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Meaning of Life


Meaning of Life

55 quotesVisits: 9,711

Quotations

George Bernard ShawLife isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

—  George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish writer, Nobel 1925

28 likes
Friedrich NietzscheHe who has a “why” to live for can bear almost any “how”.

—  Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900, German philosopher

24 likes
Emile M. CioranOne of the greatest delusions of the average man is to forget that life is death's prisoner.

—  Emile M. Cioran, 1911-1995, French-Romanian philosopher

19 likes
Ludwig WittgensteinTo believe in a God means to understand the question about the meaning of life.

—  Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1889-1951, Austrian philosopher

16 likes
Aristotle OnassisIf women didn’t exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning.

—  Aristotle Onassis, 1900-1975, Greek tycoon

15 likes
William JamesWe may be in the Universe as dogs and cats are in our libraries, seeing the books and hearing the conversation, but having no inkling of the meaning of it all.

—  William James, 1842-1910, American philosopher

12 likes
Arthur SchopenhauerThe more unintelligent a man is, the less mysterious existence seems to him.

—  Arthur Schopenhauer, 1788-1860, German philosopher

12 likes
Henry MillerLife has to be given a meaning because of the obvious fact that it has no meaning.

—  Henry Miller, 1891-1980, American writer

12 likes
Emile M. CioranTo be or not to be… Neither one nor the other.

—  Emile M. Cioran, 1911-1995, French-Romanian philosopher

11 likes
Will DurantTo give life a meaning, one must have a purpose larger than self.

—  Will Durant, 1885-1981, American historian & philosopher

11 likes
Joseph CampbellLife is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it. The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be. Being alive is the meaning.

—  Joseph Campbell, 1904-1987, American academic

11 likes
Emile M. CioranThe fact that life has no meaning is a reason to live - moreover, the only one.

—  Emile M. Cioran, 1911-1995, French-Romanian philosopher

10 likes
Karl JungAs far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.

—  Karl Jung, 1875-1961, Swiss psychiatrist

9 likes
Ludwig WittgensteinI don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves.

—  Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1889-1951, Austrian philosopher

9 likes
Andy WarholBeing born is like being kidnapped. And then sold into slavery.

—  Andy Warhol, 1928-1987, American artist

8 likes
Jean-Luc GodardTo be or not to be. That's not really a question.

—  Jean-Luc Godard, 1930-2022, French film director

8 likes
Arthur ClarkePerhaps our role on this planet is not to worship God — but to create Him.

—  Arthur Clarke, 1917-2008, British Sci-Fi writer

8 likes
Eugene IonescoCut off from his religious, metaphysical and transcendental roots, man is lost; all his actions become senseless, absurd, useless.

—  Eugene Ionesco, 1912-1994, French-Romanian playwright

8 likes
Stefan ZweigIt is never until one realizes that one means something to others that one feels there is any point or purpose in one's own existence.

—  Stefan Zweig, 1881-1942, Austrian writer

8 likes
Pablo PicassoThe meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.

—  Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973, Spanish painter

7 likes
Jean-Paul SartreLife has no meaning a priori… It is up to you to give it a meaning, and value is nothing but the meaning that you choose.

—  Jean-Paul Sartre, 1905-1980, French philosopher

7 likes
William ShakespeareTo be, or not to be: that is the question.

—  William Shakespeare, 1564-1616, English poet & playwright ‐ Hamlet

7 likes
David HumeThe life of man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster.

—  David Hume, 1711-1776, Scottish philosopher

6 likes
Antoin de Saint-ExupérySometimes we behave as though there was something more important than life. But what?

—  Antoin de Saint-Exupéry, 1900-1940, French writer

6 likes
Ayn RandMy philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.

—  Ayn Rand, 1905-1982, American writer & philosopher

     (“Objectivism”)

6 likes
Bette DavisLife is the past, the present and the perhaps.

—  Bette Davis, 1908-1989, American actress

5 likes
Fernando PessoaBut do we really live? To live without knowing what life is - is that living?

—  Fernando Pessoa, 1888-1935, Portuguese poet & writer

5 likes
Albert CamusLife is meaningless, but worth living, provided you recognize it's meaningless.

—  Albert Camus, 1913-1960, French writer, Nobel 1957

5 likes
ErasmusFor what is life but a play in which everyone acts a part until the curtain comes down?

—  Erasmus, 1469-1536, Dutch humanist

Franz KafkaThe meaning of life is that it stops.

—  Franz Kafka, 1883-1924, Bohemian writer

Victor FranklEver more people today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for.

—  Victor Frankl, 1905-1997, Austrian neurologist

Victor FranklIf there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering.

—  Victor Frankl, 1905-1997, Austrian neurologist

Victor FranklLife is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.

—  Victor Frankl, 1905-1997, Austrian neurologist

Victor FranklWhen a person can't find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasures.

—  Victor Frankl, 1905-1997, Austrian neurologist

Victor FranklThe meaning of life is to give life meaning.

—  Victor Frankl, 1905-1997, Austrian neurologist

Rainer Maria RilkeThe purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.

—  Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875-1926, Czech-German poet

Joseph CampbellYou don't ask what a dance means. You enjoy it. You don't ask what the world means. You enjoy it. You don't ask what you mean. You enjoy it.

—  Joseph Campbell, 1904-1987, American academic

Joseph CampbellI don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.

—  Joseph Campbell, 1904-1987, American academic

Joseph CampbellLife has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.

—  Joseph Campbell, 1904-1987, American academic

Louis JouvetCondemned to explain the mystery of their life, men invented the theater.

—  Louis Jouvet, 1887-1951, French actor

Robert Louis StevensonTo be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.

—  Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850-1894, Scottish writer

Henry de MontherlantAlmost all human life is corrupted by the need to justify existence.

—  Henry de Montherlant, 1895-1972, French writer

Hermann HesseThe true profession of a man is to find his way to himself.

—  Hermann Hesse, 1877-1962, German writer, Nobel 1946

Philip RothHe had learned the worst lesson that life can teach – that it makes no sense.

—  Philip Roth, 1933-2018, American writer

Ashleigh BrilliantLife may have no meaning.
Or even worse, it may have a meaning of which I disapprove.

—  Ashleigh Brilliant, 1933-, British cartoonist & epigrammatist

Ashleigh BrilliantMy cat knows the meaning of life, but has no interest in sharing the secret.

—  Ashleigh Brilliant, 1933-, British cartoonist & epigrammatist

Søren KierkegaardWho am I? How did I come into the world? Why was I not consulted?

—  Søren Kierkegaard, 1813-1855, Danish philosopher

Frank HerbertThe mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.

—  Frank Herbert, 1920-1986, American sci-fi writer

François-René de ChateaubriandDeath does not reveal the secrets of life.

—  François-René de Chateaubriand, 1768-1848, French poet & politician

Quotes in Verse

Robert FrostWe dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

7 likes

Funny Quotes

George CarlinJust when I discovered the meaning of life, they changed it.

—  George Carlin, 1936-2008, American comedian

23 likes
AnonymousLife is a sexually transmitted disease.

—  Anonymous

16 likes
Kurt VonnegutI tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.

—  Kurt Vonnegut, 1922-2007, American writer

8 likes
Ashleigh BrilliantMy life has a superb cast, but I cannot figure out the plot.

—  Ashleigh Brilliant, 1933-, British cartoonist & epigrammatist

Movie Quotes

Quiz Show 1994Sixty-four thousand dollars for a question, I hope they are asking you the meaning of life.

—  from the film Quiz Show 1994

2 likes



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