Welcome to a collection of profound insights and thought-provoking musings from one of the most revered literary figures of the 20th century, Iris Murdoch. Renowned for her philosophical depth and captivating storytelling, Murdoch’s words resonate with a timeless wisdom that transcends the boundaries of literature and philosophy. As a novelist, philosopher, and playwright, she delved into the complexities of human nature, morality, and the intricacies of relationships with an unparalleled acuity and sensitivity.
Throughout her prolific career, Iris Murdoch produced a wealth of compelling works that continue to captivate readers worldwide. Her keen observations on love, truth, and the human condition offer a glimpse into the depths of her philosophical inquiry, inviting readers to contemplate the mysteries of existence and the pursuit of meaning. Whether exploring the complexities of morality or the nuances of interpersonal relationships, Murdoch’s words possess a rare clarity and profundity that leave an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of those who encounter them.
Below, you’ll find a selection of Iris Murdoch’s most poignant and illuminating quotes, each offering a glimpse into her profound understanding of the human psyche and the existential dilemmas that confront us all.
In almost every marriage there is a selfish and an unselfish partner. A pattern is set up and soon becomes inflexible, of one person always making the demands and one person always giving way. Iris Murdoch
Philosophy! Empty thinking by ignorant conceited men who think they can digest without eating! Iris Murdoch
Perhaps misguided moral passion is better than confused indifference. Iris Murdoch
Love is the difficult realization that something other than oneself is real. Iris Murdoch
Happiness is a matter of one’s most ordinary and everyday mode of consciousness being busy and lively and unconcerned with self. Iris Murdoch
I see myself as Rhoda, not Mary Tyler Moore. Iris Murdoch
Writing is like getting married. One should never commit oneself until one is amazed at one’s luck. Iris Murdoch
Human affairs are not serious, but they have to be taken seriously. Iris Murdoch
We shall be better prepared for the future if we see how terrible, how doomed the present is. Iris Murdoch
I daresay anything can be made holy by being sincerely worshipped. Iris Murdoch
All art is a struggle to be, in a particular sort of way, virtuous. Iris Murdoch
Falling out of love is chiefly a matter of forgetting how charming someone is. Iris Murdoch
A bad review is even less important than whether it is raining in Patagonia. Iris Murdoch
Falling out of love is very enlightening. For a short while you see the world with new eyes. Iris Murdoch
People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us. Iris Murdoch
The absolute yearning of one human body for another particular body and its indifference to substitutes is one of life’s major mysteries. Iris Murdoch
We can only learn to love by loving. Iris Murdoch
Between saying and doing, many a pair of shoes is worn out. Iris Murdoch
Perhaps when distant people on other planets pick up some wavelength of ours all they hear is a continuous scream. Iris Murdoch
Being good is just a matter of temperament in the end. Iris Murdoch
Only lies and evil come from letting people off. Iris Murdoch
Literature could be said to be a sort of disciplined technique for arousing certain emotions. Iris Murdoch
One doesn’t have to get anywhere in a marriage. It’s not a public conveyance. Iris Murdoch
There is no substitute for the comfort supplied by the utterly taken-for-granted relationship. Iris Murdoch
He was a sociologist; he had got into an intellectual muddle early on in life and never managed to get out. Iris Murdoch
The cry of equality pulls everyone down. Iris Murdoch
No love is entirely without worth, even when the frivolous calls to the frivolous and the base to the base. Iris Murdoch
The priesthood is a marriage. People often start by falling in love, and they go on for years without realizing that love must change into some other love which is so unlike it that it can hardly be recognized as love at all. Iris Murdoch
We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality. Iris Murdoch
Anything that consoles is fake. Iris Murdoch
Art is the final cunning of the human soul which would rather do anything than face the gods. Iris Murdoch
I think being a woman is like being Irish. Everyone says you’re important and nice, but you take second place all the same. Iris Murdoch
Every man needs two women: a quiet home-maker, and a thrilling nymph. Iris Murdoch
In philosophy if you aren’t moving at a snail’s pace you aren’t moving at all. Iris Murdoch
The notion that one will not survive a particular catastrophe is, in general terms, a comfort since it is equivalent to abolishing the catastrophe. Iris Murdoch
Moralistic is not moral. And as for truth – well, it’s like brown – it’s not in the spectrum. Truth is so generic. Iris Murdoch
