"The only constant in life is change," the Greek philosopher Heraclitus famously observed in the late 6th century BCE. Dealing with change is nothing new; it comes with the territory of being human. Yet, in the midst of 21st-century upheavals and uncertainties, change can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Fortunately, Heraclitus isn't the only deep thinker who had something memorable to say on the subject. Below are 45 quotes about change from a diversity of authors. Their words reflect the nature of change and the swirl of feelings surrounding it—from fear to exhilaration. In this collection, you'll find gentle reminders that change will keep happening and reassurance that you can handle it. As these quotes also convey, when you face it and embrace it with a positive mindset, change can enrich your life in unexpected ways.
Quotes on the Nature of Change
No, you can't escape change. But these quotes may help you better understand its character and its force.
1. "All that you touch you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change." -,
2. "You're always you, and that don't change, and you're always changing, and there's nothing you can do about it." -,
3. "Change is freedom, change is life." -,
4. "And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are full of trees and changing leaves." -,
5. "Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody." -,
6. "The world doesn't change in front of your eyes, it changes behind your back." -,
7. "Nothing changes instantaneously: in a gradually heating bathtub you’d be boiled to death before you knew it." -,
8. "It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime." -,
Quotes on the Fear of Change
Think change is scary? As these quotes drive home, you're not alone. And feeling less alone might help you feel less afraid and better able to handle whatever change throws your way.
9. "Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change." -,
10. "We can't have change without loss, which is why so often people say they want change but nonetheless stay exactly the same." -,
