Written by the aviator Antoine de Saint- Exupéry, The Little Prince has become one of the best-selling and most translated books ever published. It’s been adapted for radio, stage plays, film, television, opera, and ballet.
The story follows a pilot who crash lands into the Sahara desert. While fixing up his plane, he meets “the little prince,” who was born in an asteroid and visits many planets throughout space.
The Little Prince Quotes
Exploring themes of loneliness, love, loss, and friendship, The Little Prince is more than a novella—it’s a reflection on life and humanity’s ever-changing nature, presented through captivating and loveable characters.
Check out some of the best quotes the book has to offer:
“It is much more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself rightly, then you are indeed a man of true wisdom.”
We don’t like judging ourselves, because it forces us to acknowledge our shortcomings, failures, and mistakes. These are things we naturally feel like hiding or forgetting. But if you want to grow, then you need to confront these things and use them as your building blocks for improvement.
“All grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it.”
The magic of childhood fades away as we grow older. We get so preoccupied with our adult duties that we forget about the things we did and dreamed of when we were kids.
Childhood is where you can find the foundations of your goals and aspirations. Forgetting those means losing the fuel that can help you become who you want to be.
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
Material wealth can be a worthwhile goal, but what mainly fuels us as a species is our reliance on our relationships. Love, in all its expressions, is how we survive. A person without friends, a significant other, or family can lead a lonely and unsatisfied existence.
“I am who I am and I have the need to be.”
We associate ourselves with the labels society gives us—our race, sex, age, etc. But that’s merely what we are; who we are is our morals, beliefs, and decisions in life, not what society dictates.
“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”
There is inherent potential in everything— a way to make the ordinary extraordinary. But to see it, you have to be open to the possibility of such potential. The right mindset can do wonders for you and those around you.
Are you missing out on the cathedral you could build, simply because you can’t get past seeing the pile of rocks as rocks?
“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”
What often makes something or someone important is the time we spend with it or them. Time spent is an investment; you give the objects of your attention meaning, significance, and importance by giving it your precious, finite time. In return, you gain valuable experiences and memories.
“To forget a friend is sad. Not everyone has had a friend.”
Friends are precious and rare. To have someone you can confide in, rely on, and share experiences with is a luxury that a lot of people take for granted. When you’ve got a friend, the world seems less lonely. Losing that friendship means facing challenges without support and encouragement.
“No one is ever satisfied where he is.”
A lot of people wander through life, looking for satisfaction. We’re often blinded by our ambitions, making us lose sight of what’s important, which can often be something we’ve already achieved. We push ourselves more, sacrificing what we think trivial, only to regret in hindsight.
“But the conceited man did not hear him. Conceited people never hear anything but praise.”
There comes a point where confidence becomes egotistical, where the only things we believe in are the positive things said about us. We become deaf to our shortcomings and mistakes, which can lead us to stunt our own growth as human beings.
The Little Prince: Where are the people? It’s a little lonely in the desert…
The Snake: It is lonely when you’re among people, too.
People can be lonely even amidst a crowd. When we can’t establish a working relationship with others, it alienates us. Without that connection, other people can’t properly understand what we’re thinking and experiencing. We have no one to share our dreams, worries, emotions, and problems with.
“Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.”
There’s a large gulf between an adult’s thought process and a child’s. What can often be considered wise by one is considered silly by the other. The difference in perspectives and experiences leads to how each one goes about living their lives.
“It is such a secret place, the land of tears.”
Emotions are a complex thing. A person crying cannot be easily understood. People can cry in either grief or happiness. Many of us find it hard to relate why we’re crying, and others often find it hard to understand our reasons.
Why Is The Little Prince So Popular?
It’s been almost a century since The Little Prince was first published, but it’s still widely popular across the globe.
A reason for it could be the story’s sheer versatility. Many understand it as a simple science-fiction fantasy story while others believe it as a treasure chest of life lessons.
But what makes it relevant and fresh is how it asks the fundamental questions about our existence, and how the answers that Saint-Exupéry arrives at are never based on religious or political ideologies, which makes it accessible and relatable to all.
Have you read The Little Prince? Share your reading experience on the comments below!
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Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
