Consider Quote by Diane Ackerman
““When you consider something like death, after which (there being no news flash to the contrary) we may well go out like a candle flame, then it probably doesn’t matter if we try too hard, are awkward sometimes, care for one another too deeply, are excessively curious about nature, are too open to experience, enjoy a nonstop expense of the senses in an effort to know life intimately and lovingly. It probably doesn’t matter if, while trying to be modest and eager watchers of life’s many spectacles, we sometimes look clumsy or get dirty or ask stupid questions or reveal our ignorance or say the wrong thing or light up with wonder like the children we all are.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Joy of Living, 1995
Life’s fleeting nature makes over‑effort irrelevant; embracing curiosity, wonder, and imperfection is what truly matters.
In simple terms: Life is short; being curious and imperfect is okay.
Key Takeaway
Live fully, accept mistakes, stay curious.
Themes
mortality
curiosity
imperfection
wonder
Mood
inspirational
reflective
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- travel
- learning
- creative pursuits
- relationships
Key Concepts
existentialism
mindfulness
human experience
Questions to Reflect On
- How does accepting imperfection change your daily choices?
- What small wonder can you notice today?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on achievement can drown out simple joys.
![“Symbolic of life, hair bolts from our head[s]. Like the earth, it can be harvested, but it will rise again. We can change its color and texture when the mood strikes us, but in time it will return to its original form, just as Nature will in time turn our precisely laid-out cities into a weed-way.” quote by Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/707/diane-ackerman-1035_cities_symbolic-of-life-hair-bolts-from-our-hea_194991.jpg)
