip James Bailey (1816–1902) English Poet
Anything simple always interests me.
—David Hockney (b.1937) English Painter, Draughtsman
The great artist and thinker are the simplifiers.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
If a madman were to come into this room with a stick in his hand, no doubt we should pity the state of his mind; but our primary consideration would be to take care of ourselves. We should knock him down first, and pity him afterwards.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time.
—Arnold Glasow (1905–98) American Businessman
Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.
—Frederic Chopin (1810–49) Polish-French Composer, Pianist
What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Teach us Delight in simple things,
And Mirth that has no bitter springs.
—Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) British Children’s Books Writer, Short story, Novelist, Poet, Journalist
Partial culture runs to the ornate, extreme culture to simplicity.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
We struggle with the complexities and avoid the simplicities.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
The main purpose of science is simplicity and as we understand more things, everything is becoming simpler.
—Edward Teller (1908–2003) Hungarian-born American Physicist
At times almost all of us envy the animals. They suffer and die, but do not seem to make a “problem” of it.
—Alan Watts (1915–73) British-American Philosopher, Author
I hate American simplicity. I glory in the piling up of complications of every sort. If I could pronounce the name James in any different or more elaborate way I should be in favor of doing it.
—Henry James (1843–1916) American-born British Novelist, Writer
If our love were but more simple, we should take Him at his word, and our lives would be all sunshine in the sweetness of the Lord.
—Frederick William Faber (1814–63) British Hymn writer, Theologian
Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify, simplify! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
A lack of simplicity ruins it all.
—Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936) Spanish Educator, Philosopher, Author
Most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
When ideas come, I write them; when they don’t come, I don’t.
—William Faulkner (1897–1962) American Novelist
It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.
—Bruce Lee (1940–73) American Martial Artist, Actor, Philosopher