Ernest Hemingway, one of the most influential American writers of the 20th century, is known for his distinctive writing style, characterized by economy of words and a deep understanding of human nature. His works, including The Old Man and the Sea, A Farewell to Arms, and For Whom the Bell Tolls, continue to shape modern literature. Hemingway’s quotes reflect his tough, yet tender, outlook on life, love, war, and human perseverance. Below are 25 of the best Ernest Hemingway quotes, accompanied by reflections on their meaning and significance.
1. “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”
This quote from A Moveable Feast speaks to Hemingway’s belief in the power of literature. For him, books provided a kind of companionship that was unwavering and constant. Unlike human relationships, books, once read, remain as loyal companions, offering wisdom, adventure, and solace at any time. This idea reflects Hemingway’s personal affinity for literature as a source of comfort and intellectual engagement, especially during his more solitary times.
2. “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.”
From A Farewell to Arms, this quote encapsulates Hemingway’s view of the inevitability of hardship in life. In his stories, characters often face great suffering, but it is through their suffering that they find resilience and strength. This resilience is often what makes them truly human, as they adapt and endure despite the pain. Hemingway’s own life, filled with personal struggles and tragedies, often echoed this sentiment.
3. “Courage is grace under pressure.”
This quote is often associated with Hemingway’s ideal of the stoic, heroic individual. For Hemingway, true courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to maintain composure and act honorably in the face of adversity. Whether in war or in personal trials, grace under pressure was the measure of a person’s strength. This notion is evident in his characters, who often display immense poise despite difficult circumstances.
4. “Write drunk; edit sober.”
This often-quoted piece of advice is attributed to Hemingway, though its origins are debated. The quote suggests that writing should flow freely, without self-censorship, in the first draft. The editing process, however, is where clarity, structure, and precision are achieved. Hemingway himself was known for his brevity and economy of words, and this quote reflects his belief in the creative process as one of uninhibited expression followed by disciplined revision.
5. “But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
In The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway presents the character of Santiago, an old fisherman who battles a giant marlin. Despite his physical and mental exhaustion, Santiago refuses to accept defeat. This quote speaks to the enduring human spirit and the idea that defeat, while inevitable in some cases, does not define a person. Even in the face of overwhelming odds, the will to continue is what separates humanity from despair.
6. “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.”
Hemingway’s belief in truthfulness in writing is central to his craft. He urged writers to distill their thoughts into simple, clear, and honest statements. This emphasis on truthfulness reflects his view that writing should not be embellished or exaggerated but should reflect the world as it is. His minimalist style, often referred to as the “Iceberg Theory,” was based on the idea that much of the meaning in a story should lie beneath the surface, conveyed subtly through simple yet powerful sentences.
7. “The first draft of anything is shit.”
Hemingway’s bluntness in this quote is a reflection of his practical approach to writing. He recognized that the initial phase of creation is often messy and imperfect. However, he also understood that this was part of the process of honing a piece of writing. Hemingway’s success as a writer was built on his dedication to rewriting and refining his work until it was as sharp and precise as possible.
8. “We are all broken, that’s how the light gets in.”
Though often misattributed to Hemingway, this quote resonates with his themes of human vulnerability and redemption. It suggests that through our imperfections and suffering, we allow space for growth, understanding, and light. Hemingway’s characters frequently face personal crises that lead to profound self-awareness, a process akin to the “light getting in.”
9. “Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”
In this quote, Hemingway reflects on the complexities of the human condition. He believed that intellectual people, burdened with the awareness of the world’s flaws and injustices, often found it difficult to experience lasting happiness. This theme appears throughout his works, where characters who are perceptive or introspective often struggle with existential questions, making peace with their circumstances elusive.
10. “Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.”
Hemingway, a World War I ambulance driver and a journalist covering the Spanish Civil War and World War II, had a deep understanding of the horrors of war. In his writings, such as A Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls, he depicted war’s brutal impact on both soldiers and civilians. This quote emphasizes his belief that war, despite any noble causes, is inherently destructive and criminal.
11. “You can wipe out a man, but you can’t wipe out a man’s ideas.”
This quote from For Whom the Bell Tolls touches on the indestructible nature of ideas. Hemingway believed that while individuals may be physically destroyed, their thoughts and philosophies continue to live on, influencing future generations. The resilience of ideas is a central theme in his work, where characters often wrestle with personal and political ideologies that persist even after their physical defeat.
12. “A man’s got to take a lot of punishment to write a really funny book.”
This self-reflective quote reveals Hemingway’s recognition that great art often comes from personal struggle and hardship. The creation of a “funny” or light-hearted work, he suggests, requires a deep understanding of human suffering. Hemingway’s own life was filled with personal pain, yet it is also marked by moments of dark humor, especially in his later works.
13. “The only thing that can spoil a day is people.”
Hemingway, known for his solitary nature, valued time alone in order to write and reflect. This quote reflects his preference for solitude, away from the interruptions and distractions of other people. Though he had numerous close relationships, Hemingway often found peace and clarity when left to his own devices, where he could focus solely on his writing.
14. “I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?”
This humorous, somewhat self-deprecating quote reveals Hemingway’s awareness of the chaotic nature of life. Though it is delivered in a light-hearted tone, it also touches on the inevitability of personal challenges. Hemingway, known for his tough exterior, often confronted the chaos of the world head-on, but he also sought refuge in sleep, where he could escape life’s troubles for a time.
15. “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”
This sentiment, echoed in A Moveable Feast, reflects Hemingway’s lifelong devotion to literature. Books, for him, were not just a source of intellectual engagement but also loyal companions through the highs and lows of life. This quote also highlights the enduring nature of literature, which remains by a person’s side through thick and thin.
16. “In order to write about life first you must live it.”
Hemingway believed that personal experience was essential to creating authentic art. His novels and short stories often draw from his own life, from his time as a soldier in World War I to his years as a journalist and expatriate in Paris. This quote underscores the importance of living fully and experiencing life before attempting to capture its essence in words.
17. “When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
This quote reflects Hemingway’s belief in the importance of genuine communication. He believed that truly listening to others is a rare skill, and one that leads to deeper understanding. As a writer, Hemingway was keenly observant, and his characters often demonstrate a profound ability to listen, which allows them to navigate their complex emotional worlds.
18. “I drink to make other people more interesting.”
Hemingway, known for his love of drinking, often used alcohol as a way to engage more deeply with others. This quote reveals his belief that social interactions, sometimes inhibited by shyness or awkwardness, could be enhanced through alcohol. However, beneath the humor lies a deeper commentary on the human need for connection and the ways in which people seek to overcome their insecurities.
19. “The only thing that counts in writing is the writing.”
Hemingway’s commitment to the craft of writing is evident in this quote. For him, the end product was all that mattered. This belief drove him to hone his writing to its most essential form, stripping away unnecessary words and focusing on the emotional core of the story. His minimalist style became one of the hallmarks of his work, influencing generations of writers.
20. “Never confuse movement with action.”
Hemingway was a master of precision, both in his writing and his outlook on life. This quote suggests that simply being busy or moving is not the same as making meaningful progress. For Hemingway, true action involved deliberate effort and intention, not just activity for the sake of activity.
21. “I don’t like to sleep. I’m not tired.”
In this quote, Hemingway reflects his intense desire to be constantly engaged with life. His refusal to sleep, a necessary but often unwelcome escape, indicates his preference for living life fully, even in the face of exhaustion. Hemingway’s life was marked by his desire to experience as much as possible, whether through travel, relationships, or his personal struggles. His refusal to succumb to sleep shows his deep commitment to engaging with the world around him, unwilling to miss any of it.
22. “I can’t stand it to think my life is going so fast and I’m not really living it.”
This quote reflects Hemingway’s existential frustration with the passage of time. For him, life was meant to be lived with intensity, and anything less was a waste. Hemingway often grappled with the tension between his deep introspection and his need for external experiences. This quote is a reflection of his constant yearning to be fully present, not just passively existing, but actively living.
23. “You see, it is impossible to write the truth, because you must not say things that are, or that may be, too true, especially when the truth is shameful or ugly.”
Hemingway recognized that there was a fine line between truth and art. While truth is essential, some realities are too painful or brutal to express directly, and often the writer must navigate this complexity. His own writing often conveyed profound truths about the human condition, yet through a lens of indirectness, symbol, or suggestion, allowing the harshness of life to be felt without being fully revealed.
24. “The world is a fine place and worth fighting for, and I hate very much to leave it.”
This quote, from Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, encapsulates his conflicted feelings about life. On one hand, he saw the world as a place of immense beauty and value, but on the other, he was deeply disillusioned by its brutality and the suffering he witnessed. The quote reflects Hemingway’s ambivalence—his love for the world tempered by the recognition of its flaws.
25. “The shortest answer is doing.”
Hemingway was known for his concise, action-oriented writing, and this quote highlights his belief in the power of action over words. For him, deeds spoke louder than words ever could. This approach is reflected in his characters, who often take decisive action, even in the face of uncertainty, rather than engaging in long-winded explanations or hesitations. Hemingway himself was a man of action, frequently engaging in physically demanding pursuits like fishing, bullfighting, and hunting.
Conclusion
Ernest Hemingway’s quotes encapsulate the core of his philosophy and literary legacy. His thoughts on writing, life, and human nature reveal a man who lived intensely and sought to capture the essence of the human experience in its rawest form. Hemingway’s works continue to resonate because of their authenticity, their exploration of pain and joy, and their minimalist yet profound approach to storytelling. Through his characters and words, Hemingway invites us to live fully, love deeply, and find strength in the face of adversity. His quotes are not only reflections of his thoughts but also blueprints for understanding life’s complexities, urging us to live with purpose, grace, and, most importantly, courage.