--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A life well lived is the most exquisite…" description: "\"A life well lived is the most exquisite work of art.\" — Erwin McManus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/erwin-mcmanus-4838_art_a-life-well-lived-is-the-most-exquisite_2181379.png" --- # A life well lived is the most exquisite work of art. ![“A life well lived is the most exquisite work of art.” quote by Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/erwin-mcmanus-4838_art_a-life-well-lived-is-the-most-exquisite_2181379.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/erwin-mcmanus-4838_art_a-life-well-lived-is-the-most-exquisite_2181379.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/erwin-mcmanus-4838_art_a-life-well-lived-is-the-most-exquisite_2181379.png) > “A life well lived is the most exquisite work of art.” [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living a meaningful life is akin to creating a beautiful piece of art, emphasizing intentional and aesthetic living. **In simple terms:** A good life is like a beautiful artwork. Key Takeaway Live intentionally, create beauty. Themes meaning artistic expression Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career - relationships - creative projects Key Concepts philosophy self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - What does “artful living” mean to you? - How can you make daily life more beautiful? A Different Perspective Artistic metaphors may not resonate with everyone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Exquisite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exquisite/) [Exquisite Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exquisite-work-4713838/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Lived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-lived-270137/) [Life well lived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-well-lived/) [Lived Exquisite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lived-exquisite-4713837/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Work Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-art-251453/) [Works of art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/works-of-art/) ## Related quotes > [You're not supposed to die with your potential. A life well lived squeezes all the potential placed within and does something with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/you-re-not-supposed-to-die-with-your-potential-a-life-well-lived/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [“The measure of human success is no longer the life well lived but the lifestyle well lived.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-humphrys/the-measure-of-human-success-is-no-longer-the-life-well-lived-but-the/) [John Humphrys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-humphrys/) > [“Time well spent adds to life well lived.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-ugwu/time-well-spent-adds-to-life-well-lived/) [Martin Ugwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-ugwu/) > [The truth is that a life well lived is always lived on a rising scale of difficulty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/the-truth-is-that-a-life-well-lived-is-always-lived-on-a-rising-scale/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [There are many things in this world that are an outrage, to be sure, but death at our current life expectancy doesn’t strike me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rakoff/there-are-many-things-in-this-world-that-are-an-outrage-to-be-sure/) [David Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rakoff/) > [“Live well. There is no such thing as death. Eternity is found beyond seconds and minutes. A life well lived is never fully finished.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-telford/live-well-there-is-no-such-thing-as-death-eternity-is-found-beyond/) [Jill Telford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-telford/) > [“Happiness is not a goal…it’s a by-product of a life well lived. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/various/happiness-is-not-a-goal-it-s-a-by-product-of-a-life-well-lived-2/) [Various](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/various/) > [“A life full of laughter is a life well lived.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-c-birlidis/a-life-full-of-laughter-is-a-life-well-lived/) [V.C. Birlidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-c-birlidis/) > [Happiness is not a goal. It's a by-product of a life well lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/happiness-is-not-a-goal-it-s-a-by-product-of-a-life-well-lived/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“Happiness is the result of a life well lived”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-dover/happiness-is-the-result-of-a-life-well-lived/) [Danny Dover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-dover/) > [Happiness is not a goal; its the by-product of a life well lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirgha/happiness-is-not-a-goal-its-the-by-product-of-a-life-well-lived/) [Dirgha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirgha/) > [To do what you wanna do, to leave a mark - in a way that you think is important and lasting - that's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurene-powell-jobs/to-do-what-you-wanna-do-to-leave-a-mark-in-a-way-that-you-think-is/) [Laurene Powell Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurene-powell-jobs/) > [“He felt lighter than he had in weeks, and he realized that the monster he had been running from wasn’t really a monster after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilli-jolgren-day/he-felt-lighter-than-he-had-in-weeks-and-he-realized-that-the-monster/) [Lilli Jolgren Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilli-jolgren-day/) > [“Love is the key to a life well lived.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/love-is-the-key-to-a-life-well-lived/) [Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/) > [The best revenge is a life well lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-neill/the-best-revenge-is-a-life-well-lived/) [Chloe Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-neill/) ## More by Erwin McManus > [I guess when I really think about it, God's voice sounds a lot like my voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/i-guess-when-i-really-think-about-it-god-s-voice-sounds-a-lot-like-my/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [When we lack integrity, we use power to control. When we lead with integrity, we use power to bless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/when-we-lack-integrity-we-use-power-to-control-when-we-lead-with/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [The shape of your character is the shape of your future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/the-shape-of-your-character-is-the-shape-of-your-future/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [You need to remember who God is, forget the painful wounds and let Him renew you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/you-need-to-remember-who-god-is-forget-the-painful-wounds-and-let-him/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [It’s a wonderful thing when you look inside your own heart and like what you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/it-s-a-wonderful-thing-when-you-look-inside-your-own-heart-and-like/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [I think Christianity is the same as Buddhism and Hinduism - whenever a religion begins to say that these are the things you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/i-think-christianity-is-the-same-as-buddhism-and-hinduism-whenever-a/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [The world doesn't need more great leaders, it needs more great people who lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/the-world-doesn-t-need-more-great-leaders-it-needs-more-great-people/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [Deeper than our instinct to live is our longing to be alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/deeper-than-our-instinct-to-live-is-our-longing-to-be-alive/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [Faith is the determination to create with our lives what only our hearts can conceive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/faith-is-the-determination-to-create-with-our-lives-what-only-our/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [How in the world could you ever imagine a life of faith that does not require risk? Faith and risk are inseparable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/how-in-the-world-could-you-ever-imagine-a-life-of-faith-that-does-not/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [Greatness comes with discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/greatness-comes-with-discipline/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [Love, no matter how you come at it, is a huge risk. It makes it easier for me to remember that God will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/love-no-matter-how-you-come-at-it-is-a-huge-risk-it-makes-it-easier/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [My goal is to destroy Christianity as a world religion and be a recatalyst for the movement of Jesus Christ ... Some people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/my-goal-is-to-destroy-christianity-as-a-world-religion-and-be-a/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [So many of us have abdicated our passions for obligations, as if passion is a luxury for the young, and we must all grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/so-many-of-us-have-abdicated-our-passions-for-obligations-as-if/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) > [Truth should never travel faster than love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/truth-should-never-travel-faster-than-love/) [Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) [Explore all 106 Erwin McManus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A life well lived is the most exquisite work of art.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Erwin McManus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/a-life-well-lived-is-the-most-exquisite-work-of-art/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/a-life-well-lived-is-the-most-exquisite-work-of-art/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/erwin-mcmanus-4838_art_a-life-well-lived-is-the-most-exquisite_2181379.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/erwin-mcmanus-4838_art_a-life-well-lived-is-the-most-exquisite_2181379.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/erwin-mcmanus-4838_art_a-life-well-lived-is-the-most-exquisite_2181379.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A life well lived is the most exquisite work of art.” — Erwin McManus", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Erwin McManus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A life well lived is the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/a-life-well-lived-is-the-most-exquisite-work-of-art/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/a-life-well-lived-is-the-most-exquisite-work-of-art/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```