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Alan Watts

Alan Watts Quotes

Philosopher

Alan Watts was a British philosopher, writer, and speaker known for his exploration of the relationship between Eastern and Western thought, particularly focusing on Zen Buddhism and its influence on Western culture. His work has influenced many in the areas of spirituality, psychology, and the philosophy of science.

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Famous Alan Watts Quotes

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”

Source: The Wisdom of Insecurity

“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.”

Ifs Inspirational Faith Water Freedom Human Nature Trust Relax Swim Swimming Have Faith Floating Floats Drowning Trust Yourself Sinking Hope And Faith Eye Opening Ocean Wave

Author:Alan Watts

“No work or love will flourish out of guilt, fear, or hollowness of heart, just as no valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.”

Inspirational Heart Made Fear Plans Human Nature Capacity Guilt Hollowness

Book:The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

Source: The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

“But the attitude of faith is to let go, and become open to truth, whatever it might turn out to be.”

Might Faith Turns Belief Inspiring Attitude Human Nature Letting Go Positive Attitude

Author:Alan Watts

“But I'll tell you what hermits realize. If you go off into a far, far forest and get very quiet, you'll come to understand that you're connected with everything.”

Ifs Realizing Inspiring Human Nature Quiet Connected Forests Hermits

Author:Alan Watts

“So then, the relationship of self to other is the complete realization that loving yourself is impossible without loving everything defined as other than yourself.”

Self Impossible Human Nature Self Love Defined Realization Loving Yourself Loving Everything

Author:Alan Watts

“Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.”

Trying Humor Human Nature Self Esteem Identity Mindfulness Teeth Bites Deep Thought Self Identity Define Yourself Eye Opening

Author:Alan Watts

“The menu is not the meal.”

Philosophy Inspiring Human Nature Meals Menus

Author:Alan Watts

“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.”

Way Whole Universe Inspiring Human Nature Ocean Function Wave

Author:Alan Watts

“Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.”

Inspirational Water Freedom Inspiring Clear Human Nature Leaving Being Alone Muddy Clearing Leave Me Alone Freedom To Choose Loneliness And Solitude Eastern Philosophy Incubation

Book:The Way of Zen

Source: The Way of Zen

“The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.”

Human Nature Permanent Lifeless

Book:Play to Live: Selected Seminars

Source: Play to Live: Selected Seminars

“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.”

Life Real Play Realizing Inspiring Secret Human Nature Calling Garden Engaged Monday Here And Now Secret Life Work And Play Work Play Play Life

Book:The essence of Alan Watts

Source: The essence of Alan Watts

“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.”

Thinking Language Given Term Realizing Inspiring Emotion Human Nature Example Our Society Thoughts And Emotions

Book:The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

Source: The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

“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.”

Trying Sleep Inspiring Gone Imagine Human Nature Wake Up Going To Sleep Wake Up Now

Author:Alan Watts

“A scholar tries to learn something everyday; a student of Buddhism tries to unlearn something daily.”

Trying Education Learning Human Nature Students Buddhism Everyday Scholar Unlearn

Author:Alan Watts

“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.”

Giving Persons Human Nature Exercise

Author:Alan Watts

“Problems that remain persistently insoluble should always be suspected as questions asked in the wrong way.”

Way Should Problem Inspiring Human Nature Wrong Way Questions Asked

Book:The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

Source: The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

“What I am really saying is that you don’t need to do anything, because if you see yourself in the correct way, you are all as much extraordinary phenomenon of nature as trees, clouds, the patterns in running water, the flickering of fire, the arrangement of the stars, and the form of a galaxy. You are all just like that, and there is nothing wrong with you at all.”

Ifs Way Needs Running Form Stars Water Inspiring Fire Tree Human Nature Extraordinary Clouds Patterns Phenomenon Arrangements Galaxy Running Water

Book:Still the Mind: An Introduction to Meditation

Source: Still the Mind: An Introduction to Meditation

“Philosophy is man’s expression of curiosity about everything and his attempt to make sense of the world primarily through his intellect.”

Men World Philosophy Human Nature Expression Curiosity Intellect Make Sense

Book:The Philosophies of Asia: The Edited Transcripts

Source: The Philosophies of Asia: The Edited Transcripts

About the Author

Born: January 6, 1915
Died: November 16, 1973
Known for: Philosopher
Quotes: 540

Related Topics

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Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You AreRelated source material

The Wisdom of InsecurityRelated source material

The essence of Alan WattsRelated source material

The Way of ZenRelated source material

The Joyous Cosmology: Adventures in the Chemistry of ConsciousnessRelated source material

What is Zen?Related source material

This is It, and Other Essays on Zen and Spiritual ExperienceRelated source material

In My Own Way: An AutobiographyRelated source material

The Tao of PhilosophyRelated source material

Does It Matter?: Essays on Man s Relation to MaterialityRelated source material

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