Life is more important than architecture.
Oscar NiemeyerRead
Life is very fleeting. It’s important to be gentle and optimistic. We look behind and think what we’ve done in this life has been good. It was simple; it was modest. Everyone creates their own story and moves on. That’s it. I don’t feel particularly important. What we create is not important. We’re very insignificant.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life is transient, and we should approach it with kindness and optimism, reflecting on our simple and modest contributions.
This quote by Oscar Niemeyer emphasizes the fleeting nature of life and suggests that we should not take ourselves too seriously. He advocates for a gentler, more optimistic view of life, where each individual creates their own story without the need for grand significance. Instead, it is the simple, modest moments that define our existence.
Themes
LifeOptimismInsignificanceModestyReflection
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about embracing life's simplicity, you can quote this to inspire others to reflect positively on their journeys.
More from Oscar Niemeyer
All quotes →I deliberately disregarded the right angle and rationalist architecture designed with ruler and square to boldly enter the world of curves and straight lines offered by reinforced concrete... This deliberate protest arose from the environment in which I lived, with its white beaches, its huge mountains, its old baroque churches, and the beautiful suntanned women.
Oscar NiemeyerRead
We need to feel that life is important; we need that fantasy so we can live a little better.
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Here, then, is what I wanted to tell you of my architecture. I created it with courage and idealism, but also with an awareness of the fact that what is important is life, friends and attempting to make this unjust world a better place in which to live.
Oscar NiemeyerRead
When you have a large space to conquer, the curve is the natural solution.
Oscar NiemeyerRead
I was attracted by the curve — the liberated, sensual curve suggested by the possibilities of new technology yet so often recalled in venerable old baroque churches.
Oscar NiemeyerRead
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