Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton (1915–1968) was an American Trappist monk, writer and poet. He is best known for his autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain and for his writing on contemplation, peace and interfaith dialogue.
5 quotes in this collection. Read them below, share your favourites, or follow the related links to explore similar voices.
All quotes by Thomas Merton
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“We are not meant to resolve all contradictions but to live with them and rise above them and see them in the light of exterior and objective values which make them trivial by comparison.”
Meaning: Merton notes that inner contradictions become unsolvable problems when we prefer analysis to silence. Some tensions are meant to be carried, not cured. Next time you feel pulled two ways, stop debating yourself and sit quietly for a few minutes with a larger value in view. -
“Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.”
Meaning: Merton wrote this to the activist Dorothy Day while thinking about how to serve people without sorting them into deserving and undeserving. Love here is a task, not a reward. In practice, offer patience to a difficult coworker or relative without first demanding they earn it. -
“Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone — we find it with another.”
Meaning: Though the monk Merton lived largely in silence, he insisted that meaning is relational. Life's purpose is not solved in isolation but discovered in connection. Apply it by choosing one person this week to share a real conversation with, rather than waiting to figure everything out alone. -
“To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that Love is the reason for my existence, for God is love. Love is my true identity. Selflessness is my true self. Love is my true character. Love i...”
Meaning: Merton, a Trappist monk, wrote this in one of his early books on contemplative life. He says the deepest answer to who you are is love, not status or achievement. Try it by asking, before a hard conversation today, what a loving response would look like. -
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.”
Meaning: This opening of Merton's well-known prayer admits honestly that faith does not come with a map. He wrote it from the monastery, trusting sincere desire over certainty. When a decision feels foggy, say plainly what you don't know, then take the next small step anyway.