Welcome, friends! Today we’re exploring some of the best quotes by Voltaire – one of the most remarkable minds in history. Voltaire, born Francois-Marie Arouet in 1694, was a French Enlightenment writer and philosopher whose wit and intelligence made him one of the most influential figures of his time.
Voltaire was a man full of insight and compassion, with an incredibly eloquent writing style – he not only wrote extensively on social issues like poverty, slavery and censorship but also advocated tirelessly for justice in the courts.
It was through his writing and passionate activism that Voltaire left an indelible mark on the world. In his own words, Voltaire said: “Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.”
These quotes are just a small sample of Voltaire’s brilliant mind. If you’re looking for inspiration and hope, let the words of Voltaire fill your heart and guide you in your life journey. Enjoy!
- “Love is a canvas furnished by Nature and embroidered by imagination.”
- “The secret of being loved is in loving.”
- “Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.”
- “It’s not what we have in life but who we have in our life that matters.”
- “The perfect relationship is not one that’s never tested but rather one that passes every test.”
- “Life is a foreign language; all men mispronounce it.”
- “The more one speaks of oneself, the less capable one is of hearing anything else.”
- “Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.”
- “No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.”
- “The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing.”
- “It is dangerous to be right in matters where established men are wrong.”
- “The ideal form of government is democracy tempered with assassination.”
- “The shortest way of ending a dispute is to take no notice of it.”
- “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.”
- “Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”
- “It is not love that should be depicted as blind, but self-love.”
- “We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies.”
- “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
- “God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.”
- “The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.”
- “It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.”
- “When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion.”
- “What most persons consider as virtue, after the age of 40 is simply a loss of energy.”
- “The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.”
- “No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.”
- “The first step towards vice is to shroud innocent actions in mystery.”
- “Life is an enigma, but love helps us find the answers.”
- “Do not let your grand ambitions stand in the way of small but meaningful accomplishments.”
- “The only way to comprehend what mathematicians mean by Infinity is to contemplate the extent of human stupidity.”
- “The more you know, the more you are enabled to know that you don’t know everything.”
- “Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is an absurd one.”
- “It is better to risk being generous than be miserly.”
- “Love truth, but pardon error.”
- “In this country, it is a good thing to kill an admiral from time to time to encourage the others.”
- “He who is not just is severe; he who is not wise is sad.”
- “Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too.”
- “I have chosen to be happy because it is good for my health.”
- “The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.” -Voltaire
- “God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.”
- “It is forbidden to kill; therefore, all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”
- “It is better to risk saving a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one.”
- “Life consists in what a man is thinking of all day.”
- “To hold a pen is to be at war.”
- “Life is a game in which the rules are constantly changing.”
- “The truths of religion are never so well understood as by those who have lost the power of reason.”
- “The superfluous, a very necessary thing.”
- “Perfection is attained by slow degrees; she requires the hand of time.”
- “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.”
- “The least movement is of importance to all nature. The entire ocean is affected by a pebble.”
- “The most important decision you make is to be in a good mood.”
- “It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce.”
- “Common sense is not so common.”
- “The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out.”
- “Let us read and let us dance — two amusements that will never do any harm to the world.”
- “Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.”
- “The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.”
Voltaire reminds us that even the smallest of motions can have a ripple effect on the world and stresses the power of joy as an antidote to life’s misfortunes. In sum, Voltaire’s words inspire us to find our own path and live a more meaningful life.
He encourages us to be generous, to think for ourselves and let others do the same, and to learn from our mistakes. He believes that understanding the limits of our knowledge is a sign of wisdom. Above all, Voltaire emphasizes that giving ourselves the gift of living well is up to us.
What a wonderful reminder to appreciate life’s beauty and make the most of every moment!