Henry Miller was an influential and controversial American writer who challenged the conventional norms of literature and society. He is best known for his books, Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, which were banned in the US for their explicit sexual content. His candid and provocative writing style explored themes of sexuality, spirituality, and freedom. Here are the best Henry Miller quotes that reflect his raw and honest perspective on life, love, and the human condition.
Born on December 26, 1891, in New York City, Miller was a man who liked to break things, specifically rules and taboos.
He broke the existing literary writing forms and developed a new type of semi-autobiographical novel that mixed social criticism, humanist tendencies, philosophy, explicit language, sex, and mysticism.
His famous works of this kind include Black Spring (1936), The Colossus of Maroussi (1941), and a trio of books known as The Rosy Crucifixion Trilogy, made up of Sexus, Plexus, and Nexus (written between 1949-59).
Most of his works often sparked controversy and censorship due to their explicit content and unconventional narratives. His books were banned from publication in the United States until 1961.
Illicit copies of his books were smuggled in from Europe and passed around but his work was much more than sensuous and explicit content.
Despite the controversies, Henry Miller persisted in his writing, drawing inspiration from diverse experiences traveling through different countries like Paris, Greece, and Big Sur, California.
Henry Miller died on June 7, 1980, leaving behind a literary legacy that continues to inspire generations of writers and artists.
Here are the most famous Henry Miller quotes about life, love, and art that will help you stay motivated and push your creative boundaries.
Top 10 Henry Miller Quotes
- “Don’t look for miracles. You yourself are the miracle.” — Henry Miller
Henry Miller Quotes - “The goal of life is not to possess power but to radiate it.” — Henry Miller
Quotes By Henry Miller - “If there is to be any peace it will come through being, not having.” — Henry Miller
Henry Miller Quote - “The real leader has no need to lead — he is content to point the way.” — Henry Miller
- “One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.” — Henry Miller
Best Henry Miller Quotes - “Life has to be given a meaning because of the obvious fact that it has no meaning.” ― Henry Miller
Inspirational Quotes From Henry Miller - “Every day the choice is presented to us, to live up to the spirit that is in us, or deny it.” — Henry Miller
- “The one thing we can never get enough of is love. And the one thing we never give enough is love.” — Henry Miller
Henry Miller Quotes About Love - “The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.” — Henry Miller
Famous Henry Miller Quotes About Life - “Whoever uses the spirit that is in him creatively is an artist. To make living itself an art, that is the goal.” — Henry Miller
Best Quotes By Henry Miller
- “Music is the can-opener of the soul.” — Henry Miller
- “Work on one thing at a time until finished.” — Henry Miller
- “Everything hinges on how you look at things.” — Henry Miller
- “To be joyous is to be a madman in a world of sad ghosts.” — Henry Miller
- “Even if one’s whole life were a mistake, there is always time to change.” — Henry Miller
- “I have no money, no resources, no hopes. I am the happiest man alive.” — Henry Miller
- “Do anything, but let it produce joy. Do anything, but let it yield ecstasy.” — Henry Miller
- “I made up my mind that I would hold onto nothing, that I would expect nothing.” — Henry Miller
- “An artist is always alone — if he is an artist. No, what the artist needs is loneliness.” – Henry Miller
- “Destiny is what you are supposed to do in life. Fate is what kicks you in the ass to make you do it.” — Henry Miller
- “The full and joyful acceptance of the worst in oneself may be the only sure way of transforming 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
- “It is with the soul that we grasp the essence of another human being, not with the mind, nor even with the heart.” — Henry Miller
- “The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” — 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
Famous Henry Miller Quotes
- “There is no salvation in becoming adapted to a world which is crazy.” — Henry Miller
- “Art is only a means to life, the life more abundant. It merely points the way.” — Henry Miller
- “At the bottom of every frozen heart there is a drop or two of love – just enough to feed the birds.” — Henry Miller
- “It takes a lifetime for someone to discover Greece, but it only takes an instance to fall in love with her.” — Henry Miller
- “Imagination is the voice of daring. If there is anything godlike about God, it is that. He dared to imagine everything.” ― Henry Miller, Sexus
- “Everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate, or despise, serves to defeat us in the end.” — Henry Miller
- “Why are we so full of restraint? Why do we not give in all directions? Is it fear of losing ourselves? Until we do lose ourselves there is no hope of finding ourselves.” – Henry Miller
- “Greece is the home of the gods; they may have died but their presence still makes itself felt. The gods were of human proportion: they were created out of the human spirit.” — Henry Miller
- “Hope is a bad thing. It means that you are not what you want to be. It means that part of you is dead, if not all of you. It means that you entertain illusions. It’s a sort of spiritual clap, I should say.” — Henry Miller
- “To be silent the whole day long, see no newspaper, hear no radio, listen to no gossip, be thoroughly and completely lazy, thoroughly and completely indifferent to the fate of the world is the finest medicine a man can give himself.” — Henry Miller
Henry Miller Quotes And Sayings
- “We live at the edge of the miraculous.” ― Henry Miller
- “We live in the mind, in ideas, in fragments.” ― Henry Miller
- “The gulf between knowledge and truth is infinite.” ― Henry Miller
- “There are only three things to be done with a woman. You can love her, suffer for her, or turn her into literature.” — Henry Miller
- “The man who is forever disturbed about the condition of humanity either has no problems of his own or has refused to face them.” ― Henry Miller, Sexus
- “A book lying idle on a shelf is wasted ammunition. Like money, books must be kept in constant circulation. Lend and borrow to the maximum.” — Henry Miller
- “Everyone has his own reality in which, if one is not too cautious, timid or frightened, one swims. This is the only reality there is.” ― Henry Miller, Stand Still Like the Hummingbird
- “If I were reading a book and happened to strike a wonderful passage I would close the book then and there and go for a walk. I hated the thought of coming to the end of a good book.” ― Henry Miller, Plexus
- “If we are always arriving and departing, it is also true that we are eternally anchored. One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.” ― Henry Miller, Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch
- “I’m an egotist, but I’m not selfish. There’s a difference. I’m a neurotic, I guess. I can’t stop thinking about myself. It isn’t that I think myself so important… I simply can’t think about anything else, that’s all. If I could fall in love with a woman that might help some. But I can’t find a woman who interests me.” ― Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer
More About Henry Miller’s Life
Henry Valentine Miller was an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist broke boundaries with his groundbreaking works. His courage to challenge established literary conventions and tackle taboo topics has placed him among one of the greatest literary rebels of the 20th century.
Miller has written several books, most of which were banned due to its explicit content. Some of his notable works include the collections of essays The Cosmological Eye and The Wisdom of the Heart.
In addition to his literary endeavors, Miller was a skilled watercolorist. He made significant contributions to the world of visual arts. His book “To Paint Is To Love Again,” explores the profound connection between painting and love.
Many volumes of his correspondence have been published: with Lawrence Durrell (1963), Anaïs Nin (1965), and Wallace Fowlie (1975).
Henry Miller was a legendary writer and artist who inspired millions of people with his honesty, rawness, and creativity.
Hopefully, you will enjoy reading these inspirational Henry Miller quotes and sayings.
Fast Facts About Henry Miller
Born: Henry Valentine Miller, December 26, 1891 New York City, U.S.
Died: June 7, 1980 (aged 88) Los Angeles, California U.S.
Occupation: Writer
Period: 1934–80
Genre: Philosophical Fiction
Notable works: The Air-Conditioned Nightmare, Tropic of Cancer, Black Spring, Tropic of Capricorn, The Colossus of Maroussi, & The Rosy Crucifixion
Conclusion
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