35 Gurdjieff Quotes From The Famous Philosopher To Inspire You
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George Ivanovich Gurdjieff was a Russian philosopher.
Gurdjieff was among the first to popularise the term ‘consciousness’, to talk about a faculty more profound than either thinking, perception or emotion. You can use these quotations by G. I. Gurdjieff to understand a lot about the self and life.
Our list of best Gurdjieff quotes are sure to help you find some answers. We've rounded up the famous philosopher’s quotes from books, articles and several other works of his to give you the best collection.
For more inspiration, you can also check out these busy quotes and clear mind quotes.
Quotes About Awakening
There are some really amazing quotes by Gurdjeiff that you must read. If you are looking for Gurdjieff quotes on the soul, Gurdjieff quotes on joy, Gurdjieff quotes on awakening, or Gurdjieff quotes meetings with remarkable men, we have you covered. Read on for some great G.I. Gurdjieff quotes.
1. “Awakening begins when a man realizes that he is going nowhere and does not know where to go.”
- George Gurdjieff.
2. “Awakening is possible only for those who seek it and want it, for those who are ready to struggle with themselves and work on themselves for a very long time and very persistently in order to attain it.”
- George Gurdjieff.
3. “In order to awaken, first of all one must realize that one is in a state of sleep.”
- George Gurdjieff.
4. “It is only by grounding our awareness in the living sensation of our bodies that the ‘I Am,’ our real presence, can awaken.”
- George Gurdjieff.
5. “A man may be born, but in order to be born he must first die, and in order to die he must first awake.”
- George Gurdjieff.
6. “The degree of consciousness corresponds to the degree of density or the speed of vibrations. The denser the matter, the less conscious it is.”
- George Gurdjieff.
Quotes About Laws
Gurdjieff has some quotes and sayings about laws that will inspire you and will also help you to acquire new information. You need to be open to his ideas though.
Besides quotes on law, if you are looking for Gurdjieff quotes on paying for knowledge, Gurdjieff quotes on process, Gurdjieff quotes on self remembering, Gurdjieff quotes on movement or even Gurdjieff quotes on trust, read on.
7. “If you help others, you will be helped, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps in one hundred years, but you will be helped.”
- George Gurdjieff.
8. “There is a cosmic law which says that every satisfaction must be paid for with a dissatisfaction.”
- George Gurdjieff.
Quotes About Learning
Gurdjieff argued that through proper guidance and “education”, a person can escape the loop of subjectivity, and grow to look at the world more openly and clearly, to perceive it as a whole.
Through his teachings, he even gave a disparate meaning to various ancient texts such as the Bible and many religious prayers. He also talked about how a man can attain knowledge and understanding of the world.
These are a few quotes about learning that talk about how he saw these concepts and the ways he believed, led to them.
9. “A man can only attain knowledge with the help of those who possess it. This must be understood from the very beginning. One must learn from him who knows.”
- George Gurdjieff.
10. “The slavery in which mankind lives is based upon this fear.”
- George Gurdjieff.
11. “Only understanding can lead to being, whereas knowledge is but a passing presence in it.”
- George Gurdjieff.
12. “If there are phenomena, the reality of which we cannot deny but which cannot be fitted into our accepted conceptual framework, then something is wrong with that framework and we must look for another.”
- George Gurdjieff.
13. “Our thinking machine possesses the capacity to be convinced of anything you like, provided it is repeatedly and persistently influenced in the required direction.”
- George Gurdjieff.
14. “You are in prison. If you wish to get out of prison, the first thing you must do is realize that you are in prison. If you think you are free, you can't escape.”
- George Gurdjieff.
15. “A man is never the same for long. He is continually changing. He seldom remains the same even for half an hour.”
- George Gurdjieff.
16. “Try to understand what I am saying: everything is dependent on everything else, everything is connected, nothing is separate.”
- George Gurdjieff.
17. “Only conscious suffering has any sense.”
- George Gurdjieff.
18. “A "sin" is something which is not necessary.”
- George Gurdjieff.
Quotes About Self
These quotes about self give you a glimpse of what lies within us. Pick your favorite! You can also check out Gurdjieff quotes on birthdays, Gurdjieff quotes on love, and Gurdjieff quotes about the moon.
19. “There are two struggles: an Inner-world struggle and an Outer-world struggle...you must make an intentional contact between these two worlds; then you can crystallize data for the Third World, the World of the Soul.”
- George Gurdjieff.
20. “Self-observation brings man to the realization of the necessity of self-change.”
- George Gurdjieff.
21. “Remember you come here having already understood the necessity of struggling with yourself — only with yourself. Therefore thank everyone who gives you the opportunity.”
- George Gurdjieff.
22. “The energy spent on active inner work is then and there transformed into a fresh supply, but that spent on passive work is lost forever.”
- George Gurdjieff.
23. “Without self-knowledge, without understanding the working and functions of his machine, man cannot be free, he cannot govern himself and he will always remain a slave."
- George Gurdjieff.
Quotes About Emotions
These are a few quotes about emotions that include love and hope. Tell us which one did you find the best!
24. “Real love is a cosmic force which goes through us.”
- George Gurdjieff.
25. “Faith of consciousness is freedom. Faith of feeling is weakness. Faith of body is stupidity.”
- George Gurdjieff.
26. “Conscious love evokes the same in response. Emotional love evokes the opposite.”
- George Gurdjieff.
27. “Emotional faith is slavery. Mechanical faith is foolishness.”
- George Gurdjieff.
28. “Hope of consciousness is strength.”
- George Gurdjieff.
29. “Laughter relieves us of superfluous energy, which, if it remained unused, might become negative, that is, poison.”
- George Gurdjieff.
Quotes About Experience
These are some quotes about experience that will teach you the importance of trying and hopefully motivate you to never give up!
30. “Man is given a limited quantity of experiences; being economical with them lengthens his life.”
- George Gurdjieff.
31. “The highest that a man can attain is to be able to do.”
- George Gurdjieff.
32. “He who has got rid of the disease ‘Tomorrow’ has the possibility to attain what he is here for.”
- George Gurdjieff.
33. “The evolution of man is the evolution of his consciousness."
- George Gurdjieff.
34. “It is impossible to recognize a wrong way without knowing the right way.”
- George Gurdjieff.
35. “Without struggle, no progress and no result.”
- George Gurdjieff.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you like our suggestions for Gurdjieff quotes by the famous philosopher and want to find more philosophical quotes, then why not take a look at these blue sky quotes, or brain quotes.
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Bachelor of Science specializing in Human Anatomy
Joan AgieBachelor of Science specializing in Human Anatomy
With 3+ years of research and content writing experience across several niches, especially on education, technology, and business topics. Joan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Anatomy from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, and has worked as a researcher and writer for organizations across Nigeria, the US, the UK, and Germany. Joan enjoys meditation, watching movies, and learning new languages in her free time.
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