Edith Wharton was an American novelist, short story writer, and designer. She was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1921 for her novel “The Age of Innocence.” Wharton’s writing often explored the themes of social class, gender roles, and the pressures of societal expectations. Her works continue to be celebrated for their keen observations and insightful commentary on the human condition. In this article, we have compiled a collection of Edith Wharton quotes that showcase her unique perspective on life, love, and society.
Read these Edith Wharton quotes
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”
“True originality consists not in a new manner but in a new vision.”
“Habit is necessary; it is the habit of having habits, of turning a trail into a rut, that must be incessantly fought against if one is to remain alive.”
“Silence may be golden, but can you think of a better way to entertain someone than to listen to him?”
“Beware of monotony; it’s the mother of all the deadly sins.”
“Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered through personal experience does not become a part of the moral tissue.”
“The only way not to think about money is to have a great deal of it.”
“There are two ways of being happy: We must either diminish our wants or augment our means—either may do—the result is the same and it is for each man to decide for himself and to do that which happens to be easier.”
“There is one friend in the life of each of us who seems not a separate person, however dear and beloved, but an expansion, an interpretation, of one’s self, the very meaning of one’s soul.”
“Life is always a tightrope or a feather bed. Give me the tightrope.”
“What is more important in a library than anything else—than everything else—is the fact that it exists.”
“If only we’d stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time.”
“There are lots of ways of being miserable, but there’s only one way of being comfortable, and that is to stop running round after happiness. If you make up your mind not to be happy there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have a fairly good time.”
“If we’d only stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time.”
“There is no such thing as old age, there is only sorrow.”
“The real loneliness is living among all these kind people who only ask one to pretend!”
“There are moments when a man’s imagination, so easily subdued to what it lives in, suddenly rises above its daily level and surveys the long windings of destiny.”
“I don’t know if I should care for a man who made life easy; I should want someone who made it interesting.”
“Life is always either a tightrope or a feather bed. Give me the tightrope.”
“The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to.”
“I have sometimes thought that a woman’s nature is like a great house full of rooms: there is the hall, through which everyone passes in going in and out; the drawing-room, where one receives formal visits; the sitting-room, where the members of the family come and go as they list; but beyond that, far beyond, are other rooms, the handles of whose doors perhaps are never turned; no one knows the way to them, no one knows whither they lead; and in the innermost room, the holy of holies, the soul sits alone and waits for a footstep that never comes.”
These Edith Wharton quotes offer a glimpse into the brilliance and depth of her writing. Whether it’s her thoughts on happiness, life’s challenges, or the complexities of human relationships, Wharton’s words continue to resonate with readers today. Her keen observations and sharp wit have made her a timeless voice in literature.
