Albert Schweitzer was a man of many talents and a true inspiration to many. He was a philosopher, physician, and musician who dedicated his life to serving others. Throughout his life, he shared his wisdom and insights through his writing and speeches, leaving behind a legacy of thought-provoking quotes that continue to inspire generations.
He became the eighth Frenchman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 for his “Reverence for Life” philosophy. His philosophy was manifested in a variety of ways, but perhaps most notably in Lambaréné, French Equatorial Africa (now Gabon), where he established and supported the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer. Albert Schweitzer studied the works of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach as an organist and had an impact on the Organ Reform Movement.
57 Albert Schweitzer Quotes
- “The greatest challenge in art is in dealing with disappointment.”
2. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
3. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.”
4. “Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.”
5. “The only thing of importance, when we depart, will be the traces of love we have left behind.”
6. “Do something wonderful, people may imitate it.”
7. “Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.”
8. “The greatest discovery of any generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering the attitudes of their minds.”
9. “The three most important ways to lead people are: by example… by example… by example.”
10. “As we acquire more knowledge, things do not become more comprehensible, but more mysterious.”
Find motivation and guidance in Albert Schweitzer quotes on life and service
11. “Happiness is the only thing that multiplies when you share it.”
12. “If you love something so much let it go. If it comes back it was meant to be; if it doesn’t it never was”
13. “A man does not have to be an angel to be a saint.”
14. “The purpose of human life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others.”
15. “The quiet conscience is an invention of the devil”
16. “There can be no Kingdom of God in the world without the Kingdom of God in our hearts.”
17. “Every patient carries her or his own doctor inside.”
18. Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight.”
19. “The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives.”
20. “The tragedy in a man’s life is what dies inside of him while he lives.”
Famous Albert Schweitzer Quotes
21. “Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown again into instant flame by an encounter with another human being.”
22. “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.”
23. “Do something for somebody every day for which you do not get paid.”
24. “Any religion or philosophy which is not based on a respect for life is not a true religion or philosophy.”
25. “If you own something you cannot give away, then you don’t own it, it owns you.”
26. “Do something wonderful, people may imitate it.”
27. “If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
28. “Do not let Sunday be taken from you. If your soul has no sunday, it becomes an orphan.”
29. “We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness.”
30. “The doctor of the future will be oneself.”
Albert Schweitzer quotes on ethics and humanity will change the way you think
31. “The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives.”
32. “Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.”
32. “As we acquire knowledge, things do not become more comprehensible, but more mysterious.”
33. “Good is that which promotes life, evil is that which destroys life
34. “As we understand life in ourselves, we want to understand life in the universe. in order to enter into harmony with it.”
35. “In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.”
36. “He who does not reflect his life back to God in gratitude does not know himself.”
37. “Arguing from facts never wins a definitive victory against skillfully presented opinion.”
38. “The interior joy we feel when we have done a good deed is the nourishment the soul requires.”
39. “The question of whether I am a pessimist or an optimist, I answer that my knowledge is pessimistic, but my willing and hope are optimistic.”
40. “Life becomes harder for us when we live for others but it also becomes richer and happier.”
Discover the wisdom of Albert Schweitzer through his most inspiring quotes
41. “We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
42. “It’s not enough merely to exist. Every man has to seek in his own way to make his own self more noble and to relize his own true worth.”
43. “Anyone who proposes to do good must not expect people to roll stones out of his way, but must accept his lot calmly if they even roll a few more upon it.”
44. “The disastrous feature of our civilization is that it is far more developed materially than spiritually. Its balance is disturbed.
45. “The question whether I am a pessimist or an optimist, I answer that my knowledge is pessimistic, but my willing and hope are optimistic.”
46. “Sometimes our light goes out but is blown again into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light.”
47. “A man can do only what he can do. But if he does that each day he can sleep at night and do it again the next day.”
48. “There is no higher religion than human service.
48. “Man has the lost the capacity to foresee and to forestall. He will end up destroying the earth.”
48. “Just as white light consists of colored rays, so reverence for life contains all the components of ethics: love, kindliness, sympathy, empathy, peacefulness, and power to forgive.”
49. “One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity.”
50. “At that point in life where your talent meets the needs of the world, that is where God wants you to be.”
The best of Albert Schweitzer Quotes
51. “Let us rejoice in the truth, wherever we find its lamp burning.”
52. “A man is ethical only when life, as such, is sacred to him, that of plants and animals as that of his fellow men, and when he devotes himself helpfully to all life that is in need of help.”
53. “I have always held firmly to the thought that each one of us can do a little to bring some portion of misery to an end.”
54. “When people have light in themselves, it will shine out from them. Then we get to know each other as we walk together in the darkness, without needing to pass our hands over each other’s faces, or to intrude into each other’s hearts”
56. “The path of awakening is not about becoming who you are. Rather it is about unbecoming who you are not.”
57. “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”
Additional Read: Albert Schweitzer Biographical