--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only thing that really matters is…" description: "\"“The only thing that really matters is feeling and living what you believe - so long as it's something more than belief in your own comfort.”\" — John F..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/john-fowles-816_belief_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-is-fe_250168.png" --- # The only thing that really matters is feeling and living… ![“The only thing that really matters is feeling and living what you believe - so long as it's something more than belief in your own comfort.” quote by John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/john-fowles-816_belief_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-is-fe_250168.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/john-fowles-816_belief_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-is-fe_250168.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/john-fowles-816_belief_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-is-fe_250168.png) > ““The only thing that really matters is feeling and living what you believe - so long as it's something more than belief in your own comfort.”” [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) ## 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 acting on deeply held convictions, not merely staying comfortable. **In simple terms:** Live your convictions, not just comfort. Key Takeaway Act on belief, not comfort. Themes authenticity purpose comfort belief Mood reflective determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career choices - activism - personal relationships - creative projects Key Concepts existentialism self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - What belief challenges your comfort zone? - How can you turn belief into action? A Different Perspective Comfort can blind you to growth and risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) ## Related quotes > [It cannot be doubted that theistic belief is a comfort and a solace to those who hold it, and that the loss of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/it-cannot-be-doubted-that-theistic-belief-is-a-comfort-and-a-solace/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [“Blind belief is a comfort; it is the frame that puts the rest of the world into context. It allows us to block out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-carmack/blind-belief-is-a-comfort-it-is-the-frame-that-puts-the-rest-of-the/) [Cora Carmack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-carmack/) > [“I see affect or feeling as the primary innate biological motivating mechanism, more urgent than drive deprivation and pleasure and more urgent than physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/i-see-affect-or-feeling-as-the-primary-innate-biological-motivating/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [In political matters feeling often decides more correctly than reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/in-political-matters-feeling-often-decides-more-correctly-than-reason/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [...in matters of feeling and of the heart, too much is always better than too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/in-matters-of-feeling-and-of-the-heart-too-much-is-always-better-than/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [“His eyes were warm, and then they lit up with an unworldly shine, and I thought I could see down a long tunnel, through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-severin/his-eyes-were-warm-and-then-they-lit-up-with-an-unworldly-shine-and-i/) Alice Severin > [It is, as Mr. Rokesmith says, a matter of feeling, but Lor how many matters ARE matters of feeling!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/it-is-as-mr-rokesmith-says-a-matter-of-feeling-but-lor-how-many/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Happiness is the peace of mind that comes from feeling that I am living a worthy life in the company of people I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/happiness-is-the-peace-of-mind-that-comes-from-feeling-that-i-am/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [I belong in America more than South Africa. I can't remember the feeling of living there anymore. It's like it was in another life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-rabin/i-belong-in-america-more-than-south-africa-i-can-t-remember-the/) [Trevor Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-rabin/) > [There is an exquisite feeling living in the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/there-is-an-exquisite-feeling-living-in-the-moment/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [“Why drink to cover it up because hurting is feeling and feeling is living, and isn’t it good to be alive?’” Colton”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-bromberg/why-drink-to-cover-it-up-because-hurting-is-feeling-and-feeling-is/) [K. Bromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-bromberg/) > [“Remember, hurting is feeling and feeling is living, and isn’t it good to be alive?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-bromberg/remember-hurting-is-feeling-and-feeling-is-living-and-isn-t-it-good/) [K. Bromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-bromberg/) > [Ecstasy should not be viewed as an unusual experience, but rather a natural experience - feeling all of the living matrix of existence around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/ecstasy-should-not-be-viewed-as-an-unusual-experience-but-rather-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [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/) > [Whenever other worlds invite us, whenever we are balancing on the boundaries of our limited human condition, that’s where life starts, that’s where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/whenever-other-worlds-invite-us-whenever-we-are-balancing-on-the/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) ## More by John Fowles > [I am infinitely strange to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/i-am-infinitely-strange-to-myself/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [I do not plan my fiction any more than I normally plan woodland walks; I follow the path that seems most promising at any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/i-do-not-plan-my-fiction-any-more-than-i-normally-plan-woodland-walks/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [“The sky is absolutely empty. Beautifully pure and empty. As if the architects and builders would live in all the houses they built! Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/the-sky-is-absolutely-empty-beautifully-pure-and-empty-as-if-the/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [“The evolution of human mentality has put us all in vitro now, behind the glass wall of our own ingenuity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/the-evolution-of-human-mentality-has-put-us-all-in-vitro-now-behind/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [Most marriages recognize this paradox: Passion destroys passion; we want what puts an end to wanting what we want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/most-marriages-recognize-this-paradox-passion-destroys-passion-we/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [That is the great distinction between the sexes. Men see objects, women see the relationships between objects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/that-is-the-great-distinction-between-the-sexes-men-see-objects-women/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [The craving to risk death is our last great perversion. We come from night, we go into night. Why live in night?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/the-craving-to-risk-death-is-our-last-great-perversion-we-come-from/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [There is only one good definition of God: the freedom that allows other freedoms to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/there-is-only-one-good-definition-of-god-the-freedom-that-allows/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [They looked down on her; and she looked up through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/they-looked-down-on-her-and-she-looked-up-through-them/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [“Long afterwards I realized why some men, racing drivers and their like, become addicted to speed. There are those of us who never see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/long-afterwards-i-realized-why-some-men-racing-drivers-and-their-like/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [The best wines take the longest to mature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/the-best-wines-take-the-longest-to-mature/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [But however good you get at translating personality into line or paint it's no go if your personality isn't worth translating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/but-however-good-you-get-at-translating-personality-into-line-or/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [“Liking other people is an illusion we have to cherish in ourselves if we are to live in society. It”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/liking-other-people-is-an-illusion-we-have-to-cherish-in-ourselves-if/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [Do you know that every great thing in the history of art and every beautiful thing in life is actually what you call nasty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/do-you-know-that-every-great-thing-in-the-history-of-art-and-every/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [“Yet this distance, all those abysses unbridged and then unbridgeable by radio, television, cheap travel and the rest, was not wholly bad. People knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/yet-this-distance-all-those-abysses-unbridged-and-then-unbridgeable/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) [Explore all 341 John Fowles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/there-s-no-greatest-moment-in-the-arts-it-s-a-life-it-s-a-continuity/) [LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) [Browse all 10,268 Belief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The only thing that really matters is feeling and living what you believe - so long as it's something more than belief in your own comfort.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Fowles" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/the-only-thing-that-really-matters-is-feeling-and-living-what-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Belief" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/the-only-thing-that-really-matters-is-feeling-and-living-what-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/john-fowles-816_belief_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-is-fe_250168.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/john-fowles-816_belief_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-is-fe_250168.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/john-fowles-816_belief_the-only-thing-that-really-matters-is-fe_250168.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only thing that really matters is feeling and living what you believe - so long as it's something more…” — John Fowles", "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": "John Fowles", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The only thing that really matters...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/the-only-thing-that-really-matters-is-feeling-and-living-what-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/the-only-thing-that-really-matters-is-feeling-and-living-what-you/#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 } } ] } ```