Henry Miller

“Art is only a means to life, to the life more abundant. It is not in itself the life more abundant. It merely points the way, something which is overlooked not only by the public, but very often by the artist himself. In becoming an end it defeats itself.”

— Henry Miller

“No man is great enough or wise enough for any of us to surrender our destiny to. The only way in which anyone can lead us is to restore to us the belief in our own guidance.”

— Henry Miller

“Los Angeles gives one the feeling of the future more strongly than any city I know of. A bad future, too, like something out of Fritz Lang's feeble imagination.”

— Henry Miller

“Music is a beautiful opiate, if you don't take it too seriously.”

— Henry Miller

“The Teutons have been singing the swan song ever since they entered the ranks of history. They have always confounded truth with death.”

— Henry Miller

“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

“We live in the mind, in ideas, in fragments. We no longer drink in the wild outer music of the streets - we remember only.”

— Henry Miller

“True strength lies in submission which permits one to dedicate his life, through devotion, to something beyond himself.”

— Henry Miller

“In this age, which believes that there is a short cut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest.”

— Henry Miller

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

— Henry Miller

“Our own physical body possesses a wisdom which we who inhabit the body lack. We give it orders which make no sense.”

— Henry Miller

“What does it matter how one comes by the truth so long as one pounces upon it and lives by it?”

— Henry Miller

“Every man has his own destiny: the only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him.”

— Henry Miller

“Man has demonstrated that he is master of everything except his own nature.”

— Henry Miller

“There is nothing strange about fear: no matter in what guise it presents itself it is something with which we are all so familiar that when a man appears who is without it we are at once enslaved by him.”

— Henry Miller

“When one is trying to do something beyond his known powers it is useless to seek the approval of friends. Friends are at their best in moments of defeat.”

— Henry Miller

“In expanding the field of knowledge we but increase the horizon of ignorance.”

— Henry Miller

“The only thing we never get enough of is love and the only thing we never give enough of is love.”

— Henry Miller

“Back of every creation, supporting it like an arch, is faith. Enthusiasm is nothing: it comes and goes. But if one believes, then miracles occur.”

— Henry Miller

“In the attempt to defeat death man has been inevitably obliged to defeat life, for the two are inextricably related. Life moves on to death, and to deny one is to deny the other.”

— Henry Miller