100 Deep Quotes to Ponder in 14 Categories
Frauke Geuking
(Senior Editor)
Our selection of deep quotes deals with various topics that people struggle with on a daily basis. Some can strengthen you, others might instill courage, while others still are suitable if you want to give free reign to your emotions.
These profound sayings and deep quotes are just the right thing when you feel like everything is against you at the moment. They manage to put your emotional chaos into words and help you cope with your feelings.
Short Quotes to Ponder
Sometimes you’re just in the mood for reflection – and that’s a good thing. Life can’t always be pretty, but the first step to getting better is to be aware of your life situation and feelings instead of suppressing them. Pondering some deep quotes can help you do just that.
Below you will find deep quotes that were kept short so you can easily remember their wording and internalize their meanings.
Short Quotes about Love
Deep Short Love Quotes
Thinking about love is probably one of the most common emotions people experience. The topic of love can be looked at from many angles, and sayings and these quotes about love can help you sort out your thoughts.
Whether it’s because you’re suffering from self-doubt due to an unhappy relationship, your partner’s love is in doubt or your love for them is stressed because you’ve had an argument, you’re love-sick, or suffering from the pain of a breakup – the first step to clarity is through self-reflection.
- "Love is love’s reward."
(John Dryden, English poet, 1631-1700) - "You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving."
(Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish writer, 1850-1894) - "Where there is love there is life."
(Mahatma Gandhi, Indian revolutionary, 1869-1948) - "Whatever is done for love always occurs beyond good and evil."
(Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher, 1844-1900) - "You and I – we are one. I cannot hurt you without hurting myself."
(Mahatma Gandhi, Indian revolutionary, 1869-1948) - "First love is only a little foolishness and a lot of curiosity."
(George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright, 1856-1950) - "Beauty awakens the soul to act."
(Dante Alighieri, Italian poet and philosopher, 1265-1321) - "Without love, without struggle, what is existence worth?"
(Imre Madách, Hungarian playwright, 1823-1864) - "Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."
(Alfred Lord Tennyson, British poet, 1809-1892) - "Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."
(Aristotle, Greek philosopher, 384-322 B.C.)
Short Meaningful Quotes
Meaningful Deep Short Quotes
Below you will find short and deep quotes that are very meaningful. These quotes deal with topics such as time, knowledge and personal development. You can share them in any situation, let them inspire you or motivate other people to be better. As they are short, they’re extremely suitable to send via WhatsApp or other social media.
- "The whole of life is an eternal recommencement."
(Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Austrian writer, 1874-1929) - "Well begun is half done."
(Aristotle, Greek philosopher, 384-322 B.C.) - "Philosophy is not a theory but an activity."
(Ludwig Wittgenstein, Austrian philosopher, 1889-1951) - "I know that I know nothing."
(Socrates, Greek philosopher, 469-399 B.C.) - "To philosophize is to doubt."
(Michel de Montaigne, French philosopher, 1533-1593) - "Habit is overcome by habit"
(Thomas von Kempen, German writer, 1380-1471) - "By desiring little, a poor man makes himself rich."
(Democritus, Greek philosopher, c. 460 B.C.-370 B.C.) - "The psychical, whatever its nature may be, is itself unconscious."
(Sigmund Freud, Austrian psychologist, 1856-1939) - "Before Alice went to Wonderland, she had to fall."
(Unknown) - "Procrastination is the thief of time."
(Edward Young, English poet, 1683-1765) - "The beginning is always today."
(Mary Wollstonecraft, English writer, 1759-1797)
These short quotes can be interpreted wonderfully. For example:
"Habit is overcome by habit."
(Thomas von Kempen)
Thomas von Kempen is trying to convey that it is possible to build new things and develop new habits to overcome your old ones. Those old habits are not replaced by short-lived resolutions, but by stronger new habits. With his quote he emphasizes that humans are creatures of habit and must forge new habits to break the old.
Sad Deep Short Quotes
Sad Deep Short Quotes
Sadness has umpteen different causes and for every individual sadness expresses itself in its own unique form. When you are sad, you may not have the energy to put your feelings into words, but you may also lack the right words express your emotions.
These short deep quotes deal with morose topics and have a melancholic tone. Use them to give a voice to your dissatisfaction and let the words speak for you.
- "Sometimes even to live is an act of courage."
(Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Roman philosopher, c. 4 B.C.-65 A.D.) - "Affliction comes to us, not to make us sad but sober; not to make us sorry but wise."
(H. G. Wells, English writer, 1866-1946) [full name Herbert George Wells] - "Woe to the man whose heart has not learned while young to hope, to love – and to put its trust in life."
(Joseph Conrad, Polish-British writer, 1857-1924) - "Tears come from the heart and not from the brain."
(Leonardo da Vinci, Italian polymath and artist, 1452-1519) - "The rose and the thorn, and sorrow and gladness are linked together."
(Saadi, Persian poet, c. 1210-1292) - "If we don’t end war, war will end us."
(H. G. Wells, English writer, 1866-1946) [full name Herbert George Wells] - "Tears are the summer showers to the soul."
(Alfred Austin, English poet, 1835-1913)
Deep Quotes for Reflection
When you’re dealing with deep emotions, sometimes it takes more words to do justice to your emotional state and the issues at hand.
After the short quotes listed above, here are some sayings that are longer and more in depth.
Deep Quotes on Life
Deep Quotes on Life
Life has a lot in store for you and regularly presents you with various challenges. It will offer you a lot to think about with its daily changes and hardships. The following quotes on life are intended to make you more sensitive to your environment and to activate different thought processes that will enrich your life.
- "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."
(Confucius, Chinese philosopher, 551 B.C.-479 B.C.) - "Nature is the art of God."
(Dante Alighieri, Italian poet and philosopher, 1265-1321) - "The science of government it is my duty to study, more than all other sciences; the arts of legislation and administration and negotiation ought to take the place of, indeed exclude, in a manner, all other arts. I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain."
(John Adams, 2nd President of the United States, 1735-1826) - "We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving."
(Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher, 1844-1900) - "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."
(Marie Curie, Polish scientist, 1867-1934) - "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how."
(Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher, 1844-1900)
Looking for more quotes about life? Find them here.
Powerful Quotes that offer Encouragement
Powerful Deep Quotes that Encourage
These powerful quotes might be appropriate when you’re melancholy and help you reach a contemplative state. Whatever triggered this state needs to be processed. This is where a few powerful quotes about encouragement could help. One must deal with these emotions to overcome them.
If your day went terribly or you experienced a serious letdown, these quotes can show you that there are valuable things in life that make it worth living. They inspire hope and help you overcome your negative thoughts.
- "There are moments when everything goes well, but don’t be frightened."
(Jules Renard, French dramatist, 1864-1910) - "Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence."
(Democritus, Greek philosopher, c. 460 B.C.-370 B.C.) - "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
(Mahatma Gandhi, Indian revolutionary, 1869-1948) - "It’s never too late to become what you might have been."
(George Eliot, English writer, 1819-1880) [actually named Mary Anne Evans]. - "Stay away from those people who try to disparage your ambitions. Small minds will always do that, but great minds will give you a feeling that you can become great too."
- "A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."
(George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright, 1856-1950) - "From a little spark may burst a flame."
(Dante Alighieri, Italian poet and philosopher, 1265-1321)
Find more encouraging quotes here.
Deep Quotes for Twitter
Deep Twitter Quotes
It can be difficult to accept society as it is – with all its negative aspects, its repression, its ignorance and its incorrigibility.
There are good reasons why there are so many cultured people who are critical of society: literature, art and film pick up on these themes again and again and express our dissatisfaction with the system.
Fortunately, Twitter exists, so you can make your criticisms public, as well. Let the quotes listed here inspire you to make a critical Twitter post.
- "I suppose society is wonderfully delightful. To be in it is merely a bore. But to be out of it is simply a tragedy."
(Oscar Wilde, Irish poet, 1854-1900) - "Don’t part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have ceased to live."
(Mark Twain, U.S. writer, 1835-1910) - "To live is the rarest thing in the world – most people only exist, that is all."
(Oscar Wilde, Irish poet, 1854-1900) - "There are three methods to gaining wisdom. The first is reflection, which is the highest. The second is limitation, which is the easiest. The third is experience, which is the bitterest."
(Confucius, Chinese philosopher, 551 B.C.-479 B.C.) - "It is far better to be alone than to be in bad company."
(George Washington, 1st President of the United States, 1732-1799) - "We learn from history that we do not learn from history".
(Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, German philosopher, 1770-1831) - "Society exists only as a mental concept; in the real world there are only individuals."
(Oscar Wilde, Irish poet, 1854-1900)
Deep Quotes for Heart Pangs
Deep Heart Pain Quotes
If you’ve experienced some low points in your relationship and aren’t sure if your love is enough to keep you going, you might feel helpless. You may also have had your heart broken, your relationship may have come to an unexpected end, or you may be dissatisfied with the way you communicate in your relationship. Use one of these quotes about heartbreak below to express your feelings or to give you new hope and courage.
- "The cruelest lies are often told in silence."
(Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish writer, 1850-1894) - "Love overcomes death, but it happens that a little bad habit overcomes love."
(Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Moravian-Austrian writer, 1830-1916) - "There is no despair so absolute as that which comes with the first moments of our first great sorrow, when we have not yet known what it is to have suffered and be healed, to have despaired and have recovered hope."
(George Eliot, English writer, 1819-1880) [actually named Mary Anne Evans] - "A noble heart will always capitulate to reason."
(Friedrich von Schiller, German playwright, 1759-1805) - "Pains of love be sweeter far
than all other pleasures are."
(John Dryden, English poet, 1631-1700) - "Hopes and expectations are two different things. Don’t settle for the former."
(Unknown)
Profound Love Quotes
Profound Love Quotes
This category is filled with profound quotes about love. True, deep love is what humanity strives for as it brings happiness and hope.
For many, the meaning of life lies in finding true love. Open your heart to these deep love quotes and spread some loving energy when you share them.
- "The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves."
(Victor Hugo, French author, 1802-1885) - "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."
(Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher, 365 B.C.-290 B.C.) - "Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity."
(Henry van Dyke, American poet, 1852-1933) - "Love is the only reality and it is not a mere sentiment. It is the ultimate truth that lies at the heart of creation."
(Rabindranath Tagore, Indian lyricist, 1861-1941) - "Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue, a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky."
(Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian storyteller and lyricist,1875-1926) - "Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility; for it thinks all things lawful for itself, and all things possible."
(Thomas von Kempen, German writer, 1380-1471)
Deep Quotes about the Self
Deep Self Quotes
These profound quotes are meant just for you. Use the following sayings to remind yourself of your inherent value and how hard it can be to put up with yourself sometimes.
Strengthen your self-confidence with these quotes and keep your self-love high. You can use them as a mantra by repeating your saying in the morning or write it down to keep it in your memory.
- "Lose not yourself in a far off time, seize the moment that is thine."
(Friedrich von Schiller, German playwright, 1759-1805) - "I want you to be everything that’s you, deep at the center of your being."
(Confucius, Chinese philosopher, 551 B.C.-479 B.C.) - "You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection."
(Buddha, founder of Buddhism, 560 B.C.-483 B.C.) [Siddhartha Gautama] - "Ego is the immediate dictate of human consciousness."
(Max Planck, German physicist, 1858-1947) - "By all means use some time to be alone."
(Edward Young, English poet, 1683-1765) - "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."
(Abraham Lincoln, American president, 1809-1865)
Deep Quotes about Disappointment
Deep Quotes about Disappointment
Disappointments happen to us every day. Your family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances or even strangers can disappoint you with their behavior and opinions.
This ranges from rude or disrespectful behavior to broken promises and unfulfilled expectations. Especially when loved ones disappoint us, it can cause serious emotional pain, because of our deeper attachment and higher expectations.
The quotes below deal with this kind of disappointment.
- "Suspense is worse than disappointment."
(Robert Burns, Scottish poet, 1759-1796) - "You’re always silent with the people you actually have the most to say to."
(Unknown) - "Nearly all men can stand adversity but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power."
(Abraham Lincoln, American president, 1809-1865) - "No one enters your life without a reason. One was a gift, the other a lesson."
(Unknown) - "In this world, man always forgets the most important thing – humanity."
(Unknown) - "You can tell a person’s true character by how they treat you when they don’t need you anymore."
(Unknown) - "I do not wish anything bad for anyone. I only wish some people to meet themselves once in a while."
(Unknown) - "Irony is the last stage of disappointment."
(Anatole France, French storyteller and critic, 1844-1924) - "I am making some changes in my life right now. If you don’t hear from me anymore, you are probably one of them."
(Unknown)
The feeling of disappointment is different from the feeling of anger. Disappointment is not raging, screaming, or irrational. It is often sad, quiet and matter-of-fact.
Still, it helps you cope with disappointment if you say what’s bothering you. Talk to the person who has disappointed you and have a conversation to clarify things – perhaps with the help of our quotes and sayings.
Done Wasting Time Quotes
Done Wasting Time Quotes
These sayings are helpful when you look back and think about wasted time. Too often in life, people find they have invested too much time in something that was subsequently not worthwhile.
The trigger can be, for example, a failed relationship, a discontinued education or a failed exam. Time is precious and will be used, but how you choose to "use" it is up to you.
- "If you use time, you gain time."
(Unknown) - "Wasted time is existence, used time is life."
(Edward Young, English poet, 1683-1765) - "Time isn’t passing any faster than before, but we’re passing it more hurriedly."
(George Orwell, English writer, 1903-1950) - "Life is short, not so much because of the short time it lasts, but because of the short time we have almost none left to enjoy it."
(Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Swiss writer, 1712-1778) - "It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much."
(Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Roman philosopher, c. 4 B.C.-65 A.D.) - "Time may heal wounds, but it is a miserable beautician."
(Mark Twain, U.S. writer, 1835-1910)
Our quotes are meant to encourage you to use your time wisely and inspire you to savor life. Read them and you can begin each day with determination and learn to be grateful.
Here you can find more wise sayings.
Deep Friendship Quotes
Deep Friendship Quotes
As with all interpersonal relationships, conflicts, disappointments, and doubts can arise among friends.
Either one of your friends hurt you, deceived your or simply disappointed you with his or her views. The following quotes can help you to tell a friend what you think or point out something that might bother you and that he or she should change.
This section is about what constitutes a friendship and how friends should treat each other.
- "The victor has many friends, the vanquished has good friends."
(From Mongolia) - "When the time comes when you could, the time when you can is past."
(Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Moravian-Austrian writer, 1830-1916) - "Strong women are easy to recognize. They build each other up instead of tearing each other down."
(Unknown) - "To show resentment at a reproach is to acknowledge that one may have deserved it."
(Publius Cornelius Tacitus, a Roman historian, 55-120 A.D) - "It’s dangerous to fool others because you end up fooling yourself."
(Eleonora Duse, Italian stage and film actress; 1858-1924) - "The way you see people is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them is what they become."
(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet, 1749-1832)
Deep Quotes about Family
Deep Family Quotes
A family can be both a blessing and a curse. Depending on what kind of relationship you have with your family, conflicts occur more or less often. But even in the most harmonious families, there are arguments from time to time.
Sometimes it is difficult to accept your family and love them unconditionally. In times of family crises, our selected sayings can help you and show that others feel the same way you do.
- "In the little world in which children have their existence, whosoever brings them up, there is nothing so finely perceived and so finely felt, as injustice."
(Charles Dickens, English writer, 1812-1870) - "Experience isn’t inherited – everyone has to learn it on their own."
(Kurt Tucholsky, German journalist, 1890-1935) - "Everything old, so far as it has earned the claim to it, we are to love; but for the new we are actually to live."
(Theodor Fontane, German writer, 1819-1898) - "A child is a book from which we should read and in which we should write."
(Peter Rosegger, Austrian writer, 1843-1918) [pseudonym P. K., Petri Kettenfeier]. - "Becoming a father is not difficult,
Being a father, on the other hand, is very difficult."
(Wilhelm Busch, German poet, 1832-1908) - "Few people are modest enough to be estimated at their true worth."
(Luc de Clapiers, French philosopher, 1715-1747) [also Luc de Clapiers, Marquis de Vauvenargues]. - "A mother is the only person in the world who loves you before she knows you."
(Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Swiss educator and social reformer, 1746-1827)
Hopefully our quotes will raise your tolerance level a bit and you will have a little more patience with your family. Maybe it’s just good for you to let out your frustration and you can identify with the people quoted.
Despite disputes, you should always be grateful for your family. This does not mean that you always have to agree with them. Try to find out for yourself at which points you want to separate yourself from your family and at which points you are happy that you have them.
Haven’t found what you were looking for yet? Here you can find more sayings about family.
Deep Quotes about Death
Deep Quotes about Death
Especially after the loss of a loved one, many think about death. They deal with their own lives, encounter the regret of unused time and become aware of their missteps in life.
A certain skepticism about life can be the result. The meaning of life might be in doubt if one has wasted life and the remaining time seems too short. The following quotes can help you reflect on your thoughts and give you new courage.
- "Death rearranges the world.
Apparently, nothing has changed,
and yet everything has changed."
(Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French writer and pilot, 1900-1944) - "It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live."
(Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor, 121-180) - "Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them."
(George Eliot, English writer, 1819-1880) [actually named Mary Anne Evans] - "There are always traces of your life, thoughts, images and moments. They will remind us of you, make us happy and sad and never let us forget you."
(Unknown) - "Nature creates while destroying, and doesn’t care whether it creates or destroys as long as life isn’t extinguished, as long as death doesn’t lose its rights."
(Ivan Sergeyevitsch Turgenjev, Russian novelist, 1818-1883) - "To himself everyone is immortal; he may know that he is going to die, but he can never know that he is dead."
(Samuel Butler, British poet, 1835-1902)
It is natural and important to grieve as long as your grief does not turn into depression.
Learn to let go and begin to accept death as a part of life that makes life worth living.
Deep Quotes to help deal with World-Weariness
Deep Quotes to Help Deal with World-Weariness
If you are unhappy about the state of society or even the whole world, you can easily fall into a kind of world-weariness.
If you suffer from world-weariness, you may have a pessimistic outlook. Life does not make sense to you and no one can convince you to stop the negative thoughts.
World-weariness doesn’t feel good, but every now and then it may be healthy to give expression to your emotions. After all, it is not a solution to ignore the problems of the world that burden you and always pretend to be satisfied.
The degree of your world-weariness always depends on how much you expect from the world and how much it meets your expectations. Some people suffer from world-weariness more often and feel the need to express their criticism somehow, others do not experience such feelings.
Being far-sighted and having a high sense of responsibility can increase the experience of pain. However, these qualities can also make the world a better place if they motivate actions to change our surroundings for the better. Hopefully our quotes help put your views into words and your words into actions.
Quotes for the Quiet Moments in Life
Quotes for the Quiet Moments in Life
There are days when nothing really works out. Nothing and no one could improve your mood and you would rather hide under a blanket and never come out again.
Sooner or later, everyone has such days and it is perfectly okay to be a bit depressed or to grieve. The main thing is to get out of this phase – which is impossible if you suppress your feelings.
Some of these deep quotes and profound sayings will help you express your feelings, so that you can get back into a good mood and get on with your life.
Reflection leads to Realization
Some of these deep quotes can seem pessimistic at first sight, but there is always a side to them that you don’t realize until you think about them for a little longer. A good example is the quote from Seneca: "It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much."
At first sight, the quote seems like we don’t enjoy the good things in life and that we don’t appreciate the time we have. But if you think about it longer, it encourages us to value the beautiful things in life even more.
Moreover, making the most of time means something different to everyone. For some, it might be a nice evening on the couch with a good book, and for others, it might be hanging out with friends and exploring the outdoors. Different people will feel differently about many profound sayings.
Either they offer deeper insight and or they provide you with an outlet to direct your anger at the world. So they either manage to direct your thoughts back to the positive in life or they evoke a feeling of being understood and not being alone. Of course, you can also share this feeling with others. Especially if a certain person is causing you to feel this way.
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