Welcome to a treasury of wisdom from one of the most celebrated literary figures of the 20th century, Pearl S. Buck. As an accomplished novelist, humanitarian, and advocate for social justice, Buck’s words resonate with timeless insight and compassion. Born in 1892 in West Virginia, Buck spent much of her life in China, drawing deeply from her experiences to craft poignant stories that bridged cultures and illuminated the human condition.
Throughout her prolific career, Pearl S. Buck penned numerous acclaimed works, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Good Earth. Her writing explored themes of family, identity, and the struggle for dignity in the face of adversity. Beyond her literary contributions, Buck was a passionate voice for equality and understanding, advocating for marginalized communities and challenging prevailing social norms.
In this collection of Pearl S. Buck quotes, discover the profound wisdom and empathy that characterized her worldview. Whether you seek inspiration, guidance, or simply a moment of reflection, her words offer a beacon of light in our ever-changing world. Explore these quotes below and let the timeless wisdom of Pearl S. Buck enrich your journey.
The basic discovery about any people is the discovery of the relationship between men and women. Pearl S. Buck
In a mood of faith and hope my work goes on. A ream of fresh paper lies on my desk waiting for the next book. I am a writer and I take up my pen to write. Pearl S. Buck
Love dies only when growth stops. Pearl S. Buck
Every great mistake has a halfway moment, a split second when it can be recalled and perhaps remedied. Pearl S. Buck
All things are possible until they are proved impossible – and even the impossible may only be so, as of now. Pearl S. Buck
Love alone could waken love. Pearl S. Buck
To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth. Pearl S. Buck
A man is educated and turned out to work. But a woman is educated and turned out to grass. Pearl S. Buck
Truth is always exciting. Speak it, then; life is dull without it. Pearl S. Buck
Let woman out of the home, let man into it, should be the aim of education. The home needs man, and the world outside needs woman. Pearl S. Buck
Growth itself contains the germ of happiness. Pearl S. Buck
The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart. His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no other inspiration. Pearl S. Buck
The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible – and achieve it, generation after generation. Pearl S. Buck
Praise out of season, or tactlessly bestowed, can freeze the heart as much as blame. Pearl S. Buck
A good marriage is one which allows for change and growth in the individuals and in the way they express their love. Pearl S. Buck
Nothing in life is as good as the marriage of true minds between man and woman. As good? It is life itself. Pearl S. Buck
Like Confucius of old, I am so absorbed in the wonder of the earth and the life upon it, that I cannot think of heaven and the angels. Pearl S. Buck
If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all. Pearl S. Buck
The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it. Pearl S. Buck
When men destroy their old gods they will find new ones to take their place. Pearl S. Buck
To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind. Pearl S. Buck
One faces the future with one’s past. Pearl S. Buck
It may be that religion is dead, and if it is, we had better know it and set ourselves to try to discover other sources of moral strength before it is too late. Pearl S. Buck
Chinese are wise in comprehending without many words what is inevitable and inescapable and therefore only to be borne. Pearl S. Buck
Life without idealism is empty indeed. We just hope or starve to death. Pearl S. Buck
Some are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together. Pearl S. Buck
Nothing and no one can destroy the Chinese people. They are relentless survivors. Pearl S. Buck
You can judge your age by the amount of pain you feel when you come in contact with a new idea. Pearl S. Buck
Order is the shape upon which beauty depends. Pearl S. Buck
If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday. Pearl S. Buck
Self-expression must pass into communication for its fulfillment. Pearl S. Buck
Men would rather be starving and free than fed in bonds. Pearl S. Buck
When good people in any country cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men prevail. Pearl S. Buck
None who have always been free can understand the terrible fascinating power of the hope of freedom to those who are not free. Pearl S. Buck
Inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that is where I renew my springs that never dry up. Pearl S. Buck
Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members. Pearl S. Buck
We send missionaries to China so the Chinese can get to heaven, but we won’t let them into our country. Pearl S. Buck
I feel no need for any other faith than my faith in the kindness of human beings. I am so absorbed in the wonder of earth and the life upon it that I cannot think of heaven and angels. Pearl S. Buck
The truth is always exciting. Speak it, then. Life is dull without it. Pearl S. Buck
I don’t wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work. Pearl S. Buck
Men and women should own the world as a mutual possession. Pearl S. Buck
We should so provide for old age that it may have no urgent wants of this world to absorb it from meditation on the next. It is awful to see the lean hands of dotage making a coffer of the grave. Pearl S. Buck
Race prejudice is not only a shadow over the colored it is a shadow over all of us, and the shadow is darkest over those who feel it least and allow its evil effects to go on. Pearl S. Buck
To eat bread without hope is still slowly to starve to death. Pearl S. Buck
I am mentally bifocal. Pearl S. Buck
What is a neglected child? He is a child not planned for, not wanted. Neglect begins, therefore, before he is born. Pearl S. Buck
The bitterest creature under heaven is the wife who discovers that her husband’s bravery is only bravado, that his strength is only a uniform, that his power is but a gun in the hands of a fool. Pearl S. Buck
Hunger makes a thief of any man. Pearl S. Buck
You cannot make yourself feel something you do not feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of your feelings. Pearl S. Buck
A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent. Pearl S. Buck