50 Ernest Hemingway Quotes to Live By — Brutal & Beautiful

Introduction

Quotes have the power to cut through noise, change perspective, and ignite action. Ernest Hemingway’s brutal clarity and quiet tenderness make his lines perfect for moments when you need courage, a creative push, honest life wisdom, or simply a short, sharp reminder to keep going. Use these quotes for morning motivation, writing warm-ups, tough decision-making, or to steady yourself on hard days.

Motivational quotes

• "The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places."
• "Never confuse movement with action."
• "But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated."
• "The world is a fine place and worth fighting for and I hate very much to leave it."
• "The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them."

Inspirational quotes

• "Courage is grace under pressure."
• "There is no friend as loyal as a book."
• "When you stop doing things for fun you might as well die."
• "As you get older it is harder to have heroes, but it is sort of necessary."
• "You get ideas from daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored."

Life wisdom quotes

• "You can't get away from yourself by moving from one place to another."
• "Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know."
• "All things truly wicked start from innocence."
• "Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another."
• "There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self."

Writing & creativity quotes

• "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."
• "All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know."
• "Write drunk; edit sober."
• "The first draft of anything is shit."
• "We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master."

Courage & resilience quotes

• "When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen."
• "The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shockproof shit detector."
• "You are so brave and quiet I forget you are suffering."
• "Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime."
• "Never go on trips with anyone you do not love."

Daily inspiration & reflection

• "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."
• "The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice."
• "The first draft of anything is shit." (a reminder that beginnings don’t need to be perfect)
• "I drink to make other people more interesting."
• "How did you go bankrupt? Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly."

Conclusion

Hemingway’s sentences are lean but rich — they press on what matters and leave out the rest. Let these lines serve as sparks: read one in the morning, tuck one into your notebook, or repeat one during low points. Over time, the clarity of a quote can reshape your choices, steady your courage, and sharpen your daily work.