W. Somerset Maugham Quotes
Born: January 25, 1874
W. Somerset Maugham, a master storyteller and one of the most astute observers of human nature, carved his legacy from the raw clay of ambition and consequence. Though celebrated as a novelist and playwright, his true genius lay in distilling life’s hardest truths into piercing, actionable wisdom. Maugham believed that action was the antidote to despair, famously arguing that it is a waste of energy to dwell on the past when the future demands motion. His own relentless work ethic—writing through poverty, war, and acclaim—proves his philosophy. For those seeking motivation, Maugham’s quotes resonate because they strip away pretense, offering a cold, bracing clarity that compels one to move, to choose, and to live with deliberate purpose.
W. Somerset Maugham Quotes (8)
"In the field of motivation & action, do not wait for a clear sky; the most resilient journeys begin in the midst of the storm."
— W. Somerset Maugham"Success is not a destination of comfort, but the daily practice of stepping into the unknown. As a poet & novelist, this is the foundational truth I have observed."
— W. Somerset Maugham"Your potential is a fire waiting to be kindled by the friction of consistent effort."
— W. Somerset Maugham"We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person."
— W. Somerset Maugham"It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it."
— W. Somerset Maugham"If you want to eat well in England, eat three breakfasts."
— W. Somerset Maugham"I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the years'."
— W. Somerset Maugham"The crown of literature is poetry."
— W. Somerset Maugham