Roger Scruton Quotes

Manhood begins when we have in any way made truce with Necessity; begins even when we have surrendered to Necessity, as the most part only do; but begins joyfully and hopefully only when we have reconciled ourselves to Necessity; and thus, in reality, triumphed over it, and felt that in Necessity we are free.

Freedom is not overcoming what you think stands in your way. It is understanding that what is in your way is part of the way.

Do you want to be right more than you want to know the truth? It's the truth that set me free. Acceptance, peace, and less attachment to a world of suffering are all effects of doing The Work. They're not the goals. Do The Work for the love of freedom, for the love of truth.

May I see my own limits with compassion, just as I view the limits of others.

The man of control lives in choice, and the man of understanding lives in choicelessness.

There is one thing, and only one thing, in which it is granted to you to be free in life, all else being beyond your power: that is to recognize and profess the truth.

We must always bear in mind that we are not going to be free, but are free already. Every idea that we are bound is a delusion.

We first have to find the way of freedom from involvement before we can introduce freedom in involvement.

If you are wise, live as you can; if you cannot, live as you would.

Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free.

If you have a friend who suffers, you have to help him.«My dear friend, you are on safe ground. Everything is okay now. Why do you continue to suffer? Don't go back to the past. It's only a ghost; it's unreal». And whenever we recognize that these are only movies and pictures, not reality, we are free. That is the practice of mindfulness.

May God grant me love for that which has splendor; but in this time of my life let me strive for attainable things.

Completely desist from defending your point of view. When you have no point to defend, you do not allow the birth of an argument. If you do this consistently - if you stop fighting and resisting - you will fully experience the present, which is a gift. Someone once told me, "The past is history, the future is a mystery, and this moment is a gift. That is why this moment is called 'the present'."

There is only one heroism in the world: to see the world as it is, and to love it.

Freedom comes with self-knowledge, when the mind goes above and beyond the hindrances it has created for itself.

I feel like I'm moving from a world where I was creating fantasies that weren't real inside - and very often feeling really dissatisfied - to now living in reality for the first time in my life since I was a kid, and learning to appreciate where I am now while actually sitting with that reality.

People have asked if I would go back to my 20s, and I'm like, "Only if I could hold onto the wisdom and the things that I've learned." But in reality, I don't think I'd want to even go back then. I'm so happy with where I'm at. My life is very content. Everything feels really good. I wouldn't want to change any of that. I'm happy for all the ups and the downs, and everything that has led me to where I am. I wouldn't want to lose any of that.

To realize freedom the mind has to learn to look at life, which is a vast movement, without the bondage of time , for freedom lies beyond the field of consciousness care for watching, but don't stop and interpret "I am free," then you're living in a memory of something that has gone before.

When you don't need to play the victim or create victims you are FREE

Other people have qualities that may be better than your own. Let them express them.

The dark does not weep for itself because there is no light. Rather, it accepts that it is the dark.

When you forgive somebody else you accept the responsibility for your own future.

I know that's really horrible, but that's how I do it in my head. I'm going to die. It doesn't matter. I don't matter. I'm a grain of sand. As a grain of sand, I may as well go out and relate to people and enjoy my short time on this planet that I have. Who knows what's coming next?

We usually think of ourselves as sitting the driver's seat, with ultimate control over the decisions we made and the direction our life takes; but, alas, this perception has more to do with our desires-with how we want to view ourselves, than with reality.

The most courageous thing we will ever do is to bear humbly the mystery of our own reality.