--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must live by the light of our own…" description: "\"We must live by the light of our own self-satisfaction, through that secret vital busy inwardness which is even more remarkable than our reason.\" — Iri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/iris-murdoch-993_busy_we-must-live-by-the-light-of-our-own-sel_1504922.png" --- # We must live by the light of our own self-satisfaction… ![“We must live by the light of our own self-satisfaction, through that secret vital busy inwardness which is even more remarkable than our reason.” quote by Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/iris-murdoch-993_busy_we-must-live-by-the-light-of-our-own-sel_1504922.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/iris-murdoch-993_busy_we-must-live-by-the-light-of-our-own-sel_1504922.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/iris-murdoch-993_busy_we-must-live-by-the-light-of-our-own-sel_1504922.png) > “We must live by the light of our own self-satisfaction, through that secret vital busy inwardness which is even more remarkable than our reason.” [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True fulfillment comes from inner self‑satisfaction, a deep inner life beyond rational thought. **In simple terms:** Live by inner satisfaction, not just reason. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner quiet and personal meaning. Themes self‑satisfaction inner life reason spirituality Mood contemplative serene Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal meditation - creative writing - therapy sessions Key Concepts existentialism authenticity inner peace Questions to Reflect On - How do you nurture inner fulfillment? - What role does reason play in your inner life? A Different Perspective Inner focus may isolate from external reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-satisfaction/) ## Related quotes > [we are such inward secret creatures, that inwardness the most amazing thing about us, even more amazing than our reason. but we cannot just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/we-are-such-inward-secret-creatures-that-inwardness-the-most-amazing/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [We are such inward secret creatures, that inwardness is the most amazing thing about us, even more amazing than our reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/we-are-such-inward-secret-creatures-that-inwardness-is-the-most/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [Inwardness is the characteristic feature of the vegetable rather than the animal approach to existence. The animals move, migrate and swarm, while plants hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/inwardness-is-the-characteristic-feature-of-the-vegetable-rather-than/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [“Paradoxically (since people say: Work, amuse yourself, see friends) it’s when we’re busy, distracted, sought out, exteriorized, that we suffer most. Inwardness, calm, solitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/paradoxically-since-people-say-work-amuse-yourself-see-friends-it-s/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [To recognize another's inwardness is to have seen the sacred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-koestenbaum/to-recognize-another-s-inwardness-is-to-have-seen-the-sacred/) [Peter Koestenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-koestenbaum/) > [“Consciousness is inwardness in time. It makes the world present for you by creating a new space in your mind—the space of temporal internality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-metzinger/consciousness-is-inwardness-in-time-it-makes-the-world-present-for/) [Thomas Metzinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-metzinger/) > [Yes, I've got inwardness and tenderness, but I also get angry and vituperative, and you have to honour that as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-harrison/yes-i-ve-got-inwardness-and-tenderness-but-i-also-get-angry-and/) [Tony Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-harrison/) > [ \[Emily\] Dickinson, our supreme poet of inwardness. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/emily-dickinson-our-supreme-poet-of-inwardness/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [It is with art as with love: How can a man of the world,with all his distractions, keep the inwardness which an artist must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/it-is-with-art-as-with-love-how-can-a-man-of-the-world-with-all-his/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [ Art on the contrary sought this harmony in practice \[of art itself\]. More and more in its creations it has given inwardness to that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piet-mondrian/art-on-the-contrary-sought-this-harmony-in-practice-of-art-itself/) [Piet Mondrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piet-mondrian/) > [Teaching like any truly human activity emerges from one's inwardness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/teaching-like-any-truly-human-activity-emerges-from-one-s-inwardness-2/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [One can know worlds one has not experienced, choose a response to life that has never been offered, create an inwardness utterly strong and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/one-can-know-worlds-one-has-not-experienced-choose-a-response-to-life/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [“A person is an objective entity, which as a definite subject has the closest contacts with the whole (external) world and is most intimately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-ii/a-person-is-an-objective-entity-which-as-a-definite-subject-has-the/) [John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-ii/) > [If poetry and the arts do anything, they can fortify your inner life, your inwardness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/if-poetry-and-the-arts-do-anything-they-can-fortify-your-inner-life/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [Outward as well as inward morality helps to form the idea of a true Christian freedom. We are right to lay stress on inwardness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meister-eckhart/outward-as-well-as-inward-morality-helps-to-form-the-idea-of-a-true/) [Meister Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meister-eckhart/) ## More by Iris Murdoch > [Falling out of love is chiefly a matter of forgetting how charming someone is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/falling-out-of-love-is-chiefly-a-matter-of-forgetting-how-charming/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [One doesn't have to get anywhere in a marriage. It's not a public conveyance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/one-doesn-t-have-to-get-anywhere-in-a-marriage-it-s-not-a-public/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [“I think being a woman is like being Irish... Everyone says you're important and nice, but you take second place all the time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/i-think-being-a-woman-is-like-being-irish-everyone-says-you-re/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [Art is the final cunning of the human soul which would rather do anything than face the gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/art-is-the-final-cunning-of-the-human-soul-which-would-rather-do/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [The sending of a letter constitutes a magical grasp upon the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/the-sending-of-a-letter-constitutes-a-magical-grasp-upon-the-future/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [emotions really exist at the bottom of the personality or at the top. in the middle they are acted. this is why all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/emotions-really-exist-at-the-bottom-of-the-personality-or-at-the-top/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [I have used the word "attention," which I borrow from Simone Weil, to express the idea of a just and loving gaze directed upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/i-have-used-the-word-attention-which-i-borrow-from-simone-weil-to/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [Starting a novel is opening a door on a misty landscape; you can still see very little but you can smell the earth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/starting-a-novel-is-opening-a-door-on-a-misty-landscape-you-can-still/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [Art and morality are, with certain provisos…one. Their essence is the same. The essence of both of them is love. Love is the perception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/art-and-morality-are-with-certain-provisos-one-their-essence-is-the/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [being homosexual doesn't determine a man's whole character any more than being heterosexual does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/being-homosexual-doesn-t-determine-a-man-s-whole-character-any-more/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [All artists dream of a silence which they must enter, as some creatures return to the sea to spawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/all-artists-dream-of-a-silence-which-they-must-enter-as-some/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [“Oh if only I could take my mother away and never know of these things again. But it was impossible, the machine would go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/oh-if-only-i-could-take-my-mother-away-and-never-know-of-these-things/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [We defend ourselves by descriptions and tame the world by generalizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/we-defend-ourselves-by-descriptions-and-tame-the-world-by-generalizing/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [“I'm sorry I was awful. I'm so full of terrors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/i-m-sorry-i-was-awful-i-m-so-full-of-terrors/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [I live, I live, with an absolutely continuous sense of failure. I am always defeated, always. Every book is the wreck of a perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/i-live-i-live-with-an-absolutely-continuous-sense-of-failure-i-am/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) [Explore all 306 Iris Murdoch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) ## More Busy quotes > [Success doesn't have a downside for me. I'm busy, but I've always been busy whatever job I've had. My very first job working in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-derbyshire/success-doesn-t-have-a-downside-for-me-i-m-busy-but-i-ve-always-been/) Victoria Derbyshire > [I remember till 997th film, but after that I got so busy with multiple projects; I'm not sure which one released as my 1,000th…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brahmanandam/i-remember-till-997th-film-but-after-that-i-got-so-busy-with-multiple/) [Brahmanandam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brahmanandam/) > [I love to work in football, so for me it's not work. I'm not here first in the morning and last in the evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-farke/i-love-to-work-in-football-so-for-me-it-s-not-work-i-m-not-here-first/) [Daniel Farke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-farke/) > [We all have time away from football to get our head down. At the same time it is a very busy schedule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/we-all-have-time-away-from-football-to-get-our-head-down-at-the-same/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [I am on sabbatical as of right now, been too busy to think of about my OWN needs as of late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-diamond/i-am-on-sabbatical-as-of-right-now-been-too-busy-to-think-of-about-my/) [Jim Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-diamond/) > [“I don't envy "busy." Busy means having a schedule, not living life. What I really covet is leisure and peace of mind. Those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/i-don-t-envy-busy-busy-means-having-a-schedule-not-living-life-what-i/) [Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/) > [Focus on being productive instead of busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/focus-on-being-productive-instead-of-busy/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [I have no social life. There is no time for one. Once in a while I may go to dinner with a friend but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-halliday/i-have-no-social-life-there-is-no-time-for-one-once-in-a-while-i-may/) [Liz Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-halliday/) > [I like acting too much and it's too, I'm just too busy doing that and I'm too hungry for it, to get behind the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-weisz/i-like-acting-too-much-and-it-s-too-i-m-just-too-busy-doing-that-and/) [Rachel Weisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-weisz/) > [The hollow horn plays wasted words, proves to warn that he not busy being born is busy dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-hollow-horn-plays-wasted-words-proves-to-warn-that-he-not-busy/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Films are tricky because for years you're getting told you're about to make it and you're about to be busy for four or six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mills/films-are-tricky-because-for-years-you-re-getting-told-you-re-about/) [Mike Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mills/) > [Never be too busy for the people you love. Never allow pursuits or possessions to become bigger priorities than your relationships. Love is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-willis/never-be-too-busy-for-the-people-you-love-never-allow-pursuits-or/) [Dave Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-willis/) > [“Get busy live'n, or get busy die'n”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-shawshank-redemption/get-busy-live-n-or-get-busy-die-n/) The Shawshank Redemption Browse all 3,372 Busy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We must live by the light of our own self-satisfaction, through that secret vital busy inwardness which is even more remarkable than our reason.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Iris Murdoch" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/we-must-live-by-the-light-of-our-own-self-satisfaction-through-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Busy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/we-must-live-by-the-light-of-our-own-self-satisfaction-through-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/iris-murdoch-993_busy_we-must-live-by-the-light-of-our-own-sel_1504922.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/iris-murdoch-993_busy_we-must-live-by-the-light-of-our-own-sel_1504922.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/iris-murdoch-993_busy_we-must-live-by-the-light-of-our-own-sel_1504922.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We must live by the light of our own self-satisfaction, through that secret vital busy inwardness which is…” — Iris Murdoch", "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": "Iris Murdoch", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We must live by the light...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/we-must-live-by-the-light-of-our-own-self-satisfaction-through-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/we-must-live-by-the-light-of-our-own-self-satisfaction-through-that/#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 } } ] } ```