Robert Louis Stevenson Quotes to Reflect On

Fans of classical literature will enjoy these Robert Louis Stevenson Quotes.

Robert Louis Stevenson was born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson, in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1850.

Stevenson was a well-known author, poet, and travel writer and is best known for the novels Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

He experienced severe bronchial trouble for much of his life but continued to write and travel regardless of his illness.

Stevenson was one of the rare writers who was a celebrity during his lifetime, and in 2018, his works were still the 26th most translated author in the world.

In 1880 Stevenson married Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne, but they had no children.

Look at these Robert Louis Stevenson Quotes to learn more about this talented author.

Wise Robert Louis Stevenson Quotes

Here are some of Stevenson’s wisest quotes.

1. “Learn to find pleasure in simple things.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

2. “The cruelest lies are often told in silence.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

3. “Make the most of the best and the least of the worst.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

4. “By being happy, we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

5. “I travel not to go anywhere but to go. I travel for travel’s sake.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

6. “Everybody, soon or late, sits down to a banquet of consequences.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

7. “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

8. “To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

9. “Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

10. “The man is a success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

Classic Robert Louis Stevenson Quotes

Check out some classic quotes from Stevenson.

11. “A friend is a gift you give yourself.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

12. “To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

13. “If he be Mr. Hyde,” he had thought, “I shall be Mr. Seek.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

14. “Marriage is like life – it is a field of battle, not a bed of roses.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

15. “Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

16. “The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean; not to affect your reader, but to affect him precisely as you wish.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

17. “In each of us, two natures are at war – the good and the evil. All our lives, the fight goes on between them, and one of them must conquer.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

You will also enjoy our article on Treasure Planet quotes. 

The Best Robert Louis Stevenson Quotes

Here are the best quotes from Stevenson.

18. “Everyone lives by selling something.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

19. “Compromise is the best and cheapest lawyer.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

20. “Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

21. “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

22. “You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

23. “Like a bird singing in the rain, let grateful memories survive in time of sorrow.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

24. “There is nothing but God’s grace. We walk upon it; we breathe it; we live and die by it; it makes the nails and axles of the universe.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

25. “The best things are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of God just before you.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson Was an Avid Traveler

Stevenson was born into a well-off family that could travel for his father’s work as a lighthouse engineer.

Later in life, Stevenson and his wife went back and forth between England and the United States.

They eventually moved to Samoa to spend their final years.

Please share these Robert Louis Stevenson Quotes with your family and friends and post any comments about the famous author in the comment section below.