Alan Watts was a renowned English writer, self-styled philosopher, and speaker who taught the philosophies of various cultures, including Japanese (Buddhist), Indian (Hindu), and Chinese (Taoist), to the people of the Western world. He was the first person to write a bestselling book on Buddhism, titled “Psychotherapy East and West,” in 1961. From his groundbreaking works on Eastern philosophy to his profound interpretations of human existence, these Alan Watts quotes capture the essence of Watts’ unique perspective. Recently, he has gained popularity with many of his lectures being turned into podcasts on apps such as Spotify and YouTube. Additionally, his lectures are regularly broadcasted on public radio in New York, California, and other regions.
Read more: 25 Quotes By Famous Philosophers For Some Clarity About Life!
Join us as we explore the profound wisdom of Alan Watts through his most impactful quotes.
1. We are not the best judge of our own personality.
“Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.
2. Don’t take life too seriously!
“Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the Gods made for fun.”
3. Sometimes stepping back is the solution.
“Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.”
4. Believe in your own reality and not what society shows.
“We seldom realize, for example, that our most private thoughts and emotions are not actually our own. For we think in terms of languages and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by our society.”
5. Will you imagine?
“Try to imagine what it will be like to go to sleep and never wake up…now try to imagine what it was like to wake up having never gone to sleep.”
6. Change breathes life into our lives.
“The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.”
7. Don’t fall for the talks.
“The menu is not the meal.”
8. Be alive in every moment of life!
“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.”
9. You are an important part of this universe.
“You are a function of what the whole universe is doing in the same way that a wave is a function of what the whole ocean is doing.”
10. Love is natural…it can’t be forced.
“Never pretend to a love which you do not actually feel, for love is not ours to command.”
11. Trust yourself before anyone or anything.
“To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don’t grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead, you relax, and float.”
12. You are not viewing the problem from the correct angle, try again!
“Problems that remain persistently insoluble should always be suspected as questions asked in the wrong way.”
13. Believe everything instead of just the conventions of society.
“Only words and conventions can isolate us from the entirely undefinable something which is everything.”
The 13 best quotes from Alan Watts serve as reminders of his profound wisdom, offering guidance and inspiration to navigate the complexities of life.