15 Alain de Botton Quotes on Life, born December 20, 1969, in Zurich, Switzerland, is a British-Swiss philosopher and author renowned for making philosophy accessible through books like The Consolations of Philosophy (2000), Status Anxiety (2004), and The School of Life: An Emotional Education (2019). As founder of The School of Life, he blends psychology, art, and philosophy to explore life’s big questions—happiness, purpose, and resilience. These 15 quotes—sourced from his books, interviews, and posts on X—reflect his insights on living well, embracing imperfection, and finding meaning, infused with his empathetic and reflective style.
15 Alain de Botton Quotes on Life
- “Anyone who isn’t embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn’t learning enough.” (The School of Life: An Emotional Education, 2019)
- “A good half of the art of living is resilience.” (The School of Life: An Emotional Education, 2019)
- “There is no such thing as work-life balance. Everything worth fighting for unbalances your life.” (How to Think More About Sex, 2012)
- “Not being understood may be taken as a sign that there is much in one to understand.” (Status Anxiety, 2004)
- “One of the best protections against disappointment is to have a lot going on.” (Essays in Love, 1993)
- “The only people we can think of as normal are those we don’t yet know very well.” (The School of Life: An Emotional Education, 2019)
- “Most of what makes a book ‘good’ is that we are reading it at the right moment for us.” (The Consolations of Philosophy, 2000)
- “We are all fragile creatures, yet only a few of us are brave enough to admit it.” (Interview, The Guardian, 2016)
- “The chief enemy of creativity is being in a hurry.” (The Art of Travel, 2002)
- “To live well is to regularly come to terms with how much one is a fool.” (The School of Life: An Emotional Education, 2019)
- “We are not just our achievements; we are also our capacity to endure our failures.” (How Proust Can Change Your Life, 1997)
- “Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved.” (Post on X, @alaindebotton, 2021-09-10)
- “Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the courage to wrestle with them.” (The Consolations of Philosophy, 2000)
- “The moment we cry in a film is not when things are sad but when they turn out to be more beautiful than we expected them to be.” (The Architecture of Happiness, 2006)
- “To be mature is to accept that life is a series of losses, and yet to keep going with hope.” (The Course of Love, 2016)
Alain de Botton’s quotes on life are a gentle yet profound blend of wisdom, humility, and encouragement, inspiring readers to embrace growth, navigate setbacks, and find beauty in the everyday. Which quote resonates with your life’s journey? Share it below and keep de Botton’s compassionate philosophy thriving!
Emma Thompson
Hi, I'm Emma Thompson, founder of MyLittleDesire. I share relationship advice, love quotes, and thoughtful gift ideas to help you express your feelings and strengthen your bonds. Let's celebrate love together!
Email – business@mylittledesire.com
