Simplicity Quotes to Encourage a Positive Mindset

Life is better with these simplicity quotes.

What is the meaning of life?

I feel like humans have been asking this question and searching for the answer since the beginning of the human race.

As complicated beings, capable of complex thought processes, we tend to think the answer must be some detailed psychological, metaphysical, or intensely spiritual response.

Maybe the meaning of life doesn’t really require as much introspection as we think.

It’s possible that the answer is far simpler.

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It could be that the answer itself is simplicity: the simple beauty found in nature, the simple kindness of helping one another, or simply the act of wondering at the world around us.

Here are some simplicity quotes to remember if you are currently trying to over complicate your life!

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Simplicity quotes to make your life better

1. “One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.” Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums

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2. “Like all magnificent things, it’s very simple.” – Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting

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3. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius

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4. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Clare Boothe Luce

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5. “Living simply makes loving simple.” – Bell Hooks

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6. “To say more while saying less is the secret of being simple.” – Dejan Stojanovic

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7. “The greatest ideas are the simplest.” – William Golding, Lord of the Flies
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8. “Or, rather, let us be more simple and less vain.” – Rousseau Jean-Jacques

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9. “It takes a long time to learn how to do something simple.” – Marty Rubin

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10. “Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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11. “Wise is the one who learns to dumb it down.” – Curtis Tyrone Jones

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12. “I envy the one simply walking down the road.” – Marty Rubin

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Simplicity quotes on nature’s solace

13. “Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy.” – Isaac Newton

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14. “Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself.” – Henry David Thoreau

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15. “If you will stay close to nature, to its simplicity, to the small things hardly noticeable, those things can unexpectedly become great and immeasurable.” – Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

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16. “Natural beauty breezes within the simplicity that’s the purity, and the essence of natural beauty too.” – Ehsan Sehgal

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17. “Solace is in simplicity.” – Abhijit Naskar

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18. “Simplicity is nature’s first step and the last of art.” – Philip James Bailey

19. “Nature loves simplicity and unity.” – Johannes Kepler

20. “Simplicity is the nature of great souls.” – Papa Ramadas

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Simplicity quotes about life 

21. “As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.” – Henry David Thoreau
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22. “Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden and Other Writings

23. “The greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go.” – Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

24. “The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.” – Joshua Becker

25. “It is what it is, no more, no less, it simply is. Embrace simplicity, life is easier that way.” – Hazel Butterworth

26. “Life is simple. You just have to stop trying to figure it out.” – Marty Rubin

27. “Complex things are easy to do. Simplicity’s the real challenge.” – Robert James Waller, The Bridges of Madison County

28. “Life only puzzles us because we’re not simple enough to understand it.” – Marty Rubin

29. “Treasures in life are often the simplicity of quiet moments with loved ones, that pass too quickly.” – ALLENE VANOIRSCHOT, Daddy’s Little Girl

30. “The simplest things are overlooked. And yet, it is the simplest things that are the most essential.” – Thomas Lloyd Qualls, Painted Oxen

Simplicity quotes about happiness and truth

31. “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” – E.F. Schumacher

32. “There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth.” – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

33. “Truth is ever to be found in the simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.” – Isaac Newton

34. Lots of places to find baseline happiness in each and every day.” – Leo Babauta

35. “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.” – John Maeda, The Laws of Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life

36. “Simplicity is ultimately a matter of focus.” – Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

37. “They think I’m simpleminded because I seem to be happy. Why shouldn’t I be happy? I have everything I ever wanted and more. Maybe I am simpleminded. Maybe that’s the key: simple.” – Dolly Parton, Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business

38. “When happiness is your only thought it’s easy to be happy.” – Marty Rubin

39. “Simplicity is not the opposite of wealth. It is the door to the riches you already own.” – Alan Cohen

40. “In simplicity there is truth.” – River Phoenix

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Simplicity quotes that will change the way you think

41. “It is desirable that a man live in all respects so simply and preparedly that if an enemy take the town… he can walk out the gate empty-handed and without anxiety.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden

42. “Any darn fool can make something complex; it takes a genius to make something simple.” – Pete Seeger

43. “Take the time to observe the simple and ponder upon the seemingly insignificant. You’ll find a wealth of depth and beauty.” – Melanie Charlene

44. “We fail to see the simplicity of everything that surrounds us and search for things we cannot see.” – Rajesh, Random Cosmos

45. “Modern civilization is complicated and artificial. Simple folk live in a world of love and peace. Let no one hate another or harm another.” – Sivananda

46. “I have had to learn the simplest things last. Which made for difficulties.” – Charles Olsen

47. “A person with taste is merely one who can recognize the greatest beauty in the simplest things.” – Barbara Taylor Bradford, Her Own Rules

48. “All the problems you have are simple. What’s complicated is getting you to see simplicity.” – Meir Ezra

49. “Sometimes simplicity and elegance are indistinguishable from each other.” – Amit Kalantri, Wealth of Words

50. “The more we gave up, the more we gained.” – Courtney Ellis, Uncluttered: Free Your Space, Free Your Schedule, Free Your Soul

More simplicity quotes and sayings

51. “Every solution to every problem is simple. It’s the distance between the two where the mystery lies.” – Derek Landy

52. “It’s as simple as that. Simple and complicated, as most true things are.” – David Levithan

53. “It’s strange how the simple things in life go on while we become difficult.” – Richard Brautigan

54. “A simple statement is bound to be untrue. One that is not simple cannot be utilized.” – Paul Valéry

55. “May you always value the simple little things in Life. For they make a big difference and hence are the most important.” – Omar Cherif

56. “You can never be too subtle, and you can never be too simple.” – Paul Valéry

57. “If we would aim at perfection in any thing, simplicity must not be overlooked.” – Henry David Thoreau

58. “Some things just work. There is elegance in simplicity.” – Brandon Sanderson

59. “The lives of the poor are enriched by the richness of simplicity!” – Mehmet Murat ildan

60. “Simplicity of appearance can cause hindrance to success when you are poor. But the same simplicity is admired in a rich and successful person.” – Shon Mehta

Simplicity Quotes To Help You Enjoy Happier Life

61. “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” — Hans Hofmann

62. “Simplicity reveals the pure beauty of life.” — Debasish Mridha

63. “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance” — Coco Chanel

64. “I always go for simplicity.” — David Bailey

65. “Simplicity is not style, it is a state of harmony.” — Naoto Fukasawa

66. “Simplicity is the key to brilliance.” — Bruce Lee

67. “There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.”  — Leo Tolstoy

68. “One of the biggest accelerators to change is simplicity.” — Dr Henry Cloud

69. “In everything, love simplicity.” — Saint Francis De Sales

70. “Live simply, so that others may simply live.” — Mother Theresa

Thoughtful Simplicity Quotes To Embrace A Simple Lifestyle

71. “For a few minutes I tried to empty my mind entirely, to concentrate solely on breathing: sometimes it’s useful to rediscover simpler pleasures of life.” — Romain Gary

72. “Getting rid of everything that doesn’t matter allows you to remember who you are. Simplicity doesn’t change who you are, it brings you back to who you are.” — Courtney Carver

73. “Nature teaches us simplicity and contentment because in its presence we realize we need very little to be happy.” — Mark Coleman

74. “Simplicity is the most difficult thing to secure in this world; it is the last limit of experience and the last effort of genius.” — George Sand

75. “A little simplification would be the first step toward rational living, I think.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

76. “I have to remind myself to live simply and not to overindulge, which is a constant battle in a material world.” — Sandra Cisneros.

77. “Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” — Albert Einstein

78. “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.” — Lao Tzu

79. “Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” — Lao Tzu

80. “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.” — Albert Einstein

Simplicity Quotes To Live a Free Life

81. “The beauty of Zen is found in simplicity and tranquility, in a sense of the all-embracing harmony of things.” — Thich Thien-An

82. “A vocabulary of truth and simplicity will be of service throughout your life.” — Winston Churchill

83. “Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.” — Edsger Dijkstra

84. “As beautiful as simplicity is, it can become a tradition that stands in the way of exploration.” — Laura Nyro

85. “Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires.” — Laozi

86. “Simplicity is the intention, purity in the affection; simplicity turns to God, purity unites with and enjoys him.” — Thomas a Kempis

87. “There is a certain majesty in simplicity which is far above all the quaintness of wit.” — Alexander Pope

88. “Genuine simplicity of heart is a healing and cementing principle.” — Edmund Burke

89. “Is it not in the most absolute simplicity that real genius plies its pinions the most wonderfully?” — E. T. A. Hoffmann

90. “To be simple is the best thing in the world; to be modest is the next best thing. I am not sure about being quiet.” — Gilbert K. Chesterton

Simplicity Quotes To Choose What is Important

91. “I feel that the simplicity of life is just being yourself.” ― Bobby Brown

92. “Keep it Simple – Simplicity is best. If it can be misunderstood, it will be misunderstood.” ― Christian Motley

93. “Suddenly it was clear to me that all the beautiful complexity of life had simplicity at its core.” ― Eric Lander

94. “What we discovered was, sometimes, the answer to something complex is simplicity.” ― Melissa Dayton

95. “Simplicity before understanding is simplistic; simplicity after understanding is simple.” ― Edward de Bono

96. “Voluntary simplicity means going fewer places in one day rather than more, seeing less so I can see more, doing less so I can do more, acquiring less so I can have more.” ― John Kabat-Zinn

97. “Simplicity is somehow essentially describing the purpose and place of an object and product.” ― Jonathan Ive

98. “When you begin to pursue simplicity and make different decisions than you used to make, people will inevitably take notice.” ― Mike Burns

99. “Don’t get me wrong, I admire elegance and have an appreciation of the finer things in life. But to me, beauty lies in simplicity.” ― Mark Hyman, M.D.

100. “Simplicity is about deciding what’s important to you and focusing on that before anything else.” ― Chelsea Walters

What did you learn from these simplicity quotes

I hope you found these simplicity quotes as inspiring as I did.

These make me want to pay off all my debt, sell my house and cars, and live in a hut on the beach somewhere.

Someday, maybe I will have the gumption to say no to all the things society thinks I need to have and live simply.

There was a story I heard once about a Mexican fisherman.

He spends every day working hard on the water, searching for the big catch, and living on the ocean.

One day, a CEO of a company comes to Mexico and goes fishing with the local man.

He talks about how many hours he has had to work and things he has sacrificed to get where he is today, all so he can retire one day and move to Mexico and fish.

That about sums up my idea of simplicity.

What does simplicity mean to you?

Do you have any other inspirational simplicity quotes to add?

Leave a comment below!