Simplicity Quotes

The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility.

~ Oscar Wilde

In literature, too, we admire prose in which a small and astutely arranged set of words has been constructed to carry a large consignment of ideas. 'We all have strength enough to bear the misfortunes of others,' writes La Rochefoucauld in an aphorism which transports us with an energy and exactitude comparable to that of Maillard bridge. The Swiss engineer reduces the number of supports just as the French writer compacts into a single line what lesser minds might have taken pages to express. We delight in complexity to which genius has lent an appearance of simplicity. (p 207)

~ Alain De Botton

My mathematics is simple: one plus one = one.

~ Dejan Stojanovic

To say more while saying less is the secret of being simple.

~ Dejan Stojanovic

TO VICTOR HUGO OF MY CROW PLUTO “Even when the bird is walking we know that it has wings.”—VICTOR HUGO Of: my crow Pluto, the true Plato, azzurronegro green-blue rainbow— Victor Hugo, it is true we know that the crow “has wings,” however pigeon-toe- inturned on grass. We do. (adagio) Vivorosso “corvo,” although con dizionario io parlo Italiano— this pseudo Esperanto which, savio ucello you speak too— my vow and motto (botto e totto) io giuro è questo credo: lucro è peso morto. And so dear crow— gioièllo mio— I have to let you go; a bel bosco generoso, tuttuto vagabondo, serafino uvaceo Sunto, oltremarino verecondo Plato, a

~ Marianne Moore

TO A GIRAFFE If it is unpermissible, in fact fatal to be personal and undesirable to be literal—detrimental as well if the eye is not innocent-does it mean that one can live only on top leaves that are small reachable only by a beast that is tall?— of which the giraffe is the best example— the unconversational animal. When plagued by the psychological, a creature can be unbearable that could have been irresistible; or to be exact, exceptional since less conversational than some emotionally-tied-in-knots animal. After all consolations of the metaphysical can be profound. In Homer, existence is flawed; transcendence, conditional; “the journey from sin to redemption, perpetual.

~ Marianne Moore

ROSEMARY Beauty and Beauty’s son and rosemary— Venus and Love, her son, to speak plainly— born of the sea supposedly, at Christmas each, in company, braids a garland of festivity. Not always rosemary— since the flight to Egypt, blooming differently. With lancelike leaf, green but silver underneath, its flowers—white originally— turned blue. The herb of memory, imitating the blue robe of Mary, is not too legendary to flower both as symbol and as pungency. Springing from stones beside the sea, the height of Christ when thirty-three— it feeds on dew and to the bee “hath a dumb language”; is in reality a kind of Christmas-tree.

~ Marianne Moore

In the days of Prismatic Colornot in the days of Adam and Eve, but when Adam was alone; when there was no smoke and color was fine, not with the refinement of early civilization art, but because of its originality; with nothing to modify it but the mist that went up, obliqueness was a variation of the perpendicular, plain to see and to account for: it is no longer that; nor did the blue-red-yellow band of incandescence that was color keep its stripe

~ Marianne Moore

A person’s words reflect the image of his character and the amount of truth and lies in it is always visible to the human heart than ordinary eyes.

~ Testy Mctesterson

I delight to come to my bearings,—not walk in procession with pomp and parade, in a conspicuous place, but to walk even with the Builder of the universe, if I may,—not to live in this restless, nervous, bustling, trivial Nineteenth Century, but stand or sit thoughtfully while it goes by. What are men celebrating? They are all on a committee of arrangements, and hourly expect a speech from somebody. God is only the president of the day, and Webster is his orator. I love to weigh, to settle, to gravitate toward that which most strongly and rightfully attracts me;—not hang by the beam of the scale and try to weigh less,—not suppose a case, but take the case that is

~ Henry David Thoreau

Simplicity allows a measure of freedom which the complexities of modern life greedily consume – freedom to think, to reflect, to create, to serve and be sincerely generous with our time and presence.

~ Mary Morrell

All things are accomplished by the meditative act of releasing illusions and simply becoming.

~ Bryant Mcgill

You can become instantly successful with a simple thought, but long-lasting and pronounced success comes to those who renew their commitment to a mindset of abundance every minute of every hour of every day.

~ Bryant Mcgill

Happiness is gleaned from a source, which can be attributed to all experiences; it can be found wherever the individual does not mind forfeiting the option, for some sense of control.

~ Justin K. Mcfarlane Beau

The life of less, one bent on simplicity, and not needing or wanting anything other than what God has deemed good for you turns out to be all you could ever need or want.

~ Hayley Dimarco

Not every person wants the prettiest, smartest, talented or spiritually uplifting person to build a life with. Sometimes we just want that special someone that makes sense, puts up with us, has patience, comes without drama, gives us focus and is willing to run with our half-baked ideas.

~ Shannon L. Alder

It was as simple as that - they met. As simple as only beautiful things can be beautiful, as only life-changing things, turning-point things, can be simple.(For The Rest Of Her Life)

~ Cornell Woolrich

I know it sounds so simple but Love Is All There Is.

~ Kate Mcgahan

Not until we are faced with a crisis or sadness do we begin to remember that if we only laughed a bit more, loved a lot more, and felt the simplicity of loving ourselves-just a little more…this day would be the greatest day ever!

~ Lee Pryke

Live on no complex dreams... When the meaning of what you want to do isn't clear, it means there is absolutely no meaning! Simplicity with curiosity is the lap on which success rests!

~ Israelmore Ayivor

I am not a women that takes anything for granted, I'll lay endlessly With you and talk about meaningful and logical, I'll watch the stars at midnight and the way they twinkle back; to let me know they see me too, I'll wind the window down just to feel the breeze, I'll turn the music up when I love a song, I'll sit with the ocean when I feel lost, I'll cry when my heart hurts & I'll listen to you when yours is hurting too, I know the kind of women I am, and im not shy in showing her to the world.

~ Nikki Rowe

In this world in which we live simplicity and kindness are the only magic wands that work wonders

~ L. Frank Baum

Jesus was a man for simple people. He didn't make his messages incredibly complex. If you were a person that had the eyes to see and the ears to hear... then his message was easily understood.

~ Brandon Andress

Because we lack a divine Center our need for security has led us into an insane attachment to things. We really must understand that the lust for affluence in contemporary society is psychotic. It is psychotic because it has completely lost touch with reality. We crave things we neither need nor enjoy. 'We buy things we do not want to impress people we do not like'. Where planned obsolescence leaves off, psychological obsolescence takes over. We are made to feel ashamed to wear clothes or drive cars until they are worn out. The mass media have convinced us that to be out of step with fashion is to be out of step with reality. It is time we awaken to the fact that conformity to a sick society is to be sick. Until we see how unbalanced our culture has become at this point, we will not be able to deal with the mammon spirit within ourselves nor will we desire Christian simplicity.

~ Richard J. Foster

Silence frees us from the need to control others. One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel so helpless. We are accustomed to relying upon words to manage and control others. A frantic stream of words flows from us in an attempt to straighten others out. We want so desperately for them to agree with us, to see things our way. We evaluate people, judge people, condemn people. We devour people with our words. Silence is one of the deepest Disciplines of the Spirit simply because it puts the stopper on that. When we become quiet enough to let go of people, we learn compassion for them.

~ Richard J. Foster

I am not posing these questions only to the world at large. I query us who own Christ as our life. Can God be pleased by the vast and increasing inequities among us? Is he not grieved by our arrogant accumulation, while Christian brothers and sisters elsewhere languish and die? Is it not obligatory upon us to see beyond the nose of our own national interest, so that justice may roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream? Is there not an obligation upon us to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God is we want to live in his wonderful peace?

~ Richard J. Foster

Most often simplicity defines the true beauty of a great life.

~ Debasish Mridha

To feel the joy of life, sell your pride and get lost in the simplicity and humility.

~ Debasish Mridha

The best treasure of life is not wealth, but it is simplicity with confidence.

~ Debasish Mridha

Kindness is the best wisdom. Simplicity is the best achievement.

~ Debasish Mridha

Society judges people by their successes. I get attracted by their dedication, simplicity, and humility.

~ Debasish Mridha

Wisdom is the highest strength, simplicity has intrinsic power.

~ Debasish Mridha M.d.

True wisdom is found in simplicity and in humility.

~ Debasish Mridha M.d.

The measure of wisdom is in simplicity, humility, and in friendliness.

~ Debasish Mridha M.d.

What I want is so simple I almost can’t say it: elementary kindness.

~ Barbara Kingsolver

In today's world simple kindness is a revolutionary act.

~ Bryant Mcgill

Your kindness, beauty, and simplicity remind me the stories about angels, and I was told they are just legends and myths.

~ M.f. Moonzajer

I love how the landscape gives the impression of vast space and intimacy at the same time: the thin brown line of a path wandering up an immense green mountainside, a plush hanging valley tucked between two steep hillsides, a village of three houses surrounded by dark forest, paddy fields flowing around an outcrop of rock, a white temple gleaming on a shadowy ridge. The human habitations nestle into the landscape; nothing is cut or cleared beyond what is requires. Nothing is bigger than necessary. Every sign of human settlement repeat the mantra of contentment: “This is just enough.

~ Jamie Zeppa

Life’s much more pleasing when you don’t have to spend all of your time thinking.

~ David Eddings

All things remarkable are surprisingly simple, albeit difficult to find.

~ Criss Jami