Alain de Botton Quotes

My grandmother always would say, "This, too, shall pass." It is always true.

This, too, will pass.

You get older. In the end, you end up accepting everything in your life - suffering, horror, love, loss, hate - all of it.

There are no whys in a person's life, and very few hows. In the end, in search of useful wisdom, you could only come back to the most hackneyed concepts, like kindness, forbearance, infinite patience. Solomon and Lincoln: This too shall pass. Damn right it will. Or Chekhov: Nothing passes. Equally true.

It is not easy for a man to be as great as a mountain or a forest. But that is why the creator gave them to us as teachers. Now that I am old I Iook once more toward them for lessons, instead of trying to understand the ways of men. They tell me to be patient. They tell me I cannot change what is, I can only hope to change what will become. Let the grasses grow over our scars, they say, and let flowers bloom over our wounds.

What kept me sane was knowing that things would change, and it was a question of keeping myself together until they did.

I'm older than I'd like and I'm creaky, but I'm doing alright.

God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness and the willingness to remain vulnerable.

Ideally, I'm also sending a message that everything passes, even hope, and sometimes you have to be patient while you wait for it to come back around again.

Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and repeat to yourself, the most comforting words of all; this, too, shall pass.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

If we wait until our lives are free from sorrow or difficulty, then we wait forever. And miss the entire point.

I'm just growing old, darling. I don't know about gracefully.

What I've observed and what I've imagined - and definitely what I'm hoping - happens as you get older is that there's a mellowing, an acceptance that comes with time. I guess that I'll find out.

There's an old saying, this too shall pass, and change is good.

If you're always battling against getting older, you're always going to be unhappy, because it's going to happen anyhow.

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.

It is in the middle of misery that so much becomes clear. The one who says nothing good comes of this is not yet listening.

The things you cannot change you can't waste your time on.

The only thing I pray for is the strength to go out without complaining.

I've gotten to the age where I'm comfortable with just about everything - except getting old!

You can't be 25 all the time.

Things are constantly in flux and changing, and as crazy-making as that can be, it's also the thing that can get you through tough times - 'Well, things change.'