Calm, insightful and wise beyond their years, the Old Soul perceives the world with ancient eyes, feels the world with an ancient heart, and comprehends the world with an ancient soul.
Their inner solitude and increasing detachment from the transitory world is precisely what makes them great prophetic voices in the wilderness, and illuminating lanterns in the dark.
Most of us have met at least one Old Soul during our lifetimes. These are the enlightening people who teach us lessons, lead by example and exhibit unending patience and wisdom.
Some of us even feel old in soul, as we quietly tread our solitary paths, seeking for spiritual wholeness and fulfillment, while at the same time becoming increasingly distanced from the physical plane.
Today, in this article, I want to share with you a compilation of over 35 quotes from a variety of historical, and modern day Old Souls. My hopes are that their thoughts, captured in brief sentences throughout time, will stir up the most profound realizations within you, or at the very least, cause a spark of thought to erupt inside of you.
35+ Old Soul Quotes
Feel free to spread the word by sharing or re-tweeting.
In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on. ~ Robert Frost Tweet
Forever is composed of nows. ~ Emily Dickinson Tweet
Only as a warrior can one withstand the path of knowledge. A warrior cannot complain or regret anything. His life is an endless challenge, and challenges cannot possibly be good or bad. Challenges are simply challenges. ~ Carlos Castaneda
In order to create there must be a dynamic force, and what force is more potent than love? ~ Igor Stravinsky Tweet
I’m a believer in belief. Faith is something that works – it causes people to do things, it has results. It’s an intangible, indefinable, very real thing. And it moves people, sometimes to atrocity. And sometimes to survival. ~ Tommy Lee Jones
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time. ~ James Taylor Tweet
I have always been resistant to doctrine, and any spirituality I had experienced thus far in my life had been much more abstract and not aligned with any recognized religion. For me, the most trustworthy vehicle for spirituality had always proven to be music. It cannot be manipulated, or politicized, and when it is, that becomes immediately obvious. ~ Eric Clapton
The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time. ~ Mark Twain Tweet
Nothing is more intolerable than to have admit to yourself your own errors. ~ Ludwig van Beethoven Tweet
You are the sky. Everything else – it’s just the weather. ~ Pema Chödrön Tweet
Be curious, not judgmental. ~ Walt Whitman Tweet
Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. ~ Carl Jung
A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world: everyone you meet is your mirror. ~ Ken Keyes Tweet
Only when human beings are able to perceive and acknowledge the Self in each other can there be real peace. ~ Mata Amritanandamayi
The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions. ~ Leonardo da Vinci Tweet
All ideologies are idiotic, whether religious or political, for it is conceptual thinking, the conceptual word, which has so unfortunately divided man. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti
We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.” ~ Thích Nhất Hạnh Tweet
All bad qualities centre round the ego. When the ego is gone, Realisation results by itself. There are neither good nor bad qualities in the Self. The Self is free from all qualities. Qualities pertain to the mind only. ~ Ramana Maharshi
When the mind is full of worldly desires, it is their very nature to confuse the mind. Withdraw the mind from outer things and turn it inwards. ~ Anandamayi Ma
It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell. ~ Gautama Buddha
Do not be afraid of your difficulties. Do not wish you could be in other circumstances than you are. For when you have made the best of an adversity, it becomes the stepping stone to a splendid opportunity. ~ Helena Petrovna Blavatsky
I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers. ~ Kahlil Gibran
The more I see, the less I know for sure. ~ John Lennon Tweet
Taliban-esque: Any behavior that imposes the beliefs of one person on everyone else. Conversations with the Taliban-esque are impossible. They aren’t even conversations. With them, it’s my way or no way. ~ Whoopie Goldberg
What the mind doesn’t understand, it worships or fears. ~ Alice Walker Tweet
We always have to choose to live our lives to the fullest. No one is better or worse than anyone else. We are different and beautiful. ~ Mattie Stepanek
The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy, we can all sense a mysterious connection to each other. ~ Meryl Streep
If you want to see God, kill desires. Desires are in the mind. When you have a desire for something, don’t act on it and it will go away. If you desire to drink this cup of tea, don’t, and the desire for it will go away. ~ Neem Karoli Baba
Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them? ~ Abraham Lincoln Tweet
If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration. ~ Nikola Tesla Tweet
True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. ~ Socrates Tweet
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. ~ G.I. Gurdjieff
He has the most who is most content with the least. ~ Diogenes Tweet
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich. ~ Lao Tzu
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted. ~ Jesus of Nazareth Tweet
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. ~ Mahatma Gandhi Tweet
Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself in your way of thinking. ~ Marcus Aurelius Tweet
If you have any favourite quotes of your own to share, please feel free to include them below!
Old Soul Book
If you feel old in mind and old in heart, you may like to read more about this experience in my book: “Old Souls: The Sages and Mystics of Our World”. It’s available on Amazon, Goodreads and Smashwords.
One more profound Old Soul quote:
“The ultimate act of courage is to sacrifice for what you believe.”
-John Rohman
I once told my doctor ” I want to be normal” and he replied ” why normal, normal is average do you want to be average” from that day I accepted that I was an old soul and it was not a bad thing. Websites and articles are so important to bring awareness to those old souls who do not know why they are so different.thank you
thank you for the quotes
some of them speak about how desires poison the mind
well, if you recognize your mission calling isn’t it natural to have desires to achieve a goal?
The differences between villains in stories and those in real life is that the real villains hide in plain sight.
I love that quote — very true!
Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you’ll be criticized anyway. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Thank you for the share Erika :).
You’re welcome Aletheia, probably the quote that I can relate to the most :)
I have been going through most of my life struggling to discover why I just didn’t click with my peers, feeling like an outcast but at times enjoying that feeling of being alone but not lonely. I have been struggling lately with understanding myself, so I must thank you both for this site that has been answering many questions I have had and giving me a better understanding of me and how I fit in existence. Thank you.
It is wonderful to hear that you are benefiting out of the articles and tests from Sol and I, Chris. We are all lost at some point or another in our lives, and to rediscover that path of meaning helps us to find our wholeness. Looking forward to hearing more from you in the future!
I’m enjoying your website, what you have to say is interesting and you are well spoken.
Do you have any thoughts on how to stop the horror going on currently in the Middle East?
Thank you for your compliments Ellen.
For any horror or destruction to cease people must be willing to change the roots of the problem, not the symptoms. People must be willing to go inside themselves, to cultivate peace within through the practice of paths such as Involution. The more aware one is of oneself, the more accepting the more understanding, the more they will be of other people as well. This is what the old adage “you shall love your neighbour as yourself” means; without love for yourself (which includes elements such as forgiveness, acceptance, compassion), it will be impossible to do likewise for others.
I hope this makes sense.
Thank you for commenting :),
-Luna
So being an old soul means to acting mature and wisely…
No doubt, these quotes are written by geniuses.
One of my favourite quotes:
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
Hi Istavan. Thank you for sharing your favourite quote. :)
Sort of. An Old Soul is really a feeling one experiences inside, of being much older than ones age reflects. For instance, although a person could be merely 26 years of age, inside they feel as though their perceptions and world views align more with that of a 66 year olds.
Well not surprised that I am an old soul; mom always said I was to mature for my own good. To top off the proverbial sh** storm of my life I’m also an ambivert; and I’m pretty sure I married a teenage soul with a strong introvert personality.
Parents are usually the first to realize (perhaps not in the case of my own though). Thank you for reading Beth. I hope some of these quotes brightened your day.