Vernon Howard Quotes

Powerful Vernon Howard for Daily Growth

About Vernon Howard

**Vernon Howard (1916-1995): The Philosopher of Freedom** Born on January 23, 1916, in New York City, Vernon Howard was an influential spiritual teacher, author, and philosopher whose work continues to inspire seekers worldwide. Known for his profound insights into the nature of consciousness and the human condition, Howard spent much of his life exploring the mysteries of existence. Raised in a working-class family, Howard's early years were marked by financial struggle and personal hardship. However, he showed a remarkable thirst for knowledge and spiritual growth from an early age. This curiosity led him to explore various religious traditions and philosophical systems, including Buddhism, Taoism, Sufism, and Christian mysticism. In 1940, Howard had his first significant spiritual awakening during a meditation session in New York City. This experience marked the beginning of his lifelong quest for enlightenment. Over the next few decades, he traveled extensively, studying with spiritual masters from around the world and developing a unique philosophy that blended Eastern wisdom and Western pragmatism. Howard's major works include "The Power of Now" (1975), "The Only Thing is Love" (1984), and "Embrace the Unknown" (1993). These books, along with countless talks and lectures, have touched millions of lives by providing practical guidance for spiritual growth, personal transformation, and inner peace. Throughout his life, Howard emphasized the importance of self-inquiry, love, and freedom as keys to achieving true happiness and understanding the nature of reality. He passed away on January 27, 1995, leaving behind a rich legacy that continues to inspire seekers worldwide.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Love is not a feeling; love is an active expression."

This quote by Vernon Howard suggests that love isn't merely an abstract emotion, but rather it is something to be actively demonstrated through actions. It implies that true love is not just about feelings of affection, but also about expressing those feelings in tangible ways, such as through acts of kindness, patience, understanding, and sacrifice. In essence, this quote encourages us to see love not just as a state of being, but as something we do.


"The more you try to understand yourself, the less you will know yourself. The more you look into the Self, the less you will see."

This quote by Vernon Howard suggests that introspection and self-analysis can limit our understanding of our true selves. By constantly trying to dissect and understand ourselves, we may become entangled in our thoughts, judgments, and perceptions, rather than experiencing our inherent essence. The more one looks into the 'Self' (the deeper they delve), the less they see, as it implies that the self is not solely defined by analyzable aspects or characteristics but transcends them, eluding complete comprehension. This quote encourages us to let go of attempts to understand ourselves intellectually and instead focus on direct experiences, intuition, and a deeper sense of connection with our inner selves and existence at large.


"The real you is watching the thoughts that you are thinking."

This quote by Vernon Howard emphasizes the idea of self-awareness and the distinction between one's true identity and their thoughts. Essentially, it suggests that we are not our thoughts; rather, there exists a deeper consciousness within us that observes those thoughts as they arise. It encourages introspection and mindfulness, urging individuals to recognize their inner observer and gain a more profound understanding of their own nature beyond the constant stream of thoughts.


"If you can see past the thoughts and feelings, then you will find happiness and peace."

This quote suggests that true happiness and peace are not found in transient thoughts and emotions, but rather in a state beyond them. By learning to observe our thoughts and feelings without being consumed by them, we can gain perspective and attain a deeper, more enduring sense of well-being. In essence, the message is to seek inner freedom from the fluctuations of the mind, in order to discover lasting contentment and tranquility.


"To meditate means to be still, not only in body but also in mind and heart."

This quote by Vernon Howard emphasizes the importance of mental, emotional, and physical stillness during meditation. In essence, he suggests that true meditation is not just about physically sitting still, but also involves calming one's thoughts (mind) and feelings (heart). By achieving this state of inner calm, we can better connect with our inner selves, gain clarity, and find peace amidst the chaos of daily life.


Start your day in a upward direction, and the rest of the day will follow the uphill path.

- Vernon Howard

Path, Rest, Will, Upward

The great solution to all human problems is individual inner transformation.

- Vernon Howard

Great, Solution, Individual, Transformation

Truth never pleads or compromises or wavers. It invites and awaits your acceptance.

- Vernon Howard

Truth, Acceptance, Never, Compromises

Personal power gives you a sense of accomplishment. It enables you to live fully and zestfully. It provides you with a mature reason for liking yourself better. To state it another way, it is the mark of a healthy and well-adjusted individual to seek self-advancement by mastering his human relations.

- Vernon Howard

Reason, Mature, Another, Another Way

Evil is an attack against human spiritual development and enlightenment. All evil, badness, neurosis - it has one motive and one motive only, which is to destroy - to destroy your chance of arising above yourself.

- Vernon Howard

Development, Which, Badness, Neurosis

In order to reach home, where you have the guidance of cosmic insight, you must first depart from your present location. You cannot remain in the noisy city of your own vanities and expect to know what to do. Cosmic knowledge and personal vanity do not mingle.

- Vernon Howard

City, Reach, Own, Noisy

A certain number of people seek power over other people in a desperate attempt to find themselves. They fail, for self-discovery is spiritual in nature, not social or political. Authoritatively telling other people what to do is their distraction from an inner emptiness they can never fill.

- Vernon Howard

Other, Desperate, Telling, Emptiness

Beauty is only skin deep, but it's a valuable asset if you're poor or haven't any sense.

- Vernon Howard

Beauty, Deep, Skin, Valuable Asset

Make it your profitable habit to carefully study facial expressions. You can see the entire human drama in a face; you can tell its owner's history.

- Vernon Howard

Study, Carefully, Owner, Expressions

Your friends will be as careless with your life as they are with their own.

- Vernon Howard

Own, Will, Your, Careless

For every problem or confusion and for every desire or ambition there is an available force waiting for your call.

- Vernon Howard

Desire, Problem, Call, Confusion

When you're young, you don't have much sense. You don't have any reasoning power. You don't have any ability to take a blow, an insult, a hurt in the right way. There is no way a child can do that. All a child can do is feel the pang of it, the heartache of it.

- Vernon Howard

Young, Reasoning, Feel, Blow

Some folks hesitate to seize additional strength because they think it wrong or dangerous to be a powerful individual. Somehow they have acquired the false notion that tyranny or dictatorship or cruelty are the outcomes of a powerful personality. These characteristics are not power. They are weaknesses disguised as power.

- Vernon Howard

Strength, Tyranny, Some, Dictatorship

We must become acquainted with our emotional household: we must see our feelings as they actually are, not as we assume they are. This breaks their hypnotic and damaging hold on us.

- Vernon Howard

Emotional, Breaks, Hypnotic, Acquainted

You are not condemned for anything, but you are also not excused from anything. See these two ideas together at the same time, and a powerful third force for self-awakening is created.

- Vernon Howard

Created, Same Time, Also, Excused

Remember above all that mental stability comes by examining the contents of the mind, not by avoidence.

- Vernon Howard

Mind, Remember, Contents, Stability

What you really want for yourself is always trying to break through, just as a cooling breeze flows through an open window on a hot day. Your part is to open the windows of your mind.

- Vernon Howard

Mind, Through, Always, Cooling

Whatever you want, you have the power to attain it. The man or woman who calmly and matter-of-factly accepts this pronouncement at face value will soon find himself working magical accomplishments far beyond that which he previously dreamed possible.

- Vernon Howard

Woman, Beyond, Soon, Accomplishments

All forms of self-defeating behavior are unseen and unconscious, which is why their existence is denied.

- Vernon Howard

Why, Unconscious, Which, Forms

Evil wants you to think that its power is absolute, endless. It wants to so make you quake and quiver that all you'll do is fall down and worship it.

- Vernon Howard

Think, Down, Endless, Worship

A truly strong person does not need the approval of others any more than a lion needs the approval of sheep.

- Vernon Howard

Strength, Strong, Needs, Sheep

We are enslaved by anything we do not consciously see. We are freed by conscious perception.

- Vernon Howard

See, Conscious, Freed, Enslaved

Tell a man that he is putting on a stage performance in order to get what he wants, and he will irritably reject your observation. Why? Because most people go through life as cunning actors with a permanent horror of getting found out.

- Vernon Howard

Through, Cunning, Putting, Order

Can you think of anything more permanently elating than to know that you are on the right road at last?

- Vernon Howard

Think, More, Last, Permanently

Just be honest with yourself. That opens the door.

- Vernon Howard

Door, Honest, Just Be, Opens

We must get to the point in our lives. What is the point? To become a new kind of man or woman, having inner command and outer excellence.

- Vernon Howard

Woman, New, Having, Command

What most men call their conscience is imaginary virtue switching left or right according to self-interest.

- Vernon Howard

Call, Most, Switching, Self-Interest

Quit thinking that you must halt before the barrier of inner negativity. You need not. You can crash through... whatever we see a negative state, that is where we can destroy it.

- Vernon Howard

Through, Need, Before, Halt

Do not resist a new idea. Be quietly receptive. Go along with it, even unwillingly at first. Sooner or later, it will reveal itself as your ally.

- Vernon Howard

New, Reveal, Unwillingly, New Idea

You can't come into this world without becoming its victim.

- Vernon Howard

World, Come, Becoming, Victim

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