Alain de Botton Quotes

293 quotes in 3828 categories

• Never, ever become a writer. It's a nightmare. Ever Become
• I'm also interested in the modern suggestion that you can have a combination of love and sex in a marriage - which no previous society… Believed
• Booksellers are the most valuable destination for the lonely, given the numbers of books that were written because authors couldn't find anyone to talk to. Anyone
• I passionately believe that's it's not just what you say that counts, it's also how you say it - that the success of your argument… Argument
• Pick up any newspaper or magazine, open the TV, and you'll be bombarded with suggestions of how to have a successful life. Some of these… Any
• It's clear to me that there is no good reason for many philosophy books to sound as complicated as they do. Book
• The Arab-Israeli conflict is also in many ways a conflict about status: it's a war between two peoples who feel deeply humiliated by the other,… Arab
• We are certainly influenced by role models, and if we are surrounded by images of beautiful rich people, we will start to think that to… Age
• I learnt to stop fantasising about the perfect job or the perfect relationship because that can actually be an excuse for not living. Excuse
• What is fascinating about marriage is why anyone wants to get married. Anyone
• I was uncomfortable writing fiction. My love was the personal essay, rather than the novel. Essay
• Kant and Hegel are interesting thinkers. But I am happy to insist that they are also terrible writers. Happy
• We may seek a fortune for no greater reason than to secure the respect and attention of people who would otherwise look straight through us. Attention
• When I see someone like Richard Dawkins, I see my father. I grew up with that. I'm basically the child of Richard Dawkins. Child
• On paper, being good sounds great but a lot depends on the atmosphere of the workplace or community we live in. We tend to become… Atmosphere
• I assemble my ideas in pieces on a computer file, then gradually find a place for them on a piece of scaffolding I erect. Assemble
• I feel that the great challenge of our time is the communication of ideas. Challenge
• I know a lot about writing, but I don't know much about how other industries work. I've tried to use my naivety to my advantage. Advantage
• I think people want to get married to end their emotional uncertainty. In a way, they want to end powerful feelings, or certainly the negative… Emotional
• I went to church and couldn't swallow it. The music was nice but I don't belong there. Belong

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