83 Alain de Botton Quotes for You to Enjoy

Alain de Botton

English Writer

Born: Dec 20, 1969

Life Love Me People Think You

Related authors: Arthur C. Clarke D. H. Lawrence Douglas Adams Gilbert K. Chesterton John Ruskin Ricky Gervais Rudyard Kipling Thomas Paine

The thing is that love gives us a ringside seat on somebody else's flaws, so of course you're gonna spot some things that kinda need to be mentioned. But often the romantic view is to say, 'If you loved me, you wouldn't criticise me.' Actually, true love is often about trying to teach someone how to be the best version of themselves. Alain de Botton

Love True Love Best Me You Love Is Somebody Else Say Criticise Kinda Some Some Things About Someone Gives Mentioned True Course Spot How Version Trying Often Romantic Loved Flaws Gonna Themselves Us View Teach Seat Actually Thing Things Need

There's a constant tension between the excitement of new people and security with one person. If you go with excitement, you create chaos; you hurt people. There's jealousy, and it gets very messy. If you have security, it can be boring, and you die inside because of all the opportunities missed. Alain de Botton

Jealousy You Hurt People Opportunities Chaos Security Constant Inside Boring Excitement Tension Between Missed New Because Messy Go New People Very Person Die Gets Create

Laughter is an important part of a good relationship. It's an immense achievement when you can move from your thinking that your partner is merely an idiot to thinking that they are that wonderfully complex thing called a loveable idiot. And often that means having a little bit of a sense of humour about their flaws. Alain de Botton

Good Relationship You Achievement Laughter Important Partner Idiot Sense Thinking Humour Bit Complex Immense About Good Relationship Having Part Merely Important Part Wonderfully Often Move Little Little Bit Flaws Means Your Thing

I'm one of those introverted people who simply feels a lot better after spending time alone thinking through ideas and emotions. This is a sign, I've come to think, of a kind of emotional disturbance - a reaction to inner fragility. I wish I were more able to just act and do, rather than constantly have to retreat and examine and think. Alain de Botton

Alone Time People Emotions Better Wish Think Thinking Spending Spending Time Those Sign Kind Introverted Constantly Able Disturbance Examine Rather More Through Emotional Simply Feels Come Retreat Ideas Reaction Were Lot Than Just After Act Who Inner Fragility

Sweetness is the opposite of machismo, which is everywhere - and I really don't get on with machismo. I'm interested in sensitivity and weakness and fear and anxiety because I think that, at the end of the day, behind our masks, that's what we are. Alain de Botton

Day Anxiety Fear End Of The Day Think Our Everywhere Weakness Masks Because Opposite End Get Behind Which Interested Sensitivity Really Sweetness

It's very hard to respect people on holiday - everybody looks so silly at the beach, it makes you hate humanity - but when you see people at their work they elicit respect, whether it's a mechanic, a stonemason or an accountant. Alain de Botton

Work You Respect Humanity Hate People Mechanic Everybody See Silly Beach Looks Makes Very Accountant Whether Holiday Hard Elicit

The humanities have been forced to disguise, both from themselves and their students, why their subjects really matter, for the sake of attracting money and prestige in a world obsessed by the achievements of science. Alain de Botton

Science World Money Matter Disguise Humanities Prestige Both Students Obsessed Attracting Forced Sake Been Subjects Achievements Themselves Really Why

My dad was a slightly stricter version of Richard Dawkins. The worldview was that there are idiots out there who believe in Santa Claus and fairies and magic and elves, and we're not joining that nonsense. Alain de Botton

Worldview Believe Stricter Elves Slightly Out Magic Joining Fairies Idiots Nonsense Version Richard Santa Santa Claus Who Dad

I like working with people. I believe change can only come through collaboration. Alain de Botton

Change People Believe Collaboration Only Through Come Like Working

I'm fascinated by Comte's clear-eyed analysis of what was wrong with modern society, which is that you've got industrial capitalism on one side and romantic love on the other. Those, along with non-instrumental art, are supposed to get you through the day? Alain de Botton

Love Art Day You Capitalism Society Other Analysis Side Those Through Wrong Along Supposed Industrial Got Get Modern Romantic Modern Society Romantic Love Which Fascinated