John McCain (1936–2018) politician from the United States
Letter of advice to British diplomat Tom Fletcher's son. https://twitter.com/TFletcher/status/1033597850729570304 <br class="br">2000s, 2008
“The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.”
Last update Oct. 4, 2025. History
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Do you have more details about the quote "The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things." by Rainer Maria Rilke?
Rainer Maria Rilke176
Austrian poet and writer 1875–1926Related quotes
“…There is a greater purpose to all this. It is your destiny.”
Nicholas Sparks (1965) American writer and novelist
Victor, Chapter 13, Thibault, p. 146
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“Defeating the infidels requires a much greater effort. It requires the mobilization of the nation.”
Muhammad Al-Munajjid (1960) lecturer
Source: http://www.memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=36 The big explosion will come] April 2004.
John Hospers (1918–2011) American philosopher and politician
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Christian D. Larson (1874–1962) Prolific author of metaphysical and New Thought books
Source: Your Forces and How to Use Them (1912), Chapter 14, p. 210
“There is no greater romance in life than this adventure in realization.”
Meher Baba (1894–1969) Indian mystic
Message at Pickfair, Beverly Hills, California (1 June 1932), as quoted in Life Is A Jest (1974) edited by A. K. Hajra <!-- or 6 January? 1932 Me p100-101 -->
General sources
Context: Life becomes meaningful and all activities are purposeful only on the basis of faith in the enduring reality. … The greatest romance possible in life is to discover this Eternal Reality in the midst of infinite change. Once, one has experienced this, one sees oneself in everything that lives, one recognises all of life as his life, everybody's interests as his own. One is no longer bound by habits of the past, no longer swayed by the hopes of the future — One lives in and enjoys each present moment to the full. There is no greater romance in life than this adventure in realization.