“The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.”

Last update Sept. 29, 2023. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

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 Rilke photo
Rainer Maria Rilke 176
Austrian poet and writer 1875–1926

Related quotes

John McCain photo

“There is no greater vocation than to serve. But there is no greater purpose than to love. Live a life that does both, and you’ll be truly happy.”

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
2000s, 2008

Nicholas Sparks photo

“…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
2000s, The Lucky One (2008)

“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.

Orson Scott Card photo
John Hospers photo

“The greater the hold of government upon the life of the individual citizen, the greater the risk of war.”

John Hospers (1918–2011) American philosopher and politician

Source: Libertarianism: A Political Philosophy for Tomorrow, (1971), p. 411-412

Joseph Campbell photo

“The true purpose of the strong is to promote greater strength in the weak, and not to keep the weak in that state where they are at the mercy of the strong.”

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

Meher Baba photo

“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.

John McCain photo

Related topics