Alan Watts Quotes

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Alan Watts, a British philosopher, writer, and speaker, is best known for his interpretation and popularization of Eastern philosophy for Western audiences. His work often focused on the connectivity of all things and the importance of living a meaningful life. Watts delved deep into topics such as the nature of reality, the pursuit of happiness, and the understanding of one’s self through a blend of Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism. His eloquent quotes encapsulate profound truths about life, emphasizing the need for a harmonious balance between inner peace and external reality. Through his thought-provoking sayings, Watts continues to inspire individuals to question their perceptions of the world and their place within it.

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Here are 10 all-time best quotes by Alan Watts that capture his profound wisdom and perspective:

“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.”
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
“Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.”
“The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.”
“Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.”
“To understand the mystery of this life, come to it with no past or future.”
“This is the real secret of life—to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now.”
“We cannot be more sensitive to pleasure without being more sensitive to pain.”
“Waking up to who you are requires letting go of who you imagine yourself to be.”
“The menu is not the meal.”

Alan Watts Quotes on Life

Here are 15 Alan Watts quotes on life that reflect his insightful views:

“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple.”
“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.”
“This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now.”
“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.”
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
“We cannot be more sensitive to pleasure without being more sensitive to pain.”
“A scholar tries to learn something everyday; a student of Buddhism tries to unlearn something daily.”
“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.”
“The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.”
“No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.”
“The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there.”
“Problems that remain persistently insoluble should always be suspected as questions asked in the wrong way.”
“Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.”
“The art of living is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It requires being sensitive to each moment, regarding it as utterly new and unique.”
“Waking up to who you are requires letting go of who you imagine yourself to be.”

Alan Watts Quotes on Love

Here are 15 Alan Watts quotes on love that capture his insightful and profound perspective:

“The best way to convince someone is by making him realize that what you speak is their own thought.”
“Love is not something that is a sort of rare commodity, everybody has it.”
“Love is a mutual recognition of each other.”
“Never pretend to a love which you do not actually feel, for love is not ours to command.”
“The greater part of human activity is designed to make permanent those experiences and joys which are only lovable because they are changing.”
“But love is not a sort of a prize you win, or something you obtain as a reward.”
“When you’re in love, you do not care whether you win or lose; the important thing is the relationship itself.”
“Falling in love is as simple as opening your eyes.”
“When we make love with purely physical intention, it becomes lust, and it is not fulfilling.”
“The real secret of life is to be completely engaged with what you are doing here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play and that you are here to enjoy it.”
“If you go off into a far, far forest and get very quiet, you’ll come to understand that you’re connected with everything.”
“Love is a state of being, not a relationship.”
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.”
“Love is not something that is a sort of rare commodity. We are love.”
“You don’t look for love because that is the ego wanting; you are love.”

Alan Watts Quotes About Change

Here are 10 Alan Watts quotes about change, highlighting his understanding of life’s transient nature:

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
“The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.”
“Except for the point, the still point, there would be no dance, and there is only the dance.”
“To remain stable is to refrain from trying to separate yourself from change.”
“You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago.”
“Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.”
“Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.”
“When we attempt to exercise power or control over someone else, we cannot avoid giving that person the very same power or control over us.”
“There is no formula for generating the authentic warmth of love. It cannot be copied.”
“The only zen you find on tops of mountains is the zen you bring up there.”

Alan Watts Quotes About Reality

Here are 10 Alan Watts quotes about reality that offer deep insights into his philosophical perspective:

“Reality is only a Rorschach ink-blot, you know.”
“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.”
“A person who thinks all the time has nothing to think about except thoughts. So, he loses touch with reality, and lives in a world of illusions.”
“The menu is not the meal.”
“This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.”
“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.”
“The more we struggle for life (as pleasure), the more we are actually killing what we love.”
“To define yourself is to limit yourself. Without the uncomfortable boundary of identity, you are free to be what you are.”
“Everything you see is yourself calling yourself to return to yourself.”
“The world is a marvelous system of wiggles.”

Alan Watts Quotes About Overthinking

Here are 10 quotes by Alan Watts on the theme of overthinking, highlighting his views on the mind and the importance of living in the present:

“A person who thinks all the time has nothing to think about except thoughts. So he loses touch with reality, and lives in a world of illusion.”
“If you can’t meditate in a boiler room, you can’t meditate.”
“The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.”
“Worrying is like paying a debt you don’t owe.”
“Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.”
“The menu is not the meal.”
“To remain stable is to refrain from trying to separate yourself from change.”
“Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.”
“This is the real secret of life—to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now.”
“When we attempt to exercise power or control over someone else, we cannot avoid giving that person the very same power or control over us.”

Alan Watts Quotes About Time

Here are 10 quotes by Alan Watts about time, reflecting his unique perspective on the nature of existence and the experience of time:

“The future is a concept—it doesn’t exist. There is no such thing as tomorrow. There never will be because time is always now.”
“Time is a way of thinking. There is no past and future. Only the present.”
“No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.”
“The present moment is a myth. What we experience is a spectral slip.”
“We are living in a culture entirely hypnotized by the illusion of time.”
“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”
“Time is a social institution and not a physical reality.”
“Trying to live too much in the future leads you to neglect the present.”
“To understand the mystery of this life, come to it with no past or future.”
“Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.”

Alan Watts Quotes About the Universe

Here are 10 quotes by Alan Watts that explore his thoughts on the universe and our connection to it:

“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.”
“Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies.”
“We do not ‘come into’ this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree.”
“The universe is the game of the self, which plays hide and seek forever and ever.”
“Everything in the universe is a pitcher brimming with wisdom and beauty.”
“You didn’t come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean.”
“Man and the external world are one. Not two separate things.”
“The more we learn about the universe, the more we realize that it is not something foreign to ourselves.”
“Just as a flower does not choose its color, we are not responsible for what we have come to be.”
“Your soul is not in your body; your body is in your soul.”

Alan Watts Quotes on Happiness

Here are 10 quotes by Alan Watts on happiness, showcasing his insights into the nature of joy and contentment:

“The real secret of life is to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now.”
“No one is more dangerously insane than one who is sane all the time.”
“Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within.”
“The art of living is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other.”
“A person who thinks all the time has nothing to think about except thoughts. So, he loses touch with reality, and lives in a world of illusions.”
“To be happy, you must let go of the picture of what you think your life is supposed to look like.”
“Waking up to who you are requires letting go of who you imagine yourself to be.”
“We cannot be more sensitive to pleasure without being more sensitive to pain.”
“The greater part of human activity is designed to make permanent those experiences and joys which are only lovable because they are changing.”
“If you say that getting the money is the most important thing, you will spend your life completely wasting your time.”