107 Quotes About Simplicity to Inspire a Minimalistic Life

There is a timeless beauty in simplicity. Whether it’s simplifying our routines, decluttering our spaces, or streamlining our thoughts, simplicity can lead to a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

Here is a collection of quotes about simplicity that celebrate the elegance found in the uncomplicated. These words are reminders to appreciate the beauty of simplicity and encourage us to declutter our physical surroundings and our minds.

1. “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.” — John Maeda

2. “Simplicity is the trademark of GENIUS.” —  Robin S. Sharma

3. “The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity.” — Douglas Horton

4. “The spirit’s foe in man has not been simplicity, but sophistication.” — George Santayana

5. “The greatest ideas are the simplest.” — William Golding

6. “Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires.” — Lao Tzu

7. “It’s easy to be heavy; hard to be light.” — G.K. Chesterton

8. “The spirit’s foe in man has not been simplicity, but sophistication.” — George Santayana

9. “Complex things are easy to do. Simplicity’s the real challenge.” — Robert James Waller

10. “Childhood means simplicity. Look at the world with the child’s eye – it is very beautiful.” — Kailash Satyarthi

11. “Do few things but do them well, simple joys are holy.” — Francis of Assisi

12. “The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity.” — Douglas Horton

13. “Simplicity is the glory of expression.” — Walt Whitman

14. “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

15. “There is a certain majesty in simplicity which is far above all the quaintness of wit.” — Alexander Pope

16. “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I simply watch what they do.” — Andrew Carnegie

17. “People are remarkably bad at remembering long lists of goals. I learned this at a professional level when trying to get my high-performance coaching clients to stay on track; the longer their lists of to-dos and goals, the more overwhelmed and off-track they got. Clarity comes with simplicity.” — Brendon Burchard

18. “Don’t make the process harder than it is.” — Jack Welch

19. “Truth is ever to be found in the simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.” ― Isaac Newton

20. “One of the glories of English simplicity is the possibility of using the same word as noun and verb.” — Edward Sapir

21. “Simplicity is a great virtue but it requires hard work to achieve it and education to appreciate it. And to make matters worse: complexity sells better.” — Edsger Dijkstra

22. “I continue to be drawn to clarity and simplicity. ‘Less is more’ remains my mantra.” — Stephane Rolland

23. “I am convinced that there can be luxury in simplicity.” — Jil Sander

24. “Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.” — General Colin Powell

25. “Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.” — Edsger Dijkstra

26. “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” — E.F. Schumacher

27. “Simplicity is a state of mind.” — Charles Wagner

28. “Simplicity is a choice, a discrimination, a crystallization. Its object is purity.” — Le Corbusier

29. “Simplicity is not a simple thing.” — Charlie Chaplin

30. “All things remarkable are surprisingly simple; albeit difficult to find.” — Criss Jami

31. “Let your mind wander in simplicity, blend your spirit with the vastness, follow along with things the way they are, and make no room for personal views – then the world will be governed.” — Zhuangzi

32. “Simplicity is the most difficult thing to secure in this world; it is the last limit of experience and the last effort of genius.” — George Sand

33. “Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.” — Thor Heyerdahl

34. “And so from that, I’ve always been fascinated with the idea that complexity can come out of such simplicity.” — Will Wright

35. “As beautiful as simplicity is, it can become a tradition that stands in the way of exploration.” — Laura Nyro

36. “I am not a genius, I am just curious. I ask many questions. and when the answer is simple, then God is answering.” — Albert Einstein

37. “Out of chaos, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony.” — Bruce Lee

38. “If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.” — Albert Einstein

39. “Like all magnificent things, it’s very simple.” — Natalie Babbitt

40. “Greatness of spirit is accompanied by simplicity and sincerity.” — Aristotle

41. “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” — Albert Einstein

42. “Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.” — Charles Mingus

43. “The greatest ideas are the simplest.” — William Golding

44. “Three rules of work: out of clutter find simplicity. From discord find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” — Albert Einstein

45. “It is the essence of genius to make use of the simplest ideas.” — Charles Péguy  

46. “Order and simplification are the first steps toward the mastery of a subject.” — Thomas Mann

47. “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary, so that the necessary may speak.” — Hans Hofman

48. “People who pride themselves on their “complexity” and deride others for being “simplistic” should realize that the truth is often not very complicated. What gets complex is evading the truth.” — Thomas Sowell

49. “The greatest ideas are the simplest.” — William Golding

50. “Nature has a great simplicity and therefore a great beauty.” — Richard P. Feynman

51. “Simple things should be simple and complex things should be possible.” — Alan Kay

52. “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” — Coco Chanel

53. “Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity.” — Plato

54. “Elegance is achieved when all that is superfluous has been discarded and the human being discovers simplicity and concentration: the simpler and more sober the posture, the more beautiful it will be.” — Paulo Coelho

55. “It’s as simple as that. Simple and complicated, as most true things are.” — David Levithan

56. “Simplify always – do not complicate.” — Émile Coué

57. “Simplicity is often one of the greatest strengths.” — Erik Spoelstra

58. “Tis the gift to be simple, Tis the gift to be free…” — Joseph Brackett

59. “The core of beauty is simplicity.” — Paulo Coelho

60. “True refinement seeks simplicity.” — Bruce Lee

61. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” — Leonardo da Vinci

62. “There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.” — Leo Tolstoy

63. “Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.” — Edsger W. Dijkstra

64. “Nobility of spirit has more to do with simplicity than ostentation, wisdom rather than wealth, commitment rather than ambition.” — Riccardo Muti

65. “Simplicity is an exact medium between too little and too much.” — Sir Joshua Reynolds

66. “Simplicity is a most complex form.” — Duke Ellington

67. “Simplicity in character, in manners, in style; in all things the supreme excellence is simplicity.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

68. “I believe an appreciation for simplicity, the everyday – the ability to dive deeply into the banal and discover life’s hidden richness – is where success, let alone happiness, emerges.” — Joshua Waitzkin

69. “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” — E.F. Schumacher

70. “Children are born with their own optimism. They have a clarity and a simplicity that we can only wish for.” — Meshell Ndegeocello

71. “There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions.” — Dieter F. Uchtdorf

72. “Simplicity is always the secret, to a profound truth, to doing things, to writing, to painting. Life is profound in its simplicity.” — Charles Bukowski

73. “History as well as life itself is complicated — neither life nor history is an enterprise for those who seek simplicity and consistency.” — Jared Diamond

74. “The greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go.” — Steve Maraboli

75. “Simplicity, clarity, singleness: These are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy as they are also the marks of great art. They seem to be the purpose of God for his whole creation.” — Richard Holloway

76. “Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.” — Henry David Thoreau

77. “Simplicity is ultimately a matter of focus.” — Ann Voskamp

78. “Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great.“
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

79. “Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury – to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind.” — Albert Einstein

80. “Life is really simple, but we insist in making it complicated.” — Confucius

81. “It’s strange how the simple things in life go on while we become difficult.” — Richard Brautigan

82. “My encouragement: delete the energy vampires from your life, clean out all complexity, build a team around you that frees you to fly, remove anything toxic, and cherish simplicity. Because that’s where genius lives.” — Robin S. Sharma

83. “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

84. “Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens. If you have them, you have to take care of them! There is great freedom in simplicity of living. It is those who have enough but not too much who are the happiest.” — Peace Pilgrim

85. “My philosophy? Simplicity plus variety.” — Hank Stram

86. “There are times when wisdom cannot be found in the chambers of parliament or the halls of academia but at the unpretentious setting of the kitchen table.” — E.A. Bucchianeri

87. “Simplify your life. You don’t grow spiritual, you shrink spiritual.” — Steve Maraboli

88. “The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.” — Joshua Becker

89. “It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.” — Bruce Lee

90. “I feel that the simplicity of life is just being yourself.” — Bobby Brown

91. “Free yourself from the complexities of your life! A life of simplicity and happiness awaits you.” — Steve Maraboli

92. “Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity,reduce selfishness, have few desires.” ― Lao Tzu

93. “..things are never as complicated as they seem. It is only our arrogance that prompts us to find unnecessarily complicated answers to simple problems.” — Muhammad Yunus

94. “What a small thing it seems, to walk with the one you love. To look forward to a day with them. I marvel at the simplicity of this moment. And I thank the skies for the miracle of it.” — Sabaa Tahir

95. “Living simply makes loving simple.” — bell hooks

96. “Genuine simplicity of heart is a healing and cementing principle.” — Edmund Burke

97. “If we are to love sincerely, and with simplicity, we must first of all overcome the fear of not being loved.” — Thomas Merton

98. “Simplicities are enormously complex. Consider the sentence “I love you”.” — Richard O. Moore

99. “Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself.” — Henry David Thoreau

100. “Purity and simplicity are the two wings with which man soars above the earth and all temporary nature.” — Thomas a Kempis

101. “If you will stay close to nature, to its simplicity, to the small things hardly noticeable, those things can unexpectedly become great and immeasurable.” — Rainer Maria Rilke

102. “Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy.” — Isaac Newton

103. “Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes
– and more notes – it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.” — Frédéric Chopin

104. “Sometimes words are not needed, and the simplicity of expressing yourself through an art form is one of the best ways of communication.” — Emmanuel Jal

105. “Art is the elimination of the unnecessary.” — Pablo Picasso

106. “The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity.” — Walt Whitman

107. “Simplicity and repose are the qualities that measure the true value of any work of art.” — Frank Lloyd Wright

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