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Henry Miller Quotes

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The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.

The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.

Henry Miller
Life, Happiness, Success
Henry Miller (1941). “The Wisdom of the Heart”, p.2, New Directions Publishing

There are only three things to be done with a woman. You can love her, suffer for her, or turn her into literature.

Henry Miller
Love, Funny, Strong Women

Life moves on, whether we act as cowards or heroes. Life has no other discipline to impose, if we would but realize it, than to accept life unquestioningly. Everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate or despise, serves to defeat us in the end. What seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy, and strength, if faced with an open mind. Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such

Henry Miller
Inspirational, Life, Moving On
Henry Miller (1959). “The Henry Miller Reader”, p.356, New Directions Publishing

To be silent the whole day long, see no newspaper, hear no radio, listen to no gossip, be thoroughly and completely lazy, thoroughly and completely indifferent to the fate of the world is the finest medicine a man can give himself.

Henry Miller
Fate, Men, Medicine
Henry Miller (2010). “The Colossus of Maroussi (Second Edition)”, p.38, New Directions Publishing

One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.

Henry Miller
Positive, Travel, Attitude
Henry Miller (1957). “Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch”, p.25, New Directions Publishing

...the wise man knows that every experience is to be viewed as a blessing.

Henry Miller
Wise, Blessing, Men
Henry Miller (1957). “Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch”, p.27, New Directions Publishing

It is with the soul that we grasp the essence of another human being, not with the mind, nor even with the heart.

Henry Miller
Heart, Essence, Soul

If there is to be any peace it will come through being, not having.

Henry Miller
Inspirational, Life, Happiness
Henry Miller (1959). “The Henry Miller Reader”, p.259, New Directions Publishing

Even if one’s whole life were a mistake, there is always time to change.

Henry Miller
Mistake, Whole Life, Whole
Anaïs Nin, Henry Miller (1989). “A Literate Passion: Letters of Anaïs Nin & Henry Miller, 1932-1953”, p.373, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Real love is never perplexed, never qualifies, never rejects, never demands. It replenishes, by grace of restoring unlimited circulation. It burns, because it knows the true meaning of sacrifice. It is life illuminated.

Henry Miller
Real, Sacrifice, Love Is

The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.

Henry Miller
Motivational, Beauty, Gratitude

Develop an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.

Henry Miller
Music, Beauty, Beautiful

What I want is to open up. I want to know what's inside me. I want everybody to open up. I'm like an imbecile with a can opener in his hand, wondering where to begin-- to open up the earth. I know that underneath the mess everything is marvelous. I'm sure of it.

Henry Miller
Hands, Earth, Want
Henry Miller (2007). “Sexus: The Rosy Crucifixion I”, p.397, Grove/Atlantic, Inc.

Whatever needs to be maintained through force is doomed.

Henry Miller
Fate, Needs, Literature
Henry Miller (1941). “The Wisdom of the Heart”, p.87, New Directions Publishing

Destiny is what you are supposed to do in life. Fate is what kicks you in the ass to make you do it.

Henry Miller
Inspirational, Life, Fate

Every day the choice is presented to us, to live up to the spirit that is in us, or deny it.

Henry Miller
Choices, Spirit, Deny

Everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate, or despise, serves to defeat us in the end.

Henry Miller
Running, Eye, Acceptance
Henry Miller (1959). “The Henry Miller Reader”, p.356, New Directions Publishing

Confusion is a word we have invented for an order which is not understood.

Henry Miller
Order, Confusion, Understanding
Henry Miller (1966). “Tropic of Capricorn”

Every day that we fail to live out the maximum of our potentialities we kill the Shakespeare, Dante, Homer, Christ which is in us.

Henry Miller
Failing, Christ, Maximum
Henry Miller (1961). “The Cosmological Eye”, p.154, New Directions Publishing

To make living itself an art, that is the goal.

Henry Miller
Art, Teaching, Goal
Henry Miller (1957). “Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch”, p.400, New Directions Publishing

Music is the can-opener of the soul.

Henry Miller
Soul, Pineal Gland, Music Is
Henry Miller (1966). “Tropic of Capricorn”

The one thing we can never get enough of is love. And the one thing we never give enough is love.

Henry Miller
Love, Inspirational, Life

Whatever there be of progress in life comes not through adaptation but through daring.

Henry Miller
Inspirational, Progress, Adaptation
Henry Miller (1959). “The Henry Miller Reader”, p.251, New Directions Publishing

I felt free and chained at the same time - like one feels just before election, when all the crooks have been nominated and you are beseeched to vote for the right man.

Henry Miller
Men, Feels Just, Crooks
Henry Miller (1959). “The Henry Miller Reader”, p.39, New Directions Publishing

We live at the edge of the miraculous.

Henry Miller
Inspirational, Literature, Miraculous
Henry Miller (1941). “The Wisdom of the Heart”, p.89, New Directions Publishing

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