Here are 190 of the best deep quotes I could find. You’ll discover sayings and thoughts by deep thinkers like Voltaire, Lao Tzu, Rumi, Mary Oliver, Einstein, and lots more. Enjoy!
You are reading: short deep life quotes
Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. Oscar Wilde
Never to suffer would never to have been blessed. Edgar Allan Poe
The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of like is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give. William Arthur Ward
The average men consume. The wise create. Maxime Lagacé
I rebel; therefore I exist. Albert Camus
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. Oscar Wilde
Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work. Gustave Flaubert
To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work. Mary Oliver
If I love myself I love you. If I love you I love myself. Rumi
Don’t handicap your children by making their lives easy. Robert A. Heinlein
Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Kahlil Gibran
Time is a created thing. To say “I don’t have time”, is like saying, “I don’t want to”. Lao Tzu
Doubt is an uncomfortable condition, but certainty is a ridiculous one. Voltaire
Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. Martin Luther
What you deply need is not stuff, comfort or beauty, it’s meaning. Maxime Lagacé
Maybe you are searching among the branches, for what only appears in the roots. Rumi
Related quote topics: stoic, learning, time
A few thoughts on deep thinking…
I’ve always loved words that inspire and make me think.
In fact, I started collecting quotes and journaling back in 2004 after I lost my girlfriend in a car accident.
I was in search of answers and I felt reading thoughts by people like Confucius, Plato, Einstein, Bruce Lee was helping me in this process.
Then, I discovered more modern thinkers and writers like Leo Babauta, Shane Parrish, Tim Ferriss and more recently Naval Ravikant.
Through their words, I found some guidance for dealing with my own problems and making better decisions.
In sum,
collecting quotes, journaling, reflecting and meditating have had a tremendous positive effect on my life and my mental health.
I still practice today and I can’t imagine my life without those anchors.
What is your process to reflect?
The Best Deep Quotes And Thoughts
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Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so. Bertrand Russell
He who is untrue to his own cause cannot command the respect of others. Albert Einstein
To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself. Søren Kierkegaard
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. Mark Twain
What matters isn’t what a person has or doesn’t have; it is what he or she is afraid of losing. Nicholas Nassim Taleb Click to tweet
If you’ve never eaten while crying you don’t know what life tastes like. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong. Oscar Wilde
We can see through others only when we can see through ourselves. Bruce Lee
Never make fun of someone who mispronounces a word. It means they learned it by reading. Unknown
Genius is the recovery of childhood at will. Arthur Rimbaud
Love is the foolishness of men, and the wisdom of God. Victor Hugo
As long as I am breathing, in my eyes, I am just beginning. Criss Jami Click to tweet
It is not I who am strong, it is reason, it is truth. Émile Zola
Sometimes you have to shut your eyes, so you can see the real beauty. Kilian Jornet
The wind howls, but the mountain remains still. Japanese proverb Click to tweet
To be truly positive in the eyes of some, you have to risk appearing negative in the eyes of others. Criss Jami
God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh. Voltaire
Take time like the river that never grows stale. Keep going and steady. No hurry, no rush. Rumi
There’s always some truth behind “just kidding”, knowledge behind every “I don’t know”, emotions behind “I don’t care” and pain behind “it’s okay”. Unknown
I don’t care that they stole my idea. I care that they don’t have any of their own. Nikola Tesla
Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real. Neils Bohr
Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. Robert Louis Stevenson
You who suffer because you love, love still more. To die of love, is to live by it. Victor Hugo
What makes night within us may leave stars. Victor Hugo
Dreams have only one owner at a time. That’s why dreamers are lonely. William Faulkner
Stupidity lies in wanting to draw conclusions. Gustave Flaubert Click to tweet
Men must live and create. Live to the point of tears. Albert Camus
A clear conscience is the sure sign of a bad memory. Mark Twain
Part 2. Deep Quotes That Are…
The Most Famous Deep Quotes And Thoughts
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Searching for a famous deep quote? Check out those by Lao Tzu, Rumi, Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare, etc. 
Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. Voltaire
Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters. Victor Hugo Click to tweet
The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear. Rumi
Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. Rumi
See Also: quotes by dr seuss about life
Do or do not, there is no try. Yoda
Cleverness is not wisdom. Euripides
He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know. Lao Tzu
Anything becomes interesting if you look at it long enough. Gustave Flaubert
All human wisdom is summed up in two words; wait and hope. Alexandre Dumas
All generalizations are dangerous, even this one. Alexandre Dumas
I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees. Euripides Click to tweet
The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. William Faulkner
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. Oscar Wilde
I can resist anything except temptation. Oscar Wilde
Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit. Kahlil Gibran
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. Leo Tolstoy
A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast. William Shakespeare (See also: wise quotes)
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect). Mark Twain
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Lao Tzu
We suffer more often in imagination than in reality. Seneca
More famous quotes, Buddha quotes
Short Deep Quotes And Thoughts
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One-liners, short deep quotes, thoughts and captions for your bio, social status, self-talk, motto, mantra, signs, posters, wallpapers, backgrounds. 
Don’t settle, and don’t struggle. Naval Ravikant Click to tweet
To thine own self be true. William Shakespeare
Conscience doth make cowards of us all. William Shakespeare
People do not lack strength; they lack will. Victor Hugo
What labels me, negates me. Søren Kierkegaard
Rest in reason; move in passion. Kahlil Gibran
You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do. Carl Jung
To do two things at once is to do neither. Publilius Syrus
The merit of all things lies in their difficulty. Alexandre Dumas Click to tweet
The prettiest eyes have cried the most. Unknown
The kindest hearts have felt the most pains. Unknown
Success is an iceberg. Unknown
Just do your best and to hell the rest. Unknown
Curiosity is gluttony. To see is to devour. Victor Hugo
Passion is born deaf and dumb. Honoré de Balzac
Close both eyes to see with the other eye. Rumi
“I” is another. Arthur Rimbaud
The deeper thought is, the taller it becomes. Dejan Stojanovic
Of all lies, art is the least untrue. Gustave Flaubert
Leave no stone unturned. Euripides
Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. Bertrand Russell
The darker the night, the brighter the stars. Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Beauty will save the world. Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Nothing has more strength than dire necessity. Euripides
Sin is geographical. Bertrand Russell
The past is never dead. It’s not even past. William Faulkner
Don’t be ‘a writer’. Be writing. William Faulkner
To define is to limit. Oscar Wilde
Be – don’t try to become. Osho
Whatever you feel, you become. It is your responsibility. Osho
Inspirational And Deep Quotes
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Are you afraid of the good you might do? Victor Hugo Click to tweet
The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine. Nikola Tesla
Full well do I know that in order to attain any definite goal, it is imperative that one person should do the thinking and commanding. Albert Einstein
Learn to judge your moves by their long-term effects on people. Robert Greene
Look for the thing you notice but no one else notices. Rick Rubin
I’m just trying to think about the future and not be sad. Elon Musk
The fears we don’t face become our limits. Jim Kwik
What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite. Bertrand Russell
You can tell a pioneer by the arrows in his back. Beverly Rubik
An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all. Oscar Wilde
If anyone on the verge of action should judge himself according to the outcome, he would never begin. Søren Kierkegaard
Always go too far, because that’s where you’ll find the truth. Albert Camus
First, see clearly. Next, act correctly. Finally, endure and accept the world as it is. Ryan Holiday
A poet should be so crafty with words that he is envied even for his pains. Criss Jami
The harder you fall, the heavier your heart; the heavier your heart, the stronger you climb; the stronger you climb, the higher your pedestal. Criss Jami
You are judges in this world by how well you bring things to an end. A messy or incomplete conclusion can reverberate for years to come. Robert Greene
Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent. Victor Hugo
It was scary at first, but every great thing starts out a little scary, doesn’t it?” Unknown
A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed. Henrik Ibsen
Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. Edgar Allan Poe
The spread of civilisation may be likened to a fire; first, a feeble spark, next a flickering flame, then a mighty blaze, ever increasing in speed and power. Nikola Tesla
Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts. Charles Dickens
Arm yourself, my heart: the thing that you must do is fearful, yet inevitable. Euripides
He who despairs is wrong. Victor Hugo Click to tweet
The best thing a human being can do is to help another human being know more. Charlie Munger
Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill. Muhammad Ali
See Also: 101 Stay Strong Quotes for When Life is Hard
I believe that if one always looked at the skies, one would end up with wings. Gustave Flaubert (azquotes.com)
Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true. Honoré de Balzac
If you wish to be a mine of jewels, open the deep ocean within your heart. Rumi
Patience with small details makes perfect a large work, like the universe. Rumi
Come, seek, for search is the foundation of fortune: every success depends upon focusing the heart! Rumi
If you want to overcome the whole world, overcome yourself. Fyodor Dostoyevsky
If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration. Nikola Tesla
Be alone, that is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born. Nikola Tesla
The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Want more inspiring quotes? Check out those quotes that are… positive, meaningful
Very Deep Sayings (Some Are Dark, Philosophical, Cryptic)
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I stick my finger into existence and it smells of nothing. Søren Kierkegaard
No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell. Carl Jung Click to tweet
God knows, I prefer people with anxieties, whose tomorrow is threatened by uncertainty. Albert Einstein
They muddy the water, to make it seem deep. Friedrich Nietzsche
If it is not necessary to decide, it is necessary not to decide. Lord Acton
Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality. Edgar Allan Poe
Science has not yet taught us if madness is or is not the sublimity of the intelligence. Edgar Allan Poe
There is no truth. There is only perception. Gustave Flaubert
The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference. Elie Wiesel
What if everything in the world were a misunderstanding, what if laughter were really tears? Søren Kierkegaard
All the problems of older times were scarcity… now they’re all abundance based. Naval Ravikant
Battle not with monsters, lest you become one and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. Friedrich Nietzsche
Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying. Arthur C. Clarke
The problem is not to find the answer, it’s to face the answer. Terence McKenna
I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers. Kahlil Gibran
A man can do what he wants, but not want what he wants. Arthur Schopenhauer
As with stomachs, we should pity minds that do not eat. Victor Hugo
To be sane in a world of madman is in itself madness. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
He who opens a school door, closes a prison. Victor Hugo Click to tweet
Civilization is a hopeless race to discover remedies for the evils it produces. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
I am not deep, but I am very wide. Honoré de Balzac
Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing. Euripides (See also: How to Ask the Right Question in the Right Way, phebinhvanhoc.com.vn)
Understand that half the game is keeping quiet, and carefully watching those around you. Robert Greene
Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is. Albert Camus
But in the end one needs more courage to live than to kill himself. Albert Camus
The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places. Ernest Hemingway
The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius. Oscar Wilde
I am not young enough to know everything. Oscar Wilde
Related quote topic: philosophy
Wise Deep Sayings And Thoughts
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Better a cruel truth than a comfortable delusion. Edward Abbey Click to tweet
Every strength is also a weakness. The opposite is true as well. Neil Strauss
It’s not how well you play the game, it’s deciding what game you want to play. Kwame Appiah
Where there is no sense of ownership, there is respect. Where there is no hope, there is Truth. Where there is no attachment, there is love. Kapil Gupta
Believe in the you who believes in yourself. Unknown
You don’t deserve what you don’t respect. Unknown
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once. Robert A. Heinlein
All the mistakes I ever made in my life were when I wanted to say No, and said Yes. Moss Hart
Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it. Margaret Atwood
All that you are seeking is also seeking you. Franz Kafka
There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion. Edgar Allan Poe
Common sense is in spite of, not the result of, education. Victor Hugo
There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. Søren Kierkegaard
Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter. When they separate, man is no more. Nikola Tesla
The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane. Nikola Tesla
Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live. Gustave Flaubert
Talent is a long patience, and originality an effort of will and intense observation. Gustave Flaubert
People who know little are usually great talkers, while men who know much say little. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
There are no weeds, and no worthless men. There are only bad farmers. Victor Hugo
Do not grow to fond of your ideas or too certain of their truth. Robert Greene Click to tweet
Being good is easy, what is difficult is being just. Victor Hugo
To put everything in balance is good, to put everything in harmony is better. Victor Hugo
Not to be absolutely certain is, I think, one of the essential things in rationality. Bertrand Russell
Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company and reflection must finish him. John Locke
See also: 7 Secrets Of Wise People (And How To Become One … Now) (huffingtonpost.ca)
Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours. John Locke
The only reason we get lost in thought, is because it is unfamiliar territory. Ashton Leinen
Everyone sees the unseen in proportion to the clarity of his heart. Rumi
Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids. John Steinbeck
A ‘no’ does not hide anything, but a ‘yes’ very easily becomes a deception. Søren Kierkegaard
There is a wisdom of the head, and… there is a wisdom of the heart. Charles Dickens
We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom. Leo Tolstoy
To think is easy. To act is hard. But the hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with your thinking. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Nothing shows a man’s character more than what he laughs at. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall. William Shakespeare
More words of wisdom
Part 3. Conclusion
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People spend too much time doing and not enough time thinking about what they should be doing. Naval Ravikant Click to tweet
Call to action: Read Mental Models: The Best Way to Make Intelligent Decisions (109 Models Explained) (fs.blog)