About Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and essayist known for his exploration of philosophical and spiritual themes. His works often reflect a deep contemplation of the self, personal growth, and the search for meaning in life. Hesse’s literary style blends elements of mysticism, symbolism, and psychological insight, making his writings timeless and universally resonant.
489 Powerful Hermann Hesse Quotes to Inspire You
Here are 489 Powerful quotes by Hermann Hesse on various topics to inspire you.
5. “I should not have had that fear of death when I wished for it all the same. The unhappiness that I need and long for is different. It is of the kind that will let me suffer with eagerness and lust after death. That is the unhappiness, or happiness, that I am waiting for.”
Hermann Hesse
Death, Desire, Happiness, Suffering, Longing, Existential Reflection
8. “Solitude is independence. It had been my wish and with the years I had attained it. It was cold. Oh, cold enough! But it was also still, wonderfully still and vast like the cold stillness of space in which the stars revolve.”
Hermann Hesse Solitude, Independence, Stillness, Peace, Vastness, Introspection
12. “Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal. You, O worthy one, are perhaps indeed a seeker, for in striving towards your goal, you do not see many things that are under your nose.”
Hermann Hesse Seeking, Freedom, Discovery, Awareness, Openness, Journey
14. “The Steppenwolf, however, first threw up his sharp, closely cropped head and sniffed around nervously before he either made any answer or announced his name. “Oh, it smells good here,” he said, and at that he smiled and my aunt smiled too.”
Hermann Hesse Curiosity, Character, Interaction, Perception, Lightness, Joy
16. “Siddhartha has one single goal-to become empty, to become empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure and sorrow-to let the Self die. No longer to be Self, to experience the peace of an emptied heart, to experience pure thought-that was his goal.”
Hermann Hesse Emptiness, Peace, Self, Detachment, Spiritual Goal, Transformation
17. “My lie has been miserable and difficult, and yet to others and sometimes to myself, it has seemed rich and wonderful. Man’s life seems to me like a long, weary night that would be intolerable if there were not occasionally flashes of light, the sudden brightness of which is so comforting and wonderful, that the moments of their appearance cancel out and justify the years of darkness.”
Hermann Hesse Lie, Life, Darkness, Light, Struggle, Perception
21. “Kamaswami conducted his business with care and often with passion, but Siddhartha looked upon all of this as if it was a game, the rules of which he tried hard to learn precisely, but the contents of which did not touch his heart.”
Hermann Hesse Business, Passion, Detachment, Game, Exploration, Authenticity
22. “Time is not real, Govinda, I have experienced this often and often again. And if time is not real, then the gap which seems to be between the world and the eternity, between suffering and blissfulness, between evil and good, is also a deception.”
Hermann Hesse Time, Reality, Existence, Perception, Duality, Illusion
25. “Look, my dear Govinda, this is one of my thoughts, which I have found: wisdom cannot be passed on. Wisdom which a wise man tries to pass on to someone always sounds like foolishness.” “Are you kidding?” asked Govinda. “I’m not kidding. I’m telling you what I’ve found. Knowledge can be conveyed, but not wisdom. It can be found, it can be lived, it is possible to be carried by it, miracles can be performed with it, but it cannot be expressed in words and taught.”
Hermann Hesse Wisdom, Knowledge, Experience, Communication, Understanding, Learning
27. “Man is a dubious mixture of mind and matter; since the mind unlocks recognition of the eternal to him, while matter pulls him down and binds him to the transitory, he should strive away from the senses and toward the mind if he wishes to elevate his life and give it meaning.”
Hermann Hesse Duality, Mind, Matter, Existence, Purpose, Spirituality
28. “Most men will not swim before they are able to.’ Is not that witty? Naturally, they won’t swim! They are born for the solid earth, not for the water. And naturally they won’t think. They are made for life, not for thought. Yes, and he who thinks, what’s more, he who makes thought his business, he may go far in it, but he has bartered the solid earth for the water all the same, and one day he will drown.”
Hermann Hesse Thought, Existence, Reality, Life, Philosophy, Risk
