As much as we would love our life to be filled with happiness and love, sometimes, enjoying too much of these two can lead us to experience the most gut-wrenching heartbreaks, leading us into a period of moving on and healing.
It’s hard to shake the repercussions brought about by our emotional attachments, but that’s just the way it is, and we have no other choice but to pick up the pieces of our hearts and leave behind the ones that feel like shards of glass.
There is no denying that letting go is difficult, and it’s easier said than done.
But if you are looking for a place to thoroughly reflect on this momentous era of your life, here are some detachment quotes that will make this process easier.
Scroll on and enjoy reading!
Detachment Quotes That Will Help You Make Peace With Freedom
1. “The only way to achieve true freedom in life is to lose attachment to everything.” – Nitin Namdeo
2. “Detachment is not that you should own nothing. But that nothing should own you.” ― Ali ibn abi Talib
3. “It is important to expect nothing, to take every experience, including the negative ones, as merely steps on the path, and to proceed.” — Ram Dass
4. “True detachment isn’t separation from life but the absolute freedom within your mind to explore living.” ― Ron. W. Rathbun
5. “Attachment is a kind of illusion that keeps you away from reality.” – Nitin Namdeo
6. “There is nothing harder to come by than detachment and solitude; and nothing more important.” – Marya Mannes
7. “We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. We are here to observe, to learn, to grow, to love, and then we return home.” ― Australian Aboriginal Proverb
8. “Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be obtained only by someone who is detached. ” ― Simone Weil
9. “Why get attached to anything in life while there are infinite possibilities to explore.” – Nitin Namdeo
10. “I’ll detach myself from the crowd if it hinders my growth, I’ll fall from the tree that won’t let me grow.” ― Hareem Ch, Hankering for Tranquility
11. “People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
12. “When you get attached to your inner self, all the materialistic attachment ends itself.” – Nitin Namdeo
13. “Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
14. “In detachment lies the wisdom of uncertainty… in the wisdom of uncertainty lies the freedom from our past, from the known, which is the prison of past conditioning. And in our willingness to step into the unknown, the field of all possibilities, we surrender ourselves to the creative mind that orchestrates the dance of the universe.” ― Deepak Chopra
15. “The less attached you are the wider the vision you will have.” – Nitin Namdeo
16. Detachment is what interests me, seeing how people couldn't have been any other way, how they were the product of forces that they had no control over. ― Edward St Aubyn
17. “Detachment does not mean non-involvement. You can be deeply involved but not entangled.” ― Jaggi Vasudev (Sadhguru)
18. “Life is easy for the man who is without shame, impudent as a crow, a vicious gossip, vain, meddlesome, dissolute. But life is hard for the man who quietly undertakes the way of perfection, with purity, detachment and vigor. He sees light.” ― Gautama Buddha
19. “Detachment is not giving up the things in this world, but accepting the fact and to be continuously aware that nothing is permanent.” ― Aditya Ajmera
20. “He who would be serene and pure needs but one thing, detachment.” ― Meister Eckhart
Detachment Quotes On Cutting Emotional Attachments
21. “Actually, the greatest detachment is being close to everything and not letting it consume and own you. That’s real strength.” ― Jay Shetty
22. “Attachment is the strongest block to realization.” – Neem Karoli Baba
23. “Emotional detachment is a way to maintain your sanity and poise in a stressful environment.” – Remez Sasson
24. “You must learn to control your emotions; temporary emotions can lead you to a permanent attachment.” – Nitin Namdeo
25. “Detachment is not indifference. It means not getting entangled with the anxiety and fears of other people.” – Remez Sasson
26. “To manage your mind, know that there is nothing, and then relinquish all attachment to nothingness.” – Laozi
27. “It’s not the appearance that binds you, it’s the attachment to the appearance that binds you.” – Tilopa
28. “Excessive attachment to anything in life makes you mentally enslaved.” – Nitin Namdeo
29. “The Law of Detachment: 1) Allow yourself and others the freedom to be who they are. 2) Do not force solutions – allow solutions to spontaneously emerge. 3) Uncertainty is essential, and your path to freedom.” ― Deepak Chopra
30. “Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed that is. Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” – Yoda
31.“Great calm, generous detachment, selfless love, disinterested effort: these are what make for success in life. If you can find peace in yourself and can spread comfort around you, you will be happier than an empress.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
32. “Indifference looks like detachment, but it is not; indifference is simply no interest. Detachment is not absence of interest. Detachment is absolute interest, tremendous interest, but still with the capacity of non-clinging.” ― Rajneesh
33. “Being detached means not getting attached to old thinking, bad memories, hurts and resentments.” ― Remez Sasson
34. The most sinister aspect of Jack is his detachment, his ability to distance himself from his feelings. ― Victor Garber
35. “The law of detachment says that in order to acquire anything in the physical universe, you have to relinquish your attachment to it.” ― Deepak Chopra
36. “When we let go of our reactions and detach from other people’s moods, actions, and words, we take back our power.” ― Darlene Lancer
37. “Detachment is not indifference. it is the prerequisite for effective involvement. Often what we think is best for others is distorted by our attachments to our opinions. We want others to be happy in the way we think they should be happy. It is only when we want nothing for ourselves that we are able to see clearly into others needs and understand how to serve them.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
38. “Letting go and focusing on the now free your mind, clear your consciousness, and expand the limits of your awareness.” – Remez Sasson
39. “Release and detach from every person, every circumstance, every condition, and every situation that no longer serves a divine purpose in your life. All things have a season, and all seasons must come to an end. Choose a new season, filled with purposeful thoughts and activities.” ― Iyanla Vanzant
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Detachment Quotes To Help You Achieve Peace of Mind
40. “Detachment doesn’t mean I’m trying less hard. It just means that fears and emotions that used to torment and paralyze me longer have the same power over me.” ― Kelly Cultrone
41. “Stop taking things in a personal way, forgive yourself and others, and strive to live in the present. This will make you free, calm and happy.” – Remez Sasson
42. “Attachment to the outcome destroys your creativity.” – Nitin Namdeo
43. “Let go of your attachment to being right, and suddenly your mind is more open. You’re able to benefit from the unique viewpoints of others, without being crippled by your own judgment.” – Osho
44. “And never have I felt so deeply at one and the same time so detached from myself and so present in the world.” ― Albert Camus
45. “The world calls for, and expects from us, simplicity of life, the spirit of prayer, charity towards all, especially towards the lowly and the poor, obedience and humility, detachment, and self-sacrifice. Without this mark of holiness, our word will have difficulty in touching the heart of modern man.” — Pope Paul VI
46. “Always perform your duty efficiently and without attachment to the results, because by doing work without attachment one attains the Supreme.” – Bhagavad Gita
47. “You live life better when you are free from the fear of losing.” – Nitin Namdeo
48. Unless, of course, you insist on identifying yourself with the people and things you love; and thereby seriously disturb yourself. ― Albert Ellis
49. “If you wish to experience real freedom you need to stop getting involved with every thought and emotion that pops up.” – Remez Sasson
50. “Better a single day of life seeing the reality of arising and passing away than a hundred years of existence remaining blind to it.” ― Gautama Buddha
51. “Watch the thoughts that pass your mind without getting involved with them, following them, or allowing them to disturb your inner peace.” – Remez Sasson
52. “Healthy detachment has become to me — the release of the subjective thoughts, emotions or energy that I am holding about people, places and things that have kept me trapped in dis-ease. It means that I can step back as if observing what is happening to, in and around me without being involved in or creating additional drama. In so doing I allow the feelings, thoughts and energy to dissipate. I am then free to act with and from compassion, love and acceptance.” ― Angela James
53. “The nature of mind has no stain; it is basically complete in itself. Just detach from false mental objects and be enlightened to being as is.” ― Baizhang Huaihai
54. “A burning passion coupled with absolute detachment is the key to all success.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
55. “You cannot hold anything, the only thing you can do is to live in the present.” – Nitin Namdeo
56. “To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
57. “If you expect miracles in your life, then release any attachment to the outcome.” – Joe Vitale
58. “Detachment is an art of enjoying something while always being open to the possibility of losing it someday.” ― John B. Bejo
59. “Remain in the world, act in the world, do whatsoever is needful, and yet remain transcendental, aloof, detached, a lotus flower in the pond.” ― Osho
60. “The degree of freedom from unwanted thoughts and the degree of concentration on a single thought are the measures to gauge spiritual progress.” – Ramana Maharshi
61. “The true contemplative is one who has discovered the art of finding leisure even in the midst of his work, by working with such a spirit of detachment and recollection that even his work is a prayer.” – Thomas Merton
62. [D]etachment means letting go and nonattachment means simply letting be.” ― Stephen Levine
63. “Manifest plainness, Embrace simplicity, Reduce selfishness, Have few desires.” ― Lao Tzu
Short Detachment Quotes
64. “Humour is a form of self-detachment.” ― Claude Roy
65. “Detachment is the beginning of mastery.” – Sri Aurobindo
66. “The root of suffering is attachment.” ― Buddha
67. “Be in the world as though you were a stranger or wayfarer.” ― Bukhari
68. “You can only lose what you cling to.” ― Gautama Buddha
69. “Just a little detachment from the ego is needed.” – Rajneesh
70. “Detachment is the ultimate pleasure.” ― Saraha
71. “Detached action is unselfish work.” ― Bhagavad Gita
72. “Consciousness is compassion infused detached.” ― Amy Larson
73. “Detachment means to not be owned by what we own.” ― Mahatma Prabhu
74. “Detach yourself and be free.” ― ATGW
75. “The essence of the Way is detachment.” ― Bodhidharma
Detachment Quotes For Your Emotional Wounds
76. “Only in the stillness of detachment can the soul yield up her secrets.” ― Elsa Barker
77. “Attachment is the source of pain, but detachment is the source of joy.” ― Debasish Mridha
78. “Don't cling to things because everything is impermanent… But detachment doesn't mean you don't let the experience penetrate you. On the contrary, you let it penetrate you fully. That's how you are able to leave it…You're afraid of the pain, you're afraid of the grief… But by throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your head even, you experience them fully and completely. You know what pain is. You know what love is. “All right. I have experienced that emotion. I recognize that emotion. Now I need to detach from that emotion for a moment.” ― Mitch Albom
79. “Get attached to your inner peace, and there will be no other attachment in your life. Inner peace is the most addictive.” – Nitin Namdeo
80. “Acquire the art of detachment, the virtue of method, and the quality of thoroughness, but above all the grace of humility.” ― William Osler
81. “This detachment must not be mere amputation; everything which is shaken off must be simultaneously found again at a higher level.” — Gabriel Marcel
82. “Get attached to your higher purpose in life, and there will be no suffering.” – Nitin Namdeo
83. “Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
84. “My approach is neither of attachment nor of detachment, but of simple understanding.” – Osho
85. “Some people feel like they don't deserve love. They walk away quietly into empty spaces, trying to close the gaps of the past.” ― Jon Krakauer
86. “Your heart must become a sea of love. Your mind must become a river of detachment.” ― Sri Chinmoy
87. “Misery is nothing but the shadow of attachment. And hence all stagnancy. The attached person becomes a stagnant pool — sooner or later he will stink. He flows no more.” – Osho
88. “If you don’t do yoga, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have a sense of detachment, which means not attaching yourself to your thoughts or your emotions.” ― Mandy Ingber
89. “When you choose to let go of unhappy past events and stop dwelling on fears and worries, you choose happiness.” – Remez Sasson
90. “To spare oneself from grief at all cost can be achieved only at the price of total detachment.” ― Erich Fromm
91. “Dying was apparently a weaning process; all the attachments to familiar people and objects have to be undone.” – Lisa Alther
92. “They should tell you when you’re born: have a suitcase heart, be ready to travel.” ― Gabrielle Zevin
93. “Be the master of your thoughts and emotions, not the other way around.” – Remez Sasson
94. “Detachment is not about refusing to feel or not caring or turning away from those you love. Detachment is profoundly honest, grounded firmly in the truth of what is.” ― Sharon Salzberg
95. “We have forgotten that the natural foe to life is not a distant death, but a present, in-the-moment detachment from living.” — Brendon Burchard
Detachment Quotes About Love And Relationships
96. “Even when I detach, I care. You can be separate from a thing and still care about it.” ― David Levithan
97. “If you truly want to be respected by people you love, you must prove to them that you can survive without them.” ― Michael Bassey Johnson, The Infinity Sign
98. “Having an emotional connection with someone is a beautiful feeling, but don’t let your emotional energy causes you grief; let it be the cause of your peace and happiness.” – Nitin Namdeo
99. “True detachment does not mean alienating yourself from other people. You can be helpful and understanding, yet, keeping healthy boundaries and staying calm. It means not getting entangled with other people’s negative thoughts and negative feelings, anxieties and fears.” – Remez Sasson
100. “You don’t get attached to the person; you get attached to the feelings towards that person.” – Nitin Namdeo
101. “Loving, hating, having expectations: all these are attachments. Attachment prevents the growth of one’s true being.” – Lao Tzu
102. “It was my letting go that gave me a better hold.” ― Chris Matakas
103. “The monsters of our childhood do not fade away, neither are they ever wholly monstrous. But neither, in my experience, do we ever reach a plane of detachment regarding our parents, however wise and old we may become. To pretend otherwise is to cheat.” ― John le Carre
105. “Don’t confuse attachment with love; love is freedom while attachment is a cage.” – Nitin Namdeo
106. “For the person who has learned to let go and let be, nothing can ever get in the way again.” – Meister Eckhart
107. “Life is quite easy, beautiful, and peaceful until you get attached to things and people.” – Nitin Namdeo
108. “When you become detached mentally from yourself and concentrate on helping other people with their difficulties, you will be able to cope with your own more effectively. Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor.” ― Norman Vincent Peale
109. “You can be loving, caring, interested in people, and yet keep a certain measure of detachment. This would protect you from becoming too attached for your own good, or emotionally drained by negative people.” – Remez Sasson
110. “Lose your attachment to everything that prevents you from living a peaceful life.” – Nitin Namdeo
What’s Your Favorite Detachment Quote?
Life is all about balance; most of the time, what comes up must come down.
There is no guarantee about the permanence of people and things in our lives.
Still, we can always guarantee ourselves a place for healing as long as we accept that it is inevitable for us to go through sticky situations that will sometimes question our integrity.
It is also important to remember that sometimes, letting go is the best thing to do.
Now, which one of these detachment quotes hits your heart the most?
Let us know in the comments!
Alan is the founder of Subconscious Servant. He has a passion for learning about topics such as spirituality and the metaphysical world. The thing he loves to explore most though is manifesting with the law of attraction ✨.