No matter your path, reading some quotes about simple living is a great way to learn about some of the concepts and feel motivated to take action towards simplifying your life.
Simple life quotes like these are just what we need to take a moment to slow down and remember what’s important in life.
Whether you’re into simple living or just looking to create a bit more minimalism in your life, I hope you find a simple quote that inspires you today!
This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission if you use them, at no additional cost to you. See disclosure policy for details.
My simple living journey started as a child with my obsession with Little House on the Prairie. I must have read the series several times before I was 12.
I loved reading about the way they did things and the juxtaposition to how things are now. Laura Ingalls Wilder was so excited for simple things like a jar full of pretty buttons, or a candy stick in her stocking at Christmas.
One living simple quote that really stuck with me from that series is this:
― Laura Ingalls Wilder
“It is the sweet simple things in life which are the real ones after all.”
Isn’t that just the truth!?
Now of course we don’t need to go completely back to pioneer level simplicity, but we all could use some improvement towards living a more simple life! I know you’re going to love the rest of these simple things quotes!
Besides that sweet quote, I’ve listed a lot more simple living quotes for you (over 100!).
Please enjoy them and take a moment to let me know which is your favorite quote about simple living!
I’ve also included book recommendations for any quotes from books so if you particularly like a quote, you can check out the book!
I’m always a fan of Kindle or audio books to keep my life more simple and less cluttered. If this is you, get a 30 day free Audible trial or 30 day free trial of Kindle Unlimited.
I also created a bundle of desktop wallpapers with 30 quotes about simple living and minimalism, just for you! Get it here, or click the image below ↓
These simple living quotes from authors, celebrities, & famous historical people are sure to inspire you!
Simple Life Quotes
Live simply so that others may simply live.
― Mahatma Gandhi
“More was never the answer. The answer, it turned out, was always less.”
― Cait Flanders, The Year of Less
“…there are often many things we feel we should do that, in fact, we don’t really have to do. Getting to the point where we can tell the difference is a major milestone in the simplification process.”
― Elaine St. James, Living the Simple Life: A Guide to Scaling Down and Enjoying More
“When we focus more on fitting it all in instead of making time for what counts, we lose sight of how to create a meaningful life.”
― Courtney Carver, Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More
“After a while, I wasn’t saying no because I was so busy, I was saying no because I didn’t want to be so busy anymore.”
― Courtney Carver, Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More
“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, Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More
“I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best both for the body and the mind.”
― Albert Einstein
“Make things as simple as possible, but no simpler.”
— Albert Einstein
“Have the courage to build your life around what is really most important to you.”
― Joshua Becker, The Minimalist Home: A Room-By-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life
“If one’s life is simple, contentment has to come. Simplicity is extremely important for happiness. Having few desires, feeling satisfied with what you have, is very vital: satisfaction with just enough food, clothing, and shelter to protect yourself from the elements.”
— The Dalai Lama
“There is more joy and fulfillment in pursuing less than can be found in pursuing more.”
― Joshua Fields Millburn, Everything That Remains: A Memoir by The Minimalists
Read more minimalist quotes
“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter… to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring — these are some of the rewards of the simple life.”
― John Burroughs, Leaf and Tendril
“A simple life is not seeing how little we can get by with—that’s poverty—but how efficiently we can put first things first. . . . When you’re clear about your purpose and your priorities, you can painlessly discard whatever does not support these, whether it’s clutter in your cabinets or commitments on your calendar. (148)”
― Victoria Moran, Lit From Within: Tending Your Soul For Lifelong Beauty
“Life is as simple as these three questions: What do I want? Why do I want it? And, how will I achieve it?”
― Shannon L. Alder
“I was rich, for there was nothing else that I needed or wanted.”
― Mark Warren, Two Winters in a Tipi: My Search for the Soul of the Forest
“One must learn to be simple, anyone can manage to be complex.”
― Amit Kalantri
“Sometimes simplicity and elegance are indistinguishable from each other.”
― Amit Kalantri
“According to history, quite a few times simple man turned out to be the significant man.”
― Amit Kalantri
“The greatest challenge in life is to be our own person and accept that being different is a blessing and not a curse. A person who knows who they are lives a simple life by eliminating from their orbit anything that does not align with his or her overriding purpose and values. A person must be selective with their time and energy because both elements of life are limited.”
― Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls
“The simple life is an authentic life.”
― Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls
“An authentic life facing reality without mental equivocation is the simplest type of life.”
― Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls
“Escape from complicated life! Take refuge in simple life! You will find three treasures there: Healthy body, peaceful mind and a life away from ambitious fools!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
“When simple is more than enough, you will feel happy more than enough!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
“When you simplify your life, you will be able to see the life much better because with a simple life you get rid of the obstacles that prevents your horizons!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
“To realise the soothing power of simple life is to find the secret of happiness!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
“Live a simple life; you will own the most beautiful treasures of the world!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
“A simple life gives birth to more clarity, inner peace and meaningful relationships.”
― Margo Vader
“I just want to live simply and pay attention to what’s happening each day.”
― Kent Haruf, Our Souls at Night
“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
“The simple pleasures of life give us lasting satisfaction.”
― Avijeet Das
“Life is lived in the moments of simplicity!”
― Avijeet Das
“Life is truly beautiful in simplicity. When we lead a simple life we achieve an unknown happiness – a happiness that surpasses any other form of happiness. And “Forest Gump” has always been one
of my all time favorite movies in life. So I yearn to lead a life like that of Forest Gump! For me my ideal is Forrest Gump. Hope I live upto my ideal.”
― Avijeet Das
“Simplicity isn’t about being a cold, hard minimalist. A different way of looking at simplicity is to take note of the Japanese aesthetic of wabi sabi. It is difficult to translate it directly into a Western sensibility but it is a way of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature.”
― Amanda Talbot, Rethink: The Way You Live
“My new deliberate and slower pace has created a higher quality in my experiences.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.
“My choice of a lighter lifestyle has brought me a greater sense of well-being. In a world that often seems stressful and chaotic, that’s a feeling I cherish.”
― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.
“A minimalist by intent, I live a beautiful life with fewer things—simple, yet full.”
― Laurie Buchanan, PhD
“Minimalism is about creating space to live simply and meaningfully; it’s about living intentionally.”
― Laurie Buchanan, PhD
“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
“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, Walden
“Perhaps, it is not necessary to have so many things. Perhaps, it is not necessary to do so many things. Do we really need it all? Or are we drowning ourselves in things and busyness?”
― Akiroq Brost
“The simplest things are overlooked. And yet, it is the simplest things that are the most essential.”
― Thomas Lloyd Qualls, Painted Oxen
“The Shire at this time had hardly any ‘government’. Families for the most part managed their own affairs. Growing food and eating it occupied most of their time. In other matters they were, as a rule, generous and not greedy, but contented and moderate, so that estates, farms, workshops, and small trades tended to remain unchanged for generations.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
“Life’s so much simpler when you’re dead!”
― Stewart Stafford
“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.”
― Lao Tzu
“We need more country than concrete, we need more mind than material, we need more savannah than sky-scrapers, we need more melody than malady. And this can only happen if we make simplicity and responsibility the way of life.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Gospel of Technology
“Solace is in simplicity.”
― Abhijit Naskar,The Gospel of Technology
“Don’t make your life complicated, live simply.”
― MJ Jabican
“I do not particularly like the word ‘work.’ Human beings are the only animals who have to work, and I think that is the most ridiculous thing in the world. Other animals make their livings by living, but people work like crazy, thinking that they have to in order to stay alive. The bigger the job, the greater the challenge, the more wonderful they think it is. It would be good to give up that way of thinking and live an easy, comfortable life with plenty of free time. I think that the way animals live in the tropics, stepping outside in the morning and evening to see if there is something to eat, and taking a long nap in the afternoon, must be a wonderful life. For human beings, a life of such simplicity would be possible if one worked to produce directly his daily necessities. In such a life, work is not work as people generally think of it, but simply doing what needs to be done.”
― Masanobu Fukuoka, The One-Straw Revolution
“Keep it simple; keep it REAL.”
― Jennifer Ritchie Payette
“Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves.”
—Edwin Way Teale
“Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It’s your masterpiece after all.”
― Nathan W. Morris
“I strive for simplicity and believe simplicity is beauty.”
― Allan Alder
“The 5 Principles of JOMO:
1. JOMO is the opposite of FOMO (the Fear Of Missing Out).
2. JOMO is intentionally choosing what to keep and what to give.
3. JOMO is choosing to ignore the Joneses (NOT just NOT keep up).
4. JOMO is framing the moment to keep the big picture dream in focus.
5. JOMO is the art of improved results with minimalism over maximalism.”
― Richie Norton, The Power of Starting Somgthing Stupid
“Simplicity is complex. It’s never simple to keep things simple. Simple solutions require the most advanced thinking.”
― Richie Norton, The Power of Starting Somgthing Stupid
“Simplicity is all but nothing that’s there.”
― Shawn Lukas
“The simplest things are often the truest.”
— Richard Bach
“It is always the simple that produces the marvelous.”
— Amelia Barr
“That’s been one of my mantras—focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
— Steve Jobs
― Yvon Chouinard
“Going back to a simpler life is not a step backward.”
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”
— Hans Hofmann
“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”
— Socrates
“Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves.”
— Edwin Way Teale
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
— Leonardo da Vinci
“Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.”
— Isaac Newton
“Purity and simplicity are the two wings with which man soars above the earth and all temporary nature.”
— Thomas Kempis
“In order to seek one’s own direction, one must simplify the mechanics of ordinary, everyday life.”
— Plato
“The greatest wealth is to live content with little.”
— Plato
“Simplicity is the glory of expression.”
— Walt Whitman
― Paramahansa Yogonanda
“Be as simple as you can be; you will be astonished to see how uncomplicated and happy your life can become.”
“Simple pleasures are the last healthy refuge in a complex world.” —Oscar Wilde
“Simplicity is not a measure of difficulty but of finesse”
― Mac Duke The Strategist
“Say NO to all meaningless activities, so do not need a calendar to remember when is the next really fulfilling event in your life.”
― Rodolfo Peon
“Do only what is necessary and required. Efficiency is elegant. Less is more.”
― Scott Perry, Endeavor: Cultivate Excellence While Making a Difference
“Declutter your mind, your heart, your home. Let go of the heaviness that is weighing you down. Make your life simple, but significant.”
― Maria Defillo
“Less is more.”
— Robert Browning
“Learn to live with less so that you appreciate more.”
― James Ryan
“There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth.”
― Leo Tolstoy
“I began to realize how simple life could be if one had a regular routine to follow with fixed hours, a fixed salary, and very little original thinking to do.”
― Roald Dahl
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
― Confucius
“Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough.”
― Charles Warner
“The trouble with simple living is that, though it can be joyful, rich, and creative, it isn’t simple.”
― Doris Janzen Longacre
“It confuses me that Christian living is not simpler. The gospel, the very good news, is simple.”
― Donald Miller
“The real drawback to the simple life is that it is not simple. If you are living it, you positively can do nothing else. There is not time.”
― Katharine Elizabeth Fullerton Gerould
“I want to live simply, to work honestly, to love completely and to dare mightily, so that when I die, my children, and their children, will know that I died empty, and well satisfied.”
― Doug Robinson
“The greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go.”
― Steve Maraboli
― Ritu Ghatourey
“Lead a simple life. First reduce your greeds. Then reduce your needs.”
“Best rule for a simple life… Care with no reason, Love with no expectation”
― Ritu Ghatourey
“It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary.”
― Paulo Coelho
“I found the simple life, ain’t so simple.”
― Van Halen
“Simplicity of living, if deliberately chosen, implies a compassionate approach to life. It means that we are choosing to live our daily lives with some degree of conscious appreciation of the condition of the rest of the world.”
― Duane Elgin
“My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can.”
― Cary Grant
“The quality of life is so different in France. There is the possibility of living a simple life. I would never contemplate raising my daughter in LA. I would never raise any child there.”
― Johnny Depp
“I’m just delighted to be living, to be able to have a simple conversation, to feel a ray of sunlight on my skin and listen to the breeze move through the leaves of a tree.”
― Ryuichi Sakamoto
“I discovered all over Ireland is that people living simple lives by the sea or in the remote countryside seem a lot calmer than city folk with their iPads and their Android phones.”
― James Nesbitt
“How do we return to a simpler way of living? Is there some way that we can start to think of each other as human beings again, instead of worshiping money, instead of worshiping electronics, instead of worshiping getting ahead just for me?”
― Giancarlo Esposito
“Living with only the bare essentials has not only provided superficial benefits such as the pleasure of a tidy room or the simple ease of cleaning, it has also led to a more fundamental shift. It’s given me a chance to think about what it really means to be happy.”
― Fumio Sasaki
