--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Remember that the most beautiful things…" description: "\"“Remember that the most beautiful things in life are often the most useless; peacocks and lilies for instance.”\" — John Ruskin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/john-ruskin-314_life_remember-that-the-most-beautiful-things_1556803.jpg" --- # Remember that the most beautiful things in life are often… ![“Remember that the most beautiful things in life are often the most useless; peacocks and lilies for instance.” quote by John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/john-ruskin-314_life_remember-that-the-most-beautiful-things_1556803.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/john-ruskin-314_life_remember-that-the-most-beautiful-things_1556803.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/john-ruskin-314_life_remember-that-the-most-beautiful-things_1556803.jpg) > ““Remember that the most beautiful things in life are often the most useless; peacocks and lilies for instance.”” [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Beauty often lies in things that serve no practical purpose, like peacocks and lilies. **In simple terms:** Useless things can be beautiful. Key Takeaway Appreciate aesthetic value. Themes beauty uselessness nature Mood contemplative appreciative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - garden design - art criticism - personal reflection Key Concepts aesthetic philosophy value of art Questions to Reflect On - Why do we value beauty? - Can useless things inspire creativity? A Different Perspective Practical utility is not the only measure of worth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful-things/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Things in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-in-life/) ## Related quotes > [Remember that the most beautiful things in the world are the most useless; peacocks and lilies for instance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/remember-that-the-most-beautiful-things-in-the-world-are-the-most-2/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [“Remember that the most beautiful things in the world are the most useless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/remember-that-the-most-beautiful-things-in-the-world-are-the-most/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [A life is never useless. Each soul that came down to Earth is here for a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/a-life-is-never-useless-each-soul-that-came-down-to-earth-is-here-for/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There is a reason why we live in this world, So don't think that your life is useless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/there-is-a-reason-why-we-live-in-this-world-so-don-t-think-that-your/) [Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/) > [There's really nothing else I'm going to do with my life. I'd be useless if I weren't singing or acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taryn-manning/there-s-really-nothing-else-i-m-going-to-do-with-my-life-i-d-be/) [Taryn Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taryn-manning/) > [“I don't know whether my life has been useless and merely a misunderstanding, or whether it has a meaning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/i-don-t-know-whether-my-life-has-been-useless-and-merely-a/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Why waste your life with useless people while there are useful people waiting to get your attention?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacy-folson/why-waste-your-life-with-useless-people-while-there-are-useful-people/) Kacy Folson > [Books without the knowledge of life are useless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/books-without-the-knowledge-of-life-are-useless/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“An imperfectly remembered life is a useless treachery. Every day, more fragments of the past roll around heavily in the chambers of an empty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/an-imperfectly-remembered-life-is-a-useless-treachery-every-day-more/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“To fall into it again in appearance was to leave it behind in reality! He had to do it! He would have done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/to-fall-into-it-again-in-appearance-was-to-leave-it-behind-in-reality/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [If you cant add value to my life then you have to be useless to me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olubayo-adebiyi/if-you-cant-add-value-to-my-life-then-you-have-to-be-useless-to-me/) [Olubayo Adebiyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olubayo-adebiyi/) > [Oscar Wilde quite rightly said, 'All art is useless'. And that may sound as if that means it's something not worth supporting. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/oscar-wilde-quite-rightly-said-all-art-is-useless-and-that-may-sound/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“The Universe doesn’t compensate individuals based on the activity of work, but on the activity of consciousness. Accordingly, if you feel your life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-randolph-price/the-universe-doesn-t-compensate-individuals-based-on-the-activity-of/) [John Randolph Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-randolph-price/) > [Life is a useless passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/life-is-a-useless-passion/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [A man cannot sleep in his cradle: whatever is useful must in the nature of life become useless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/a-man-cannot-sleep-in-his-cradle-whatever-is-useful-must-in-the/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) ## More by John Ruskin > [“Occult Theft,--Theft which hides itself even from itself, and is legal, respectable, and cowardly,--corrupts the body and soul of man, to the last fibre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/occult-theft-theft-which-hides-itself-even-from-itself-and-is-legal/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Mighty of heart, mighty of mind, magnanimous-to be this is indeed to be great in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/mighty-of-heart-mighty-of-mind-magnanimous-to-be-this-is-indeed-to-be/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Life is a magic vase filled to the brim, so made that you cannot dip from it nor draw from it; but it overflows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/life-is-a-magic-vase-filled-to-the-brim-so-made-that-you-cannot-dip/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [As in the instances of alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, and other such popular creeds, political economy, has a plausible idea at the root of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/as-in-the-instances-of-alchemy-astrology-witchcraft-and-other-such/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [I am far more provoked at being thought foolish by foolish people, than pleased at being thought sensible by sensible people; and the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/i-am-far-more-provoked-at-being-thought-foolish-by-foolish-people/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [When we build ... let it not be for present delights nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/when-we-build-let-it-not-be-for-present-delights-nor-for-present-use/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [It is far more difficult to be simple than to be complicated; far more difficult to sacrifice skill and easy execution in the proper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-is-far-more-difficult-to-be-simple-than-to-be-complicated-far-more/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [It is a good and safe rule to sojourn in every place as if you meant to spend your life there, never omitting an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-is-a-good-and-safe-rule-to-sojourn-in-every-place-as-if-you-meant/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [“You may trust to the truth of my sympathy; but you must remember that I am engaged in the investigation of enormous religious and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/you-may-trust-to-the-truth-of-my-sympathy-but-you-must-remember-that/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [And remember, child, that nothing is ever done beautifully, which is done in rivalship; or nobly, which is done in pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/and-remember-child-that-nothing-is-ever-done-beautifully-which-is/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-s-unwise-to-pay-too-much-but-it-s-worse-to-pay-too-little/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [The world is full of vulgar Purists, who bring discredit on all selection by the silliness of their choice; and this the more, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-world-is-full-of-vulgar-purists-who-bring-discredit-on-all/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Like other beautiful things in this world, its end (that of a shaft) is to be beautiful; and, in proportion to its beauty, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/like-other-beautiful-things-in-this-world-its-end-that-of-a-shaft-is/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [All are to be men of genius in their degree,--rivulets or rivers, it does not matter, so that the souls be clear and pure;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/all-are-to-be-men-of-genius-in-their-degree-rivulets-or-rivers-it/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [The art of drawing which is of more real importance to the human race than that of writing...should be taught to every child just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-art-of-drawing-which-is-of-more-real-importance-to-the-human-race/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) [Explore all 696 John Ruskin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) ## More Beautiful things quotes > [“It was stolen. As most beautiful things eventually are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-dorst/it-was-stolen-as-most-beautiful-things-eventually-are/) [Doug Dorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-dorst/) > [And I add my own love to the history of people who have loved beautiful things, and looked out for them, and pulled them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/and-i-add-my-own-love-to-the-history-of-people-who-have-loved/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [Perspective, as its inventor remarked, is a beautiful thing. What horrors of damp huts, where human beings languish, may not become picturesque through aerial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/perspective-as-its-inventor-remarked-is-a-beautiful-thing-what/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“that God gives us the ugliness so we don’t take the beautiful things in life for granted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/that-god-gives-us-the-ugliness-so-we-don-t-take-the-beautiful-things/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [“There is beauty in the least beautiful of things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-brennert/there-is-beauty-in-the-least-beautiful-of-things/) [Alan Brennert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-brennert/) > [It is perhaps when our lives are at their most problematic that we are likely to be most receptive to beautiful things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/it-is-perhaps-when-our-lives-are-at-their-most-problematic-that-we/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [For me, acting is torturous, and it's torturous because you know it's a beautiful thing. I was young once, and I said, that's beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/for-me-acting-is-torturous-and-it-s-torturous-because-you-know-it-s-a/) [Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/) > [When I saw 'Hamilton,' it changed my life. It's one of the most beautiful things I saw on stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-segarra/when-i-saw-hamilton-it-changed-my-life-it-s-one-of-the-most-beautiful/) [Josh Segarra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-segarra/) > [He had been through a good deal in the course of the Great Quest — he had seen beautiful things and horrible things —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/he-had-been-through-a-good-deal-in-the-course-of-the-great-quest-he/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [Search A Beautiful Heart But Do Not Search A Beautiful Face. Beautiful Things Are Not Alwayes Good. But Good Thing Are Always Beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/search-a-beautiful-heart-but-do-not-search-a-beautiful-face-beautiful/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Next time when you think of beautiful things, Don't forget to count YOURSELF in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/next-time-when-you-think-of-beautiful-things-don-t-forget-to-count/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The beautiful thing about music is that even so-called negative emotions like anger, sadness, frustration, when they come through the filter of music, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiromi/the-beautiful-thing-about-music-is-that-even-so-called-negative/) [Hiromi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiromi/) > [It is beautiful, beautiful to give; one of the very most beautiful things in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-von-arnim/it-is-beautiful-beautiful-to-give-one-of-the-very-most-beautiful/) [Elizabeth von Arnim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-von-arnim/) > [Like other beautiful things in this world, its end (that of a shaft) is to be beautiful; and, in proportion to its beauty, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/like-other-beautiful-things-in-this-world-its-end-that-of-a-shaft-is/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [I was raised to believe that religion is a beautiful thing, but it's fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/i-was-raised-to-believe-that-religion-is-a-beautiful-thing-but-it-s/) [Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/) [Browse all 815 Beautiful things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Remember that the most beautiful things in life are often the most useless; peacocks and lilies for instance.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ruskin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/remember-that-the-most-beautiful-things-in-life-are-often-the-most/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beautiful things" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/remember-that-the-most-beautiful-things-in-life-are-often-the-most/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/john-ruskin-314_life_remember-that-the-most-beautiful-things_1556803.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/john-ruskin-314_life_remember-that-the-most-beautiful-things_1556803.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/152/john-ruskin-314_life_remember-that-the-most-beautiful-things_1556803.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Remember that the most beautiful things in life are often the most useless; peacocks and lilies for instance.” — John Ruskin", "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 Ruskin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Remember that the most beautiful things...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/remember-that-the-most-beautiful-things-in-life-are-often-the-most/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/remember-that-the-most-beautiful-things-in-life-are-often-the-most/#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 } } ] } ```