Searching for the best Hemingway quotes to inspire bold living and fearless adventure? Ernest Hemingway’s words are legendary for their courage and wisdom, encouraging us to face life with grit and authenticity. In this curated collection, you’ll find the best Hemingway quotes that celebrate risk-taking, resilience, and the pursuit of meaning. Whether you seek guidance through challenges or simply appreciate his iconic style, let Hemingway’s timeless reflections empower you to live with greater depth and passion.
On Courage
“Courage is grace under pressure.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“Never confuse movement with action.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“It’s silly not to hope.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“The first and final thing you have to do in this world is to last it and not be smashed by it.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“You are so brave and quiet I forget you are suffering.”
— Ernest Hemingway
On Adventure
“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“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.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“There is no friend as loyal as a book.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“The sun also rises.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“The fun of talk is to explore.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“The only thing that could spoil a day was people.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“All I must do now was stay sound and good in my head until morning.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“All thinking men are atheists.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“Travel broadens the mind. If you stay at home, you mind only your business.”
— Ernest Hemingway
On Passion
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“Write hard and clear about what hurts.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?”
— Ernest Hemingway
“Never to go on trips with anyone you do not love.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“We’re stronger in the places that we’ve been broken.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“Live the full life of the mind, exhilarated by new ideas, intoxicated by the Romance of the unusual.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shockproof shit detector.”
— Ernest Hemingway
On Wisdom
“An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“All things truly wicked start from innocence.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“The shortest answer is doing the thing.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“As a writer, you should not judge, you should understand.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you criticize, wait. Before you quit, try.”
— Anonymous
“Never mistake motion for action.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“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.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“The world is a fine place and worth the fighting for.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
— Ernest Hemingway
On Living Boldly
“Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with that there is.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly: sometimes it’s like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“I drink to make other people more interesting.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“In order to write about life first you must live it.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“Write drunk, edit sober.”
— Anonymous
“But man is not made for defeat.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit at a typewriter and bleed.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.”
— Ernest Hemingway
We hope these best Hemingway quotes have sparked new boldness and perspective in your life. Ernest Hemingway’s sharp insight and fearless way of living remind us to savor courage, honesty, and adventure every day. Keep these quotes close whenever you need a dose of inspiration or a nudge to step outside your comfort zone. Share your favorite Hemingway wisdom with friends, and let his enduring words guide you toward richer, more daring experiences.
About Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway was an American novelist, short story writer, and journalist whose influence on twentieth-century literature is immense. Known for his economical prose and unflinching exploration of themes like courage, resilience, and the meaning of life, Hemingway’s works include classics such as “The Old Man and the Sea,” “A Farewell to Arms,” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Beyond his acclaimed novels, his real-life adventures and bold personality shaped his worldview and writing style. Hemingway’s presence still resonates today, inspiring readers to live with authenticity, face challenges head-on, and seek meaning in both triumph and struggle. His legacy continues through the simplicity and honesty of his words, encouraging each of us to embrace life wholeheartedly.
