The story of “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is filled with thoughtful quotes; it is even difficult to decide which are the best. After careful consideration, 15 quotes were chosen. Let’s look at some of the quotes from “The Little Prince” that stood out from the rest.
The Absurdity of Adulthood
“Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things.“
The narrator, Chapter 1
The narrator says this regarding the picture of a python digesting an elephant he drew as a child, which no adult he showed could tell what it was. It’s such an irony—very much like roles reversed. The grown-ups must go to children to find meaning and reconnect with what matters. This is because grown-ups have their interests set on what they would term matters of consequence. They have got their list of priorities upside down. Children now have the explaining to do, and grown-ups have the understanding to deal with.
“Why are you drinking? demanded the little prince.
“So that I may forget,” replied the tippler.
“Forget what?” inquired the little prince, who was already sorry for him.
“Forget that I am ashamed,” the tippler confessed, hanging his head.
“Ashamed of what?” insisted the little prince, who wanted to help him.
“Ashamed of drinking!.”The little prince and the tippler, Chapter 12
The prince meets a drunk on a planet who is so ashamed of his drinking and drinks a lot more as a result. The prince is utterly confused by this behavior. Not only does he not understand why the man should be ashamed of drinking, but he also can’t fathom why he would keep doing the very thing that makes him ashamed. He counts it as one of the absurdities of grown-ups: the inability to break themselves out of a habit cycle that they do not like.
Grown-ups love figures… When you tell them you’ve made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you “What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies? ” Instead they demand “How old is he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make? ” Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.
The narrator, Chapter 4
The narrator says this to explain why he goes to great lengths to tell where the little prince came from. It is a quirk of grown-ups that one must convert anything one tells them to numbers and measurements for them to understand it. But these numbers don’t constitute a thing’s essential nature, and in paying attention to the numbers, the adults end up missing out on the vital part of the things they encounter.
Life Lessons
Well, I must be acquainted with two or three caterpillars if I wish to be acquainted with the butterflies.
The rose, Chapter 9
The rose says this to the prince when he hesitates to begin his journey out of concern for her. She implies that unwanted events may be necessary to get to a better place. Life comes in stages. The butterfly was once a caterpillar. Sometimes, one has to navigate a not-so-pleasant phase to get to a good place. The flower resolves to deal with the caterpillars and tolerate their excesses in anticipation of the butterflies that would come from them.
“A baobab is something you will never, never be able to get rid of if you attend to it too late. It spreads over the entire planet. It bores clear through it with its roots. And if the planet is too small, and the baobabs are too many, they split it in pieces . . .“
The Little Prince, Chapter 5
The little prince says this when the narrator comments that baobabs are large trees and that sheep cannot eat them. The prince corrects him by stating that he will target them when they are little. His comment holds in other aspects of life besides weeding. Troubles are best handled when small before they blow up to large, unmanageable proportions.
One must require from each one the duty which each one can perform.
The king, Chapter 10
These are the words of the king on one of the planets the little prince visited and the only inhabitant on the planet. He even goes further, the king in this little planet: accepted authority rests first of all on reason. This was his response to the little prince’s request to make the sun set, to which the king says to wait for a favorable time, for that is beyond his control. While this was a test of the king’s sovereignty, the king’s reply is also reasonable. Do not bank on the impossible to happen, and only ask for what is within the capacity of people to do.
“Conceited people never hear anything but praise.“
The narrator, Chapter 11
The narrator makes this comment while listening to the little prince tell him about the conceited man who was uninterested in anything the prince had to say except when he lauded him. It should make one reflect. Arrogant people are too self-absorbed to notice things going on around them. Conceit has a way of shutting people’s eyes to what matters. Conceited people are emotionally blind or bereft. They are simply aloof. The man who thought himself to be the most handsome, even though he was the only person on his planet. Conceited people breathe and eat praises.
I myself own a flower which I water every day. I own three volcanoes which I clean out every week, for I also clean up the one that is extinct; one never knows. It is of some use to my volcanoes, and it is of some use to my flower, that I own them. But you are of no use to the stars…
The little prince, Chapter 13
This is the little prince’s reaction to the businessman spending all his time counting stars, which he claimed to own. Relationships should be mutually beneficial, not just one party taking, taking, and taking. If something or someone is of use to you, what use are you to that thing or person? It mustn’t be equal halves, but there must be at least something from each person.
Effort matters a lot. Mutually beneficial relationships are more justifiable and are likely to last longer than parasitic relationships in which one person receives without ever attempting to give.
“One only understands the things that one tames.“
The fox, Chapter 21
These are the fox’s words while conversing with the little prince. If you aren’t intentional about getting to know someone, you will never understand them- who or what they are, why they do what they do, and why they behave the way they behave. And, I agree with the fox when he says that to understand a thing, one must first tame it.
When a mystery is too overpowering, one dare not disobey.
The narrator, Chapter 2
The narrator thinks this when the little prince insists that he draw him a sheep a second time without explaining. The prince insisted so forcefully he felt compelled to comply. Sometimes, one may not fully understand something yet but has to act fast anyway. Instincts should not be ignored entirely. They should guide us. For someone with a good sense of judgment, that person’s instincts or convictions would hardly ever be wrong.
“It is such a secret place, the land of tears.“
The narrator, Chapter 7
When the little prince cries after getting angry at the narrator, the narrator is moved and takes the prince in his arms. He doesn’t know what else to do because tears are such a private thing, and “it is such a secret place, the land of tears.” People cry to the extent they have been hurt. It is hard to know, and it is hard to tell precisely because it is personal. Sometimes, words do too much, and silence is perfect for that moment.
Love and Relationships
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
The Fox, Chapter 21.
The fox says this to explain to the prince how his rose is superior to all the roses he finds on Earth. The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched; they are felt with the heart. The heart does not lie. We should learn to look more with our hearts and to shut off the noise so we can feel what’s on the inside. The heart sees all and reveals what should matter to us. The time people spend on things almost always shows how important those things are to them. That time you think you are wasting, spending on something or someone you love, is anything but a waste. It is your way of showing you love that thing or that person.
Men have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose.
The fox, Chapter 21
Indeed, love is forever, or at least it should be. These words from the fox are indeed true. Love is lasting or should be, at least. Love gives hope. To become someone’s friend, one must first understand that person. And to understand someone, one must first tame that person. A friend is someone who is loved. That is ideal. When we have tamed something and become friends with it, it is expected that that friendship lasts for a lifetime.
“You are beautiful, but you are empty. No one could die for you.”
The Little Prince, Chapter 21
The little prince says this to a rose he find on earth. He is initially broken-hearted to see the roses are not as rare as his rose, which led him to believe that she is not so special. But he realizes the contrast between attraction based on superficial beauty and that based on meaningful connection. While the new rose he meets is visually appealing, it lacks the uniqueness of his rose, which he loves because of the time and care he has invested in it. This reflects that true value comes from emotional bonds and shared experiences, not external appearances, and that meaningful relationships inspire devotion and sacrifice.
“Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy things all ready made at the shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so men have no friends any more.”
The fox, Chapter 21
The fox’s words to the little prince. Simple and filled with so much wisdom, this one is about friendship. It is capable of sending one to reflect. Friends don’t come ready-made. Sometimes, one has to tame, understand, and then become friends. Friendship is built, and it doesn’t just sprout out of nowhere. Men seem not to be patient enough or patient all for things to take their natural course. They want good things, but they want them instant or quickly, like ready-made products. Friendships don’t work that way. If you cannot sit through the process, you are not ready for what will come. One is either all in or not.
