Life.
Life, in its myriad forms and complexities, has long inspired reflection and contemplation.
It is a journey marked by both triumph and tribulation, a tapestry woven with experiences, emotions, and choices. The wisdom of thought leaders and visionaries throughout history offers profound insights into the human condition, illuminating the paths we tread.
Here, we present a curated collection of quotes that encapsulate the essence of life—its beauty, challenges, and the lessons it imparts. May these words inspire you to embrace your own journey and find meaning in every moment.
Editors Pick
Let men decide firmly what they will not do, and they will be free to do vigorously what they ought to do.
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Mencius
The effect of life in society is to complicate and confuse our existence, making us forget who we really are by causing us to become obsessed with what we are not.
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Zhuangzi
The perfect man uses his mind as a mirror. It grasps nothing. It regrets nothing. It receives but does not keep.
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Zhuangzi
How can the past and future be, when the past no longer is, and the future is not yet? As for the present, if it were always present and never moved on to become the past, it would not be time, but eternity.
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Augustine of Hippo
It's your road & yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you
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Rumi
What comes, will go. What is found, will be lost again. But what you are is beyond coming and going and beyond description.
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Rumi
Authority, power, and wealth do not change a man; they only reveal him
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Ali ibn Abi Talib
All Quotes on Life
He who relies solely on warlike measures shall be exterminated; he who relies solely on peaceful measures shall perish.
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Sun Tzu
If you fight with all your might, there is a chance of life; where as death is certain if you cling to your corner
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Sun Tzu
People can have a long-term life plan only if they know their private property is secure.
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Mencius
Let men decide firmly what they will not do, and they will be free to do vigorously what they ought to do.
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Mencius
I like fish, and I also like bear's paws. If I cannot have the two together, I will let the fish go, and take the bear's paws. So, I like life, and I also like righteousness. If I cannot keep the two together, I will let life go, and choose righteousness.
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Mencius
Therefore, a person should first be changed by a teacher's instructions, and guided by principles of ritual. Only then can he observe the rules of courtesy and humility, obey the conventions and rules of society, and achieve order.
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Xunzi
If what the heart approves conforms to proper patterns, then even if one's desires are many, what harm would they be to good order?
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Xunzi
If the gentleman has ability, he is magnanimous, generous, tolerant, and straightforward, through which he opens the way to instruct others.
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Xunzi
Sacrifice is a state of mind in which our thoughts turn with longing [toward Heaven, the Ancestors], It is the supreme expression of loyalty, love, and respect.
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Xunzi
You look upon the seasons with expectation and await them: why not seize the seasonal opportunities and exploit them?
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Xunzi
When a man sees something desirable, he must reflect on the fact that with time it could come to involve what is detestable. When he sees something that is beneficial, he should reflect that sooner or later it, too, could come to involve harm.
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Xunzi
Human nature is such that people are born with a love of profit If they follow these inclinations, they will struggle and snatch from each other, and inclinations to defer or yield will die.
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Xunzi
If knowledge and foresight are too penetrating and deep, unify them with ease and sincerity.
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Xunzi
Thus, that one can find no place to walk through the breadth of the earth is not because the earth is not tranquil but because the danger to every step of the traveler lies generally with words.
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Xunzi
Now it is human nature to want to eat to ones fill when hungry, to want to warm up when cold, to want to rest when tired. These all are a part of people's emotional nature.
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Xunzi
If the impulse to daring and bravery is too fierce and violent, stay it with guidance and instruction.
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Xunzi
Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the same.
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Xunzi
Human nature refers to what is in people but which they cannot study or work at achieving.
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Xunzi
I once tried standing up on my toes to see far out in the distance, but I found that I could see much farther by climbing to a high place.
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Xunzi
Since the nature of people is bad, to become corrected they must be taught by teachers and to be orderly they must acquire ritual and moral principles.
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Xunzi
Music is a fantastic peacekeeper of the world, it is integral to harmony, and it is a required fundamental of human emotion.
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Xunzi
The effect of life in society is to complicate and confuse our existence, making us forget who we really are by causing us to become obsessed with what we are not.
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Zhuangzi
The perfect man uses his mind as a mirror. It grasps nothing. It regrets nothing. It receives but does not keep.
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Zhuangzi
Do not struggle. Go with the flow of things, and you will find yourself at one with the mysterious unity of the Universe.
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Zhuangzi
Birth is not a beginning; death is not an end. There is existence without limitation; there is continuity without a starting point.
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Zhuangzi