--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing in the world is permanent, and…" description: "\"“Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/w-somerset-maugham-237_change_nothing-in-the-world-is-permanent-and-we_382488.jpg" --- # Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when… ![“Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it. If change is of the essence of existence one would have thought it only sensible to make it the premise of our philosophy.” quote by W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/w-somerset-maugham-237_change_nothing-in-the-world-is-permanent-and-we_382488.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/w-somerset-maugham-237_change_nothing-in-the-world-is-permanent-and-we_382488.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/w-somerset-maugham-237_change_nothing-in-the-world-is-permanent-and-we_382488.jpg) > ““Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it. If change is of the essence of existence one would have thought it only sensible to make it the premise of our philosophy.”” [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is transient; embracing impermanence brings joy, and philosophy should accept change as fundamental. **In simple terms:** Everything changes; enjoy it now. Key Takeaway Accept change, enjoy the present. Themes impermanence joy philosophy acceptance Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - daily life - relationships - career transitions - creative projects Key Concepts existentialism mindfulness temporal nature Questions to Reflect On - How can you incorporate change into your worldview? - What moments do you resist? A Different Perspective Ignoring change can lead to resistance and suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Essence Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence-existence-1097986/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Existence Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence-thought-638352/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Permanent Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanent-foolish-1346357/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Premise Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/premise-philosophy-3465817/) ## Related quotes > [“If change is of the essence of existence one would have thought it only sensible to make it the premise of our philosophy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/somerset-maugham/if-change-is-of-the-essence-of-existence-one-would-have-thought-it/) [Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/somerset-maugham/) > [Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/nothing-in-the-world-is-permanent-and-we-re-foolish-when-we-ask-2/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Nothing in the world is permanent, and were foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely were still more foolish not to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-in-the-world-is-permanent-and-were-foolish-when-we-ask/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god; where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/and-where-we-had-thought-to-find-an-abomination-we-shall-find-a-god/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [“Very suddenly there came back to my soul motion and sound—the tumultuous motion of the heart, and, in my ears, the sound of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/very-suddenly-there-came-back-to-my-soul-motion-and-sound-the/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“Where we had thought to travel outward, we will come to the center of our own existence. And where we had thought to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/where-we-had-thought-to-travel-outward-we-will-come-to-the-center-of/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [Existence is this, I thought, a start of joy, a stab of pain, an intense pleasure, veins that pulse under the skin, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/existence-is-this-i-thought-a-start-of-joy-a-stab-of-pain-an-intense/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“In existence you are body and mind, but in absolute you dissolve. In existence there is sorrow; in absolute there is bliss. In existence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-kumar/in-existence-you-are-body-and-mind-but-in-absolute-you-dissolve-in/) [Gian Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-kumar/) > [“An innocent breath of life comes from the deep of all darkness! It just takes a moment, an instant and right after, everything becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-c-lemus/an-innocent-breath-of-life-comes-from-the-deep-of-all-darkness-it/) [E.C. Lemus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-c-lemus/) > [Divinity reveals herself in all things. Everything has Divinity latent within itself. For she enfolds and imparts herself even unto the smallest beings, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giordano-bruno/divinity-reveals-herself-in-all-things-everything-has-divinity-latent/) [Giordano Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giordano-bruno/) > [“Love is possible only if two persons communicate with each other from the center of their existence, hence if each one of them experiences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/love-is-possible-only-if-two-persons-communicate-with-each-other-from/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“SENSES, APPEARANCE, ESSENCE and EXISTENCE The world we see with our senses is very different than the world we see through our essence. Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petek-kabakci/senses-appearance-essence-and-existence-the-world-we-see-with-our/) [Petek Kabakci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petek-kabakci/) > [“What's at the End of Space? Thereof seeker discovers "That", the basis of What Is - here, there, within, without - the infinite, eternal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fakeer-ishavardas/what-s-at-the-end-of-space-thereof-seeker-discovers-that-the-basis-of/) [Fakeer Ishavardas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fakeer-ishavardas/) > [In God alone, essence (what He is) and existence (that he is) coincide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicenna/in-god-alone-essence-what-he-is-and-existence-that-he-is-coincide/) [Avicenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicenna/) > [“Fulfillment is the essence of our existence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/fulfillment-is-the-essence-of-our-existence/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) ## More by W. Somerset Maugham > [“A man thinks it quite natural that he should fall out of love with a woman, but it never strikes him for a moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-thinks-it-quite-natural-that-he-should-fall-out-of-love-with-a/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“A man's work reveals him. In social intercourse he gives you the surface that he wishes the world to accept, but in his book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-s-work-reveals-him-in-social-intercourse-he-gives-you-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/love-is-only-a-dirty-trick-played-on-us-to-achieve-continuation-of/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [The world is hard and cruel. We are here none knows why, and we go none knows whither. We must be very humble. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-world-is-hard-and-cruel-we-are-here-none-knows-why-and-we-go-none/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“There is no more merit in having read a thousand books than in having ploughed a thousand fields.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/there-is-no-more-merit-in-having-read-a-thousand-books-than-in-having/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“I wanted to live again and again. I was willing to accept every sort of life, no matter what its pain and sorrow; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-wanted-to-live-again-and-again-i-was-willing-to-accept-every-sort/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [In Hollywood, the women are all peaches. It makes one long for an apple occasionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/in-hollywood-the-women-are-all-peaches-it-makes-one-long-for-an-apple/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Follow your inclinations with due regard to the policeman round the corner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/follow-your-inclinations-with-due-regard-to-the-policeman-round-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“His love became a prison from which he longed to escape, but he had not the strength merely to open the door-that was all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/his-love-became-a-prison-from-which-he-longed-to-escape-but-he-had/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [I did not believe him capable of love. That is an emotion in which tenderness is an essential part, but Strickland had no tenderness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-did-not-believe-him-capable-of-love-that-is-an-emotion-in-which/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [If only the good were a little less heavy-footed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/if-only-the-good-were-a-little-less-heavy-footed/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Perfection has one grave defect: it is apt to be dull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/perfection-has-one-grave-defect-it-is-apt-to-be-dull/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“A God that can be understood is no God. Who can explain the Infinite in words?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-god-that-can-be-understood-is-no-god-who-can-explain-the-infinite/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“My dear, you used to be quite a dish; now you're quite a tureen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/my-dear-you-used-to-be-quite-a-dish-now-you-re-quite-a-tureen/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“When people say they do not care what others thing of them, for the most part they deceive themselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/when-people-say-they-do-not-care-what-others-thing-of-them-for-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) [Explore all 840 W. Somerset Maugham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it. If change is of the essence of existence one would have thought it only sensible to make it the premise of our philosophy.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. Somerset Maugham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/nothing-in-the-world-is-permanent-and-we-re-foolish-when-we-ask/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/nothing-in-the-world-is-permanent-and-we-re-foolish-when-we-ask/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/w-somerset-maugham-237_change_nothing-in-the-world-is-permanent-and-we_382488.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/w-somerset-maugham-237_change_nothing-in-the-world-is-permanent-and-we_382488.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/w-somerset-maugham-237_change_nothing-in-the-world-is-permanent-and-we_382488.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still…” — W. Somerset Maugham", "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": "W. Somerset Maugham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Nothing in the world is permanent,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/nothing-in-the-world-is-permanent-and-we-re-foolish-when-we-ask/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/nothing-in-the-world-is-permanent-and-we-re-foolish-when-we-ask/#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 } } ] } ```