25 Amazing Into the Wild Quotes to Inspire You

The below Into the Wild quotes showcase the life of American hiker Christopher McCandless. 

What do you know about Into the Wild?

Written in 1996, Into the Wild is a non-fiction book about the life of American hiker Christopher McCandless.

The book was written by Jon Krakauer, who is known for writing non-fiction books such as Into Thin Air and Under the Banner of Heaven.

The story surrounds McCandles shunning a conventional life after his college graduation and choosing to seek enlightenment in the wild.

Sadly, McCandles ended up dying in the Alaskan wilderness in mid-1992.

An international bestseller, the book has been printed in 30 languages and 173 editions and formats.

It has been widely used as high school and college reading curriculum.

The book was transformed into a movie in 2007, directed by Sean Penn and starring Emile Hirsch as McCandless.

Below are inspirational, thought-provoking Into the Wild quotes from both the book and the movie. 

Don’t forget to also read these short inspirational quotes to fuel your day.

If you enjoy this article, check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily motivation. 

If you want more motivational quotes, check out our motivational quotes category page.

Into the Wild quotes about happiness

1. “Happiness is only real when shared.” ― Christopher McCandless

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2. “The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure.” ― Christopher McCandless

3. “The whole idea was to lose our bearings, to push ourselves into unknown territory.” – Gordy Cucullu

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4. “When you forgive, you love. And when you love, God’s light shines on you.” – Ron Franz

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5. “It’s not always necessary to be strong, but to feel strong.” ― Christopher McCandless

6. “It is the experiences, the memories, the great triumphant joy of living to the fullest extent in which real meaning is found.” ― Christopher McCandless

7. “The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” ― Christopher McCandless

8. “I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life.” ― Christopher McCandless

9. “I will miss you too, but you are wrong if you think that the joy of life comes principally from the joy of human relationships. God’s place is all around us, it is in everything and in anything we can experience. People just need to change the way they look at things.” ― Christopher McCandless

10. “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality, nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit.” – Christopher McCandless

11. “I have lived through much, and now I think I have found what is needed for happiness. A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one’s neighbor – such is my idea of happiness. And then, on top of all that, you for a mate, and children, perhaps – what more can the heart of a man desire?” ― Christopher McCandless

12. “Some people feel like they don’t deserve love. They walk away quietly into empty spaces, trying to close the gaps of the past.” – Christopher McCandless

13. “What if I were smiling and running into your arms? Would you see then what I see now?” – Christopher McCandless

14. “A lot of people in the valley just love me a lot. Everybody now, I think, in the whole world is just loving me. And I want to have the wisdom to love them back. And that’s about it.” – Leonard Knight

15. “This is a love story that is staggering to everybody in the whole world. That God really loves us a lot.” – Leonard Knight

Inspirational Into the Wild quotes

16. “He believed that doing well was all mental, a simple matter of harnessing whatever energy was available.” ― Christopher McCandless

17. “You can’t fix it. Most things you can fix, but not that.” – Billie McCandless

18. “Strong. You can do anything. You can go anywhere. Money, power is an illusion.” ― Christopher McCandless

19. “When you want something in life, you just gotta reach out and grab it.” – Christopher McCandless

20. “Don’t hesitate or allow yourself to make excuses. Just get out and do it. Just get out and do it. You will be very, very glad that you did.” – Christopher McCandless

21. “The fragility of crystal is not a weakness but a fineness.”  – Christopher McCandless

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Relatable Into the Wild quotes

22. “At long last he was unencumbered, emancipated from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess, a world in which he felt grievously cut off from the raw throb of existence.” ― Christopher McCandless

23. “I think maybe part of what got him into trouble was that he did too much thinking. Sometimes he tried too hard to make sense of the world, to figure out why people were bad to each other so often.” ― Christopher McCandless

24. “He needed his solitude at times, but he wasn’t a hermit. He did a lot of socializing. Sometimes I think it was like he was storing up company for the times when he knew nobody would be around.” ― Christopher McCandless

25. “I don’t want to know what time it is. I don’t want to know what day it is or where I am. None of that matters.” ― Christopher McCandless

How have you challenged yourself recently?

Unfulfilled from his conventional life, McCandless chose to change his life and disappear into the wilderness.

He learned a lot through the people he met during his journey and gained an overflow of new experiences in the wilderness. 

No matter what your dream may be, don’t be afraid to pursue it.

Just your belief can fuel your motivation to reach your wants and desires.

Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself in the process, and find joy in the struggles that you may experience along the way. 

Which of these Into the Wild quotes and lines is your favorite?

We would love to hear your opinion; just let us know in the comments section below.