Alain de Botton - Quodid

About

Alain de Botton is a British writer.

Picture of Alain de Botton

Alain de Botton () is a British author and public speaker. His books discuss various contemporary subjects and themes, emphasising the relevance of philosophy to everyday life. In 1993, he published Essays in Love, which went on to sell two million copies. Other bestsellers include How Proust Can Change Your Life (1997), Status Anxiety (2004), and The Architecture of Happiness (2006).

Quotes from Alain de Botton

A lack of freedom is no longer, in most developed societies, the problem. Our downfall lies in our inability to make the most of the freedom that our ancestors painfully secured for us over three centuries.

—Alain de Botton in Religion for Atheists

freedom difficulty

We all possess wisdom that we lack the strength properly to enact in our lives.

—Alain de Botton in Religion for Atheists

action wisdom strength

The prestige of the news is founded on the unstated assumption that our lives are forever poised on the verge of critical transformation thanks to the two driving forces of modern history: politics and technology.

—Alain de Botton in Religion for Atheists

news rapid change politics technology

One rarely falls in love without being as much attracted to what is interestingly wrong with someone as what is objectively healthy.

—Alain de Botton

love perfection imperfection health

You get down to work when the fear of having done nothing finally exceeds the fear of doing it wrong.

—Alain de Botton

fear accomplishment error work

It's great when you finally realize that being miserable doesn't protect you from bad stuff happening.

—Alain de Botton

pessimism sadness miserable

Most of our childhood is stored not in photos, but in certain biscuits, lights of day, smells, textures of carpet.

—Alain de Botton

Books

Alain de Botton has the following books quoted on Quodid:

Religion for Atheists