Duane Elgin Quotes

#1. If the material consumption of a fraction of humanity is already harming the planet, is there an alternative path that enables all of humanity to live more lightly upon the Earth while experiencing a higher quality of life?

Duane Elgin

#2. We live almost completely immersed in a socially constructed reality that so fully absorbs our energy and attention that virtually none remains to experience the wonder of our existence.

Duane Elgin

#3. Simplicity means to feel such a sense of kinship with others that we choose to live simply so that others may simply live.

Duane Elgin

#4. The character of a whole society is the cumulative result of countless small actions, day in and day out, of millions of persons.

Duane Elgin

#5. We are the leaders that we have been waiting for. We are the social innovators and entrepreneurs that we have been seeking.

Duane Elgin

#6. I consciously started to live simply when I started to become conscious.

Duane Elgin

#7. Only after people express their anger and sadness over the broken dreams of material prosperity will they turn to the task of building a sustainable economy.

Duane Elgin

#8. Compassion will no longer be seen as a spiritual luxury for a contemplative few; rather it will be viewed as a social necessity for the entire human family.

Duane Elgin

#9. Simplicity means taking charge of a life that is too busy, too stressed, and too fragmented. An uncluttered simplicity means cutting back on trivial distractions, both material and non-material, and focusing on the essentials - whatever those may be for each of our unique lives.

Duane Elgin

#10. I feel more voluntary about my pleasures and pains than the average American who has his needs dictated by Madison Avenue (my projections, of course). I feel sustained, excited, and constantly growing in my spiritual and intellectual pursuits.

Duane Elgin

#11. Living simply is not about living in poverty or self-inflicted deprivation. It's about living an examined life where one has determined what is truly important and enough ... and then just let go of all the rest.

Duane Elgin

#12. Simplicity means to choose ways of living that touch the Earth more lightly and that reduce our ecological footprint.

Duane Elgin

#13. Voluntary simplicity has more to do with the state of mind than a person's physical surroundings and possessions.

Duane Elgin

#14. In a world where nearly one billion people live near the edge of physical survival the relevance of intentional simplicity by the more affluent people of the world cannot be over estimated.

Duane Elgin

#15. It seems to me that inner growth is the whole moving force behind voluntary simplicity.

Duane Elgin

#16. To me, voluntary simplicity means integration and awareness in my life.

Duane Elgin

#17. As my spiritual growth expanded and developed, voluntary simplicity was a natural outgrowth. I came to realize the cost of material accumulation was too high and offered fewer and fewer real rewards, psychological and spiritual.

Duane Elgin

#18. Simplicity of living means meeting life face to face. It means confronting life clearly, without unnecessary distractions. It means being direct and honest in relationships of all kinds. It means taking life as it is.

Duane Elgin

#19. The essence of voluntary simplicity is living in a way what is outwardly simple and inwardly rich.

Duane Elgin

#20. To consciously evolve, we require clear vision of a compassionate future that draws out our enthusiastic participation in life.

Duane Elgin

#21. Poverty is mean and degrading to the human spirit, whereas a life of conscious simplicity can have both a beauty and a functional integrity that elevates the human spirit.

Duane Elgin

#22. The intention of this way of life [voluntary simplicity] is not to dogmatically live with less. It's a more demanding intention of living with balance. This is a middle way that moves between the extremes of poverty and indulgence.

Duane Elgin

#23. Simplicity of living, if deliberately chosen, implies a compassionate approach to life. It means that we are choosing to live our daily lives with some degree of conscious appreciation of the condition of the rest of the world.

Duane Elgin