25 Ludwig Wittgenstein Quotes That Make You Think

Ludwig Wittgenstein believed he was ahead of his time.

See what you think in these Ludwig Wittgenstein quotes.

Ludwig Wittgenstein was a great philosopher of his time, however, it’s also believed that he was ahead of his time.

Many of his ideas and theories were misunderstood and even he believed that his work was being written for people yet to come.

Outside of the work he did in philosophy, Ludwig Wittgenstein also served roles in both World War I and World War II.

It also appears that he had a family history of mental health challenges including depression.

He lost several siblings to suicide and even admitted contemplating it himself.

He experienced a lot in his life.

Don’t forget to also check out these John Stuart Mill quotes on life, society, and politics.

Also, check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily wisdom. 

See the rest of our quote database for even more inspirational ideas and thoughts.

Ludwig Wittgenstein quotes that make you think

1. “A man will be imprisoned in a room with a door that’s unlocked and opens inwards; as long as it does not occur to him to pull rather than push.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

2. “The limits of my language means the limits of my world.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

3. “There is no more light in a genius than in any other honest man — but he has a particular kind of lens to concentrate this light into a burning point.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

4. “Ambition is the death of thought.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

5. “Genius is talent exercised with courage.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

6. “If in life we are surrounded by death, then in the health of our intellect we are surrounded by madness.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

7. “Someone who knows too much finds it hard not to lie.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

Philosophical Ludwig Wittgenstein quotes

8. “Not how the world is, but that it is, is the mystery.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

9. “I don’t know why we are here, but I’m pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

10. “When you are philosophizing you have to descend into primeval chaos and feel at home there.”- Ludwig Wittgenstein

11. “The problems are solved, not by giving new information, but by arranging what we have known since long.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

12. “Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of our language.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

13. “The real discovery is the one which enables me to stop doing philosophy when I want to—the one that gives philosophy peace so that it is no longer tormented by questions which bring itself into question.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

14. “If you use a trick in logic, whom can you be tricking other than yourself?” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

15. “How small a thought it takes to fill a life.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

16. “What is confusing for us is the tendency to believe that the mind is like a little man within.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

17. “The aim of philosophy is to erect a wall at the point where language stops anyway.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

Fun and silly Ludwig Wittgenstein quotes

18. “Never stay up on the barren heights of cleverness, but come down into the green valleys of silliness.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

19. “If people never did silly things nothing intelligent would ever get done.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

20. “A serious and good philosophical work could be written consisting entirely of jokes.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

21. “Don’t for heaven’s sake, be afraid of talking nonsense! But you must pay attention to your nonsense.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

Ludwig Wittgenstein quotes on religion

22. “The real question of life after death isn’t whether or not it exists, but even if it does what problem this really solves.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

23. “Religion is, as it were, the calm bottom of the sea at its deepest point, which remains calm however high the waves on the surface maybe.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

24. “An honest religious thinker is like a tightrope walker. He almost looks as though he were walking on nothing but air. His support is the slenderest imaginable. And yet it really is possible to walk on it.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

25. “To believe in a God means to understand the question about the meaning of life.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

What did you learn from these Ludwig Wittgenstein quotes?

It does appear that Ludwig Wittgenstein was right in believing that his works and publications were somewhat ahead of their time.

Even in the past couple of decades, his work has been recognized in American universities and colleges.

While time has changed and society changes, the true nature of humans remains the same.

Did any of these Ludwig Wittgenstein quotes and sayings above get you thinking?

Many of his quotes appear simple at first glance but can really get you thinking on a deeper level about different topics.

You can use them as starting points in doing some thinking and discovering of your own.