Adventure Quote by Paulo Coelho
““The second symptom of the death of our dreams lies in our certainties. Because we don’t want to see life as a grand adventure, we begin to think of ourselves as wise and fair and correct in asking so little of life. We look beyond the walls of our day-to-day existence, and we hear the sound of lances breaking, we smell the dust and the sweat, and we see the great defeats and the fire in the eyes of the warriors. But we never see the delight, the immense delight in the hearts of those who are engaged in the battle. For them, neither victory nor defeat is important; what’s important is only that they are fighting the good fight. ‘And, finally, the third symptom of the passing of our dreams is peace. Life becomes a Sunday afternoon; we ask for nothing grand, and we cease to demand anything more than we are willing to give. In that state, we think of ourselves as being mature; we put aside the fantasies of our youth, and we seek personal and professional achievement. We are surprised when people our age say that they still want this or that out of life. But really, deep in our hearts, we know that what has happened is that we have renounced the battle for our dreams – we have refused to fight the good fight.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho, 1988
Dreams die when we settle into certainty, avoiding adventure, and settle for complacent peace, abandoning the fight for meaning.
In simple terms: Dreams fade when we stop seeking adventure and settle for comfort.
Embrace adventure, keep fighting for meaningful goals.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- career stagnation
- personal growth
- creative projects
- relationship challenges
- health goals
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What adventure have you stopped pursuing?
- How can you balance peace with purposeful struggle?
Complacency can provide safety, making change feel risky.