Alain de Botton Quotes, Sports Quotes, Real Quotes

I was foreign and Jewish, with a funny name, and was very small and hated sport, a real problem at an English prep school. So the way to get round it was to become the school joker, which I did quite effectively - I was always fooling around to make the people who would otherwise dump me in the loo laugh.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Sports Quotes , Real Quotes

to design means forcing ourselves to unlearn what we believe we already know, patiently to take apart the mechanisms behind our reflexes and to acknowledge the mystery and stupefying complexity of everyday gestures like switching off a light of turning on a tap

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Believe Quotes , Mean Quotes

The study of maps and the perusal of travel books aroused in me a secret fascination that was at times almost irresistible.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Book Quotes , Secret Quotes

It's perhaps easier now than ever before to make a good living; it's perhaps harder than ever before to stay calm, to be free of career anxiety.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Motivation Quotes , Inspiration Quotes

Feeling lost, crazy and desperate belongs to a good life as much as optimism, certainty and reason.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Good Life Quotes , Crazy Quotes

The attentions of others matter to us because we are afflicted by a congenital uncertainty as to our own value, as a result of which affliction we tend to allow others' appraisals to play a determining role in how we see ourselves. Our sense of identity is held captive by the judgements of those we live among.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Play Quotes , Judgement Quotes

The longing for destiny is nowhere stronger than in our romantic life.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Destiny Quotes , Stronger Quotes

Not everyone is worth listening to.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes

We used to build temples, and museums are about as close as secular society dares to go in facing up to the idea that a good building can change your life (and a bad one ruin it).

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Museums Quotes , Secular Society Quotes

It is perhaps sad books that best console us when we are sad.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Book Quotes , Sadness Quotes

Responsible for wrapping the iron fist of authority in its velvet glove is Jane Axtell, head of the accountancy firm's Human Resources department.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Iron Quotes , Velvet Quotes

Because the rhythm of conversation makes no allowance for dead periods, because the presence of others calls for continuous responses, we are left to regret the inanity of what we say, and the missed opportunity of what we do not.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Regret Quotes , Opportunity Quotes

Journeys are the midwives of thought. Few places are more conducive to internal conversations than a moving plane, ship or train. There is an almost quaint correlation between what is in front of our eyes and the thoughts we are able to have in our heads: large thoughts at times requiring large views, new thoughts new places. Introspective reflections which are liable to stall are helped along by the flow of the landscape. The mind may be reluctant to think properly when thinking is all it is supposed to do.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Moving Quotes , Eye Quotes

In the works of Lucretius, we find two reasons why we shouldn't worry about death. If you have had a successful life, Lucretius tell us, there's no reason to mind its end. And, if you haven't had a good time, "Why do you seek to add more years, which would also pass but ill?"

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Successful Quotes , Years Quotes

A notorious inability to express emotions makes human beings the only animals capable of suicide.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Suicide Quotes , Animal Quotes

Despite the best efforts of critics and the hopes of authors, our tastes in books are probably as inherent & unbudgeable as those in food.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Book Quotes , Best Effort Quotes

It's very hard to respect people on holiday - everybody looks so silly at the beach, it makes you hate humanity - but when you see people at their work they elicit respect, whether it's a mechanic, a stonemason or an accountant.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Beach Quotes , Hate Quotes

Religions are so subtle, so complicated, so intelligent in many ways that they're not fit to be abandoned to the religious alone; they're for all of us.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , God Quotes , Religious Quotes

We are certainly influenced by role models, and if we are surrounded by images of beautiful rich people, we will start to think that to be beautiful and rich is very important - just as in the Middle Ages, people were surrounded by images of religious piety.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Beautiful Quotes , Religious Quotes

Most of us still caged within careers chosen for us by our not entirely worldly 18-22 year old selves.

6 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Alain de Botton Quotes , Self Quotes , Years Quotes