A man does not really begin to be alive until he has lost himself, until he has released the anxious grasp which he normally holds upon his life, his property, his reputation and position.

More quotes by Alan W. Watts

View all
"If you awaken from this illusion and you understand that black implies white, self implies other, life implies death (or shall I say death implies life?), you can feel yourself – not as a stranger in the world, not as something here on probation, not as something that has arrived here by fluke - but you can begin to feel your own existence as absolutely fundamental."

- Alan W. Watts

Belief in Self

"I have always been fascinated by the law of reversed effort. Sometimes I call it the 'backwards law.' When you try to stay on the surface of the water, you sink; but when you try to sink, you float. When you hold your breath, you lose it—which immediately calls to mind an ancient and much neglected saying, 'Whosoever would save his soul shall lose it.'"

- Alan W. Watts

Insight

"For there is never anything but the present, and if one cannot live there, one cannot live anywhere."

- Alan W. Watts

Presence

More Personal Growth Quotes

View all
"We are all capable of change, both in our actions and our hearts."

- Beauty and the Beast

Personal Growth

"When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too."

- Paulo Coelho

Personal Growth

"If the decisions you make about where you invest your blood, sweat, and tears are not consistent with the person you aspire to be, you’ll never become that person."

- Clayton M. Christensen

Personal Growth

"I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself."

- Arianna Huffington

Personal Growth

"The two most important days in your life are the day you’re born and the day you find out why."

- Mark Twain

Personal Growth