Three Quotes That Will Make You Think About Life

A few quotes won’t change your life, but maybe reading them will stir something in your mind and heart. Some quotes hit you like a bullet. And some quotes describe your life so well that they not only inspire reflection, but also inspire change.

You may not be fond of reflection, philosophy books, or movies that challenge all your dogmas and prejudices, but most people can remember a few quotes that made an impression and made them think about life. Perhaps there is one below that will do the same for you.

1. “Everyone has a plan until someone punches them in the face.”

This quote isn’t from a philosopher and we don’t think the boxer who said it ever aspired to become one, but sometimes the most direct words are the truest. Simple, easy and direct.

This quote comes from boxer Mike Tyson and it contains a powerful message, connecting boxing and life. We all have plans for our lives and we think we can follow them without any problem, that the wind will blow us in the right direction. This happens until the first obstacle arises and with it fear and doubt.

You can be completely convinced of something and then life suddenly takes a different direction,  such as being diagnosed with an illness or experiencing aggression and betrayal from the person you care about. Your path is still there, but you will never be the same.

You need to reformulate your plan to integrate this setback into your life so that you don’t surrender unconditionally.

2. “Has anything you done made your life better?”

The unforgettable but hard-hitting film  American History X  is a raw look at the impact Nazi ideology has on young Americans. The coexistence of the blacks and whites is starting to get dangerous and tense due to the racist ideology of leader Cameron Alexander and his influence on some of the boys in the community, especially the film’s protagonist, Derek Vinyard ( Edward Norton).

Derek is an intelligent and sensitive boy, who begins to internalize his father’s racist ideas. Meanwhile, he is further radicalized by his friendship with Cameron, the leader of the community’s neo-Nazi group, in front of his school’s principal, an African-American man named Bob Sweeney (Avery Brooks).

Derek kills two African Americans outside his house, witnessed by the entire family. It goes to prison, where  all his prejudices about black people fall apart, mainly because of the friendship he builds with one of them.

One day, Derek is raped by a group of neo-Nazis who don’t trust his attitude and because he has befriended a black man. They attack him to humiliate him and because they see him as a traitor. While he’s in the hospital, his friend and principal comes to visit and asks him the following question:  “Has anything you’ve done so far made your life better?”

Derek collapses as he realizes that everything he’s done for his beliefs has destroyed everything of value in his life. If you ever find yourself at the bottom of a pit and you don’t know what you did to get there, you have to ask yourself that question.

Try to recognize all the toxic patterns that have brought you to where you are today and difficult living conditions and little luck are certainly among them. You always have to take some responsibility, be it a lot or just a little. This kind of question can help you change like some kind of emotional catharsis.

3. “You cannot find peace by avoiding life.”

Today we live in a world where misery must be avoided at all costs,  where traditional religions no longer have as much impact on the western world, because they no longer give us peace. The world has few alternatives to tolerating pain. We are ashamed, but we suffer in silence, look for medicines ourselves and feel increasingly lonely.

Virginia Woolf was the one to utter this third quote, and current trends in psychology (such as ACT, “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy”) show why. We engage in avoidance behaviors so that we no longer suffer from the undue stress and the greatest evil of our time:  the inherent guilt associated with the impossibility of achieving current models of success and well-being.

This quote, like many others from Virginia Woolf, forces us to face life and uncomfortable situations. We are social beings and we need to be this way to exist. Avoidance will always bring you pain and isolation, never peace. Loneliness is beautiful when you choose it for yourself, but not when you impose it on yourself out of fear of the world.