--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Become simple and live simply, not only…" description: "\"Become simple and live simply, not only within yourself but also in your everyday dealings. Don’t make ripples all around you, don’t try to be interest..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/etty-hillesum-9002_being-honest_become-simple-and-live-simply-not-only-w_845907.jpg" --- # Become simple and live simply, not only within yourself… ![“Become simple and live simply, not only within yourself but also in your everyday dealings. Don’t make ripples all around you, don’t try to be interesting, keep your distance, be honest, fight the desire to be thought fascinating by the outside world.” quote by Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/etty-hillesum-9002_being-honest_become-simple-and-live-simply-not-only-w_845907.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/etty-hillesum-9002_being-honest_become-simple-and-live-simply-not-only-w_845907.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/etty-hillesum-9002_being-honest_become-simple-and-live-simply-not-only-w_845907.jpg) > “Become simple and live simply, not only within yourself but also in your everyday dealings. Don’t make ripples all around you, don’t try to be interesting, keep your distance, be honest, fight the desire to be thought fascinating by the outside world.” [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates modest living and authentic interactions, avoiding self‑promotion and superficiality. **In simple terms:** Live simply and honestly, avoid seeking external validation. Key Takeaway Choose humility over attention. Themes humility authenticity simplicity Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - workplace dynamics - social media use Key Concepts existentialism ethical living Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice simplicity without compromising goals? - What does honesty look like in daily interactions? A Different Perspective May be unrealistic in competitive environments where visibility matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-honest/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Everyday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Live simply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-simply/) [Outside world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside-world/) [Ripple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ripple/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I will travel to any place to simply be by your side everyday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-will-travel-to-any-place-to-simply-be-by-your-side-everyday/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is simple!!! But it is up to you how you live it!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curly/life-is-simple-but-it-is-up-to-you-how-you-live-it/) [Curly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curly/) > [Start simply everyday by asking yourself, "What is the dharma today? What should I do? What is right? What does the universe want from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/start-simply-everyday-by-asking-yourself-what-is-the-dharma-today/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Life is simple. Live it with vigor and zest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-wakeley/life-is-simple-live-it-with-vigor-and-zest/) Melvin Wakeley > [LIVE SIMPLY. DREAMS BIG BE GRATEFUL. GIVE LOVE. LAUGH LOTS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mumbaibizarre/live-simply-dreams-big-be-grateful-give-love-laugh-lots/) Mumbaibizarre > [“(Quoted in Dennis Okholm's Monk Habits for Everyday People ) Settle down in your room at a moment when you have nothing else to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bloom/quoted-in-dennis-okholm-s-monk-habits-for-everyday-people-settle-down/) [Anthony Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bloom/) > [Free your heart from hatred - forgive. Free your mind from worries - most never happen. Live simply and appreciate what you have. Give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/free-your-heart-from-hatred-forgive-free-your-mind-from-worries-most/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [The organized churches must become schools of spiritual discipline where Christians are taught how to own without treasuring (Matt. 6:21); how to possess without,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-organized-churches-must-become-schools-of-spiritual-discipline/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [To know how other people behave takes intelligence, but to know myself takes wisdom. To manage other people's lives takes strength, but to manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-heider/to-know-how-other-people-behave-takes-intelligence-but-to-know-myself/) [John Heider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-heider/) > [I am teaching you to live simply. To live with an idea is a very complicated living, it is cunning. To live simply, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/i-am-teaching-you-to-live-simply-to-live-with-an-idea-is-a-very/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“There is nothing wrong with where we are, how we are. You spit on satisfaction, leaving you always unsettled and miserable. I am a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-where-we-are-how-we-are-you-spit-on/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“Live simply, so you may simply live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-rich/live-simply-so-you-may-simply-live/) Bob Rich > [When you are content to be simply yourself, and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you. Live simply that others may simply live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-mamerto/when-you-are-content-to-be-simply-yourself-and-don-t-compare-or/) [Edwin Mamerto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-mamerto/) > [Live simply, care deeply and treat others with kindness. You never know what other people are going through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/live-simply-care-deeply-and-treat-others-with-kindness-you-never-know/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Life, it seems, will fade away Drifting further every day Getting lost within myself Nothing matters, no one else I have lost the will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-it-seems-will-fade-away-drifting-further-every-day-getting-lost/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) ## More by Etty Hillesum > [A large group of us were crowded into the Gestapo hall, and at that moment the circumstances of all our lives were the same.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/a-large-group-of-us-were-crowded-into-the-gestapo-hall-and-at-that/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [Every word born of an inner necessity - writing must never be anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/every-word-born-of-an-inner-necessity-writing-must-never-be-anything/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [That fear of missing out on things makes you miss out on everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/that-fear-of-missing-out-on-things-makes-you-miss-out-on-everything/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [There are moments when I feel like giving up or giving in, but I soon rally again and do my duty as I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/there-are-moments-when-i-feel-like-giving-up-or-giving-in-but-i-soon/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [Here, beside this great black surface that is my desk, I feel as though I am on a desert island.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/here-beside-this-great-black-surface-that-is-my-desk-i-feel-as-though/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [The externals are simply so many props; everything we need is within us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/the-externals-are-simply-so-many-props-everything-we-need-is-within-us/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [If one finds the strength to deal with small things, one finds it to deal with the large ones as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/if-one-finds-the-strength-to-deal-with-small-things-one-finds-it-to/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [All disasters stem from us. Why is there a war? Perhaps because now and then I might be inclined to snap at my neighbour.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/all-disasters-stem-from-us-why-is-there-a-war-perhaps-because-now-and/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/sometimes-the-most-important-thing-in-a-whole-day-is-the-rest-we-take/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [We human beings cause monstrous conditions, but precisely because we cause them we soon learn to adapt ourselves to them. Only if we become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/we-human-beings-cause-monstrous-conditions-but-precisely-because-we/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [Despite everything, life is full of beauty and meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/despite-everything-life-is-full-of-beauty-and-meaning/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [Sometimes my day is crammed full of people and talk and yet I have the feeling of living in utter peace and quiet. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/sometimes-my-day-is-crammed-full-of-people-and-talk-and-yet-i-have/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [To live fully, outwardly and inwardly, not to ignore the external reality for the sake of the inner life, or the reverse, that's quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/to-live-fully-outwardly-and-inwardly-not-to-ignore-the-external/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [If one burdens the future with one's worries, it cannot grow organically. I am filled with confidence, not that I shall succeed in worldly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/if-one-burdens-the-future-with-one-s-worries-it-cannot-grow/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [We have to fight them daily, like fleas, those many small worries about the morrow, for they sap our energies. We make mental provisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/we-have-to-fight-them-daily-like-fleas-those-many-small-worries-about/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) [Explore all 62 Etty Hillesum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) ## More Being honest quotes > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [I have often spoken of integrity as the most important of these values, realizing that integrity – and personal integrity, at that – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verghese-kurien/i-have-often-spoken-of-integrity-as-the-most-important-of-these/) [Verghese Kurien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verghese-kurien/) > [I had never done anything with blue screen before, or prosthetics, or anything like that. Lord of the Rings was like stepping into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-had-never-done-anything-with-blue-screen-before-or-prosthetics-or/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [Let's be honest, if the Democrats didn't support ignoring our nation's immigration laws, there is no way they could win the presidency or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/let-s-be-honest-if-the-democrats-didn-t-support-ignoring-our-nation-s/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [I think what saved me is me being honest. I think I somewhow had the courage to do something and say something that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/i-think-what-saved-me-is-me-being-honest-i-think-i-somewhow-had-the/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [An actor has to evaluate his own abilities and be honest with himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/an-actor-has-to-evaluate-his-own-abilities-and-be-honest-with-himself/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [The cultural integration of psychedelics won't happen overnight, and the question of young people is perhaps the most difficult involved. The first step is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-doblin/the-cultural-integration-of-psychedelics-won-t-happen-overnight-and/) [Rick Doblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-doblin/) > [I'm a person of change and I must be honest to my artistry and my creativity. That's part of the word 'jazz'... it's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-ferguson/i-m-a-person-of-change-and-i-must-be-honest-to-my-artistry-and-my/) Maynard Ferguson > [I'm going to be honest, I would love for Flava Flav to be president. It would bring a lot of excitement to the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-khaled/i-m-going-to-be-honest-i-would-love-for-flava-flav-to-be-president-it/) [DJ Khaled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-khaled/) > [The buildings that were in question, they said in the same report, which was - actually, it wasn't even a bad story, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-buildings-that-were-in-question-they-said-in-the-same-report/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I guess it has to be healthy, you have to be honest with yourself and I think that's when ego is okay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-amoruso/i-guess-it-has-to-be-healthy-you-have-to-be-honest-with-yourself-and/) [Sophia Amoruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-amoruso/) > [ The opening for solid waste is very small \[in the space ship\]. It's not toilet-bowl size. And aim is critical. To be honest with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mullane/the-opening-for-solid-waste-is-very-small-in-the-space-ship-it-s-not/) [Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) > [We had 90 percent rates, but nobody paid them. And so you had all these exemptions, exclusions, shelters, all this kind of stuff. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-had-90-percent-rates-but-nobody-paid-them-and-so-you-had-all-these/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I think, as a filmmaker, it's important to be honest with yourself at all times in terms of what's working and what's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-wingard/i-think-as-a-filmmaker-it-s-important-to-be-honest-with-yourself-at/) [Adam Wingard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-wingard/) > [We live in a world in which the only utopian visions arrive in commercial breaks: magical visions of an impossibly hospitable world, peopled by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/we-live-in-a-world-in-which-the-only-utopian-visions-arrive-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) [Browse all 1,333 Being honest quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-honest/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Become simple and live simply, not only within yourself but also in your everyday dealings. 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