Life is full of nuances, details and elements that often make us stop and doubt.

These beautiful and short phrases about love and life are a way of approaching in a poetic way the themes on which most reflections are usually extracted, from the hand of great thinkers and cultural references.

The best phrases to think about

It is always stimulating to come up with new thoughts based on the opinions and ideas of great historical figures. Below you can see a series of beautiful thoughts and phrases about different areas of life.

Also, remember that you can visit our Instagram account to see images of phrases like these.

1. Life begins every five minutes (Andreu Buenafuente)

One of the most remembered phrases of this Catalan humorist.

2. Immature love says, “I love you because I need you. Mature love says, “I need you because I love you” (Erich Fromm)

Erich Fromm’s vision of different types of love.

3. What one can become, one must become (Abraham Maslow)

The creator of the most famous hierarchy of human needs reflects his humanistic philosophy in this phrase.

4. The power of imagination makes us infinite (John Muir)

One of the beautiful phrases referring to imagination and creativity.

5. Let’s be realistic, let’s ask the impossible! (Ernesto Che Guevara)

A cry that has practically become a slogan of the progressive movements.

6. Freedom dies if it is not used (Hunter S. Thompson)

A reflection on freedom and its properties.

7. Where Words Fail Music Speaks (Hans Christian Andersen)

Music is defined by this curious comparison.

8. You can’t find peace by avoiding life (Virginia Woolf)

Among the elements of life are things that can disrupt peace.

9. Life is like jazz… better if it is improvised (George Gershwin)

One of the beautiful phrases about life that can also serve to better understand certain art forms.

10. Everything that can be imagined is real (Pablo Picasso)

Picasso, talking about the limits of creativity .

11. Knowledge is an antidote to fear (Gerd Gigerenzer)

This psychologist talks about knowledge as something that affects the way we act.

12. Love is a smoke made of the vapours of sighs (Shakespeare)

One of Shakespeare’s most famously beautiful phrases.

13. A good traveler has no plans (Confucius)

The Eastern philosopher Confucius talks about his understanding of travel.

14. What I cannot create, I do not understand (Richard Feynman)

This referent of physics used shows his analytical and scientific mentality in this sentence.

15. Miracles are born of difficulties (Jean de la Bruyère)

A poetic phrase that is also motivating.

16. Love is a better teacher than duty (Albert Einstein)

One of Einstein’s best-known phrases about love

17. Life is the flower of which love is the honey (Victor Hugo)

An example of the poetic and beautiful phrases that Victor Hugo could conceive.

18. Look back and smile at past dangers (Walter Scott)

A motivating and beautiful phrase in equal parts.

19. We live in a rainbow of chaos (Paul Cezanne)

A poetic way to see the anarchy in our lives.

20. Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eyes (H. Jackson Brown Jr.)

A reflection on human intuition.

21. We become what we think (Earl Nightingale)

Our thoughts have a crucial influence on what we will become in the future.

22. Where there is love there is life (Mahatma Gandhi)

A very nice phrase from the Hindu leader Mahatma Gandhi.

23. Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them (Albert Einstein)

Accepting our limitations can be the starting point for a fuller life.

24. Listen from time to time; it’s fascinating what you can hear (Russell Baker)

Many people do not listen, they only hear . The one we stop to listen to, everything changes.

25. Where there is no struggle, there is no strength (Oprah Winfrey)

The popular African-American presenter is clear about that. Struggle is the engine of societies.

26. What does not kill us makes us stronger (Friedrich Nietzsche)

The German philosopher, in a much commented quote.

27. Pleasure is often spoiled by the mere fact of describing it (Stendhal)

Sometimes, experience is the only thing that matters .

28. Love is composed of a soul inhabiting two bodies (Aristotle)

A phrase about love that reminds us of the most powerful feeling we can experience.

29. The more we do, the more we can do (William Hazlitt)

The efforts are summative, and they help us to reach a good conclusion.

30. Time spent with cats is never time wasted (Sigmund Freud)

A tender phrase that shows the love that Sigmund Freud gave to the little felines.

31. A friend is someone you dare to be yourself with (Frank Crane)

In everyday life we usually wear masks, but with friends we show ourselves emotionally naked.

32. Motivation is what gets you going, habit is what keeps you going (Jim Ryun)

The importance of habits in moving forward.

33. It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all (Alfred Lord Tennyson)

Another reflection that we have all heard at one time or another.

34. All people talk about the mind without hesitation, but are perplexed when asked to define it (B. F. Skinner)

Behaviorist B. F. Skinner, on the intangible of the human mind.

35. Without deviating from the norm progress is not possible (Frank Zappa)

The musician Zappa believed that subversion was the only way to social progress.

36. Wherever I go, I find that a poet has been there before me (Sigmund Freud)

Poets have always lived longer than anyone else.

37. Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground (Theodore Roosevelt)

A magnificent phrase that came from the creative genius that was Roosevelt.

38. Music is love seeking words (Lawrence Durrell)

A phrase about music and its relationship to love.

39. It always seems impossible until it is done (Nelson Mandela)

The mythical South African activist reflects on the possible and the impossible.

40. The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the ordinary (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

A beautiful phrase from the great Ralph Waldo Emerson.

41. Storms cause trees to create deeper roots (Dolly Parton)

After the bad weather, we came out reinforced in spirit.

42. Don’t look at the clock, do as he does: keep moving (Sam Levenson)

Don’t ever stop. A nice phrase that allows us to keep going in spite of everything .

43. Life is very simple, but we insist on making it complicated (Confucius)

A famous quote that is very much remembered, reminding us that, in the end, life is simpler than we sometimes think.

44. Do not count the days, make the days count (Muhammad Ali)

A paradoxical phrase from the greatest boxer of all time.

45. When nothing is certain, everything is possible (Margaret Drabble)

Uncertainty is the gasoline we can dream of in a better future.

46. True strength is delicate (Louise Berliawsky Nevelson)

Certainly, brute force doesn’t usually lead very far.

47. The person who has never made a mistake has never done anything new (Albert Einstein)

Making mistakes is not only human, it is inevitable if we want to succeed.

48. Fall in love with your existence (Jack Kerouac)

Only if you have a positive feeling towards your existence can you aspire to be happy.

49. The goal of education is to transform an empty mind into an open one (Malcolm S. Forbes)

In this sentence there is a valuable reflection about the role of education as something far from being a machine of forcing to memorize.

50. Music is an echo of the invisible world (Giuseppe Mazzini)

One of the most beautiful and inspiring phrases in music.

51. Nothing is as sweet as melancholy (Francis Beaumont)

An elegant way of looking at this feeling.

52. Can you imagine what I would do if I could do everything I can? (Sun Tzu)

The Chinese thinker, author of the famous Art of War, talks here about human potential.

53. The only person you are meant to be is the one you decide to be (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

One of the beautiful and motivating phrases at the same time.

54. There is no instinct like that of the heart (Lord Byron)

Lord Byron talking about the most passionate part of human beings.

55. Be yourself, the other positions are already taken (Oscar Wilde)

Oscar Wilde, as always, offering wisdom and irony in equal measure.

56. Creativity is intelligence having fun (Albert Einstein)

There are few more original definitions of this concept.

57. Make as if every day were a life (Seneca)

One of the oldest philosophers in the West shows here a way to squeeze the maximum out of life.

58. Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings (Salvador Dalí)

One of the most poetic phrases of this Spanish painter.

59. The goal of education is to turn mirrors into windows (Sydney Harris)

It is not a question of getting children to think exactly the same way, but of enhancing their skills and creativity.

60. I speak to myself because I am the only one whose answers I accept (George Carlin)

A lesson in self-confidence , or perhaps in arrogance.

61. Love comes unseen, we only see it when it leaves (Henry Austin Dobson)

We only realize that person is worth it when they decide to leave our life.

62. The characteristic of beautiful people is that they always see beauty in others (Omar Suleiman)

Beauty is transmitted by the look, by the way of recognizing beauty in the eyes of the one who is looking.

63. Think of all the beauty around you and be happy (Anne Frank)

A phrase that invites us to celebrate life without giving much thought to anything specific.

64. The occasion must be created (Francis Bacon)

Chances won’t come knocking at your door. Go out there and find your chances.

65. To be brave is to be free (Seneca)

Greek philosophy left us precious reflections, like this one by Seneca.

66. If you can dream it, you can do it (Walt Disney)

Don’t put limits on yourself, no great historical character put limits on you.

67. Romance is stormy, love is calm (Mason Cooley)

A good way to differentiate love from infatuation.

68. Never Too Old to Set a New Goal (C. S. Lewis)

Every day gives us a new opportunity to do something useful.

69. Only the life lived for others is the life worth living (Albert Einstein)

Altruism as the engine of life . A beautiful phrase pronounced by the German physicist.

70. Even if you are in the minority, the truth is the truth (Mahatma Gandhi)

It doesn’t matter that everyone believes in something, the truth only has one path.

71. The more you dream, the further you go (Michael Phelps)

The award-winning American swimmer, talking about dreams and how to pursue them.

72. Volunteers don’t necessarily have to have a lot of time; they have to have a lot of heart (Elizabeth Andrew)

Volunteers spend time and effort fighting for the needs of others.

73. The soul is coloured by the colour of its thoughts (Marcus Aurelius)

Another nice phrase that relates our thoughts to the medium-term effects on our lives.

74. All that we see is but a dream within a dream (Edgar Allan Poe)

Do we live in the Matrix? Edgar Allan Poe, judging by this famous quote, thinks so.

75. To believe in something and not live it is fundamentally dishonest (Mahatma Gandhi)

Integrity is based on doing what you firmly believe in.

76. Everything in the universe has rhythm, everything dances (Maya Angelou)

Dance and music form a faint common denominator in our lives.

77. The truth is never pure and rarely simple (Oscar Wilde)

The complexity of life means that the truth can only be unravelled in detail.

78. The purpose of art is to remove the dust of daily life from our soul (Pablo Picasso)

A sentence about the art of the brilliant painter from Malaga.

79. There is a kind of beauty in the imperfect (Conrad Hall)

Perfection can be boring . Imperfection can contain character and vitality.

80. If you love life, life will love you (Arthur Rubinstein)

Everything we offer the world is returned to us in one form or another.

81. You should never be afraid of what you do when you are right (Rosa Parks)

The African-American rights activist, on honesty and integrity.

82. I have not lost the gold, I have won the silver (Michelle Kwan)

Optimism above all, despite the fact that others try to make us believe that we could have achieved more.

83. Beauty is power, a smile is its sword (John Ray)

Interesting vision about beauty. The smile is, of course, the best magnet to attract other people.

84. If you hear a voice inside you that says “you cannot paint”, then, whatever happens, you paint, and that voice will be silenced (Vincent Van Gogh)

A good way to overcome mental limitations.

85. Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future (Oscar Wilde)

The British writer reflects on the evils we have all committed in life.

86. Existence is an imperfection (Jean-Paul Sartre)

The mythical French philosopher praises imperfection.

87. The most wasted of all days is the one that is empty of laughter (Nicolas Chamford)

Laughing is always the best medicine . An endearing phrase to take life in a good mood.

88. The secret to moving forward is to start (Mark Twain)

Never despair, follow your dreams until you get them.

89. It is never too late to be who you could have been (George Eliot)

Doing what we like transports us to be unique and happy with ourselves.

90. Beauty is a promise of happiness (Edmund Burke)

One of the phrases about beauty with a clear philosophical background.

91. You must find a place within you where everything is possible (Deepak Chopra)

A self-fulfilling and motivating sentence by Deepak Chopra.

92. What is before us and what is behind us are small things compared to what is inside us (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Another one of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s best lines.

93. The secret of your future is disguised in your daily routine (Mike Murdock)

A reflection to know how to identify those habits that lead us to forms of future that we like or dislike.

94. Let us always welcome each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love (Teresa of Calcutta)

A gesture as simple as a smile can change many things.

95. Where there is unity there is always victory (Pubilio Siro)

A pragmatic and yet beautiful way of conceiving unity.

96. Choose a trade you like and you will not have to work any day in your life (Confucius)

This is among the most famous beautiful phrases of this ancient Chinese philosopher.

97. Happiness is what happens when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony (Mahatma Gandhi)

A way of relating happiness to honesty and consistency in what we do.

98. A good decision is based on knowledge, not on numbers (Plato)

Plato, talking about knowledge as something that goes far beyond technical knowledge.

99. Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is a home (Matsuo Basho)

A beautiful reflection on the art of travel.

100. Happiness can only exist in acceptance (George Orwell)

A famous quote that presents us with acceptance as the basis of emotional well-being.

101. To receive someone’s trust is a greater compliment than to be loved (George MacDonald)

Certainly, we feel comforted when someone gives us their trust and respect .

102. Better than a thousand empty words is one word that brings peace (Buddha)

A sentence to reflect on, from Buddha.

103. Experience is simply the name we give to our mistakes (Oscar Wilde)

An ironic phrase from the British writer. Mistakes, whether we like it or not, are part of life.

104. One way to get the most out of life is to see it as an adventure (William Feather)

If every day is a challenge, it is easier for positive and memorable things to happen to us.

105. Happiness is like a kiss; you must share it to enjoy it (Bernard Meltzer)

Life is better when it is shared.

106. It’s simple: just make it happen. (Didier Diderot)

A call to action from this French thinker.

107. Success is not random; it is an effort-dependent variable. (Sophocles)

You don’t have to sit around and wait, you have to go and find him with constant work.

108. What would have happened if I hadn’t tried? (Valentino Rossi)

A nice phrase from the great motorcycle champion.

109. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson. (Dalai Lama)

There’s always something to learn from every defeat.

110. You can’t defeat the person who never gives up. (Babe Ruth)

An ingenious and deep phrase from the most famous baseball player of all times.

111. The difficult times have helped me to understand better how infinitely rich and wonderful life is and that many things that concern us are not of the slightest importance. (Karen Blitzen)

A reflection that brings us closer to what is really important.

112. My mother taught me to love people and treat them with good manners. She is a sweet and wonderful person who likes to cook, make clothes and be with family. She doesn’t drink, smoke or bother. No one has ever been better to me in my entire life. (Muhammad Ali)

A compliment to the unconditional love of mothers.

113. There are only two ways to live life. One is as if nothing is a miracle, the other is as if everything is. (Albert Einstein)

A scientist with a privileged mind, also for philosophy.

114. They say that a man is not a man as long as he does not hear his name from a woman’s lips. (Antonio Machado)

Thought of the famous Spanish poet.

115. I never knew a man so ignorant that it was impossible for me to learn anything from him. (Galileo Galilei)

Every person has something to teach us.

116. If you cannot convince them, confuse them. (Harry Truman)

An ingenious sentence from this president of the United States.

117. A small stumble can prevent a big fall. (English proverb)

Losing a battle doesn’t mean losing the war.

118. Let us hope that the day will come when the Force of Love will replace the Love of Force. (William Ewart Gladstone)

This liberal British politician was confident of a better future.

119. When I was at school, the teacher told me to explain to my classmates the force of gravity. So I took it, and I threw it out the window. (Rodney Dangerfield)

A phrase that can bring out the laughter.

120. The secret of happiness is not in doing what one wants, but in wanting what one does. (James M. Barrie)

A maxim for happiness and prosperity.