7 Hunter S. Thompson Quotes To Inspire You To Grab Life By The Balls

Hunter S. Thompson was one of the most spectacularly outrageous journalists in modern history. He’s best known for coining Gonzo journalism, a style in which writers involve themselves in the action to such a degree that they become central figures in their stories.

He had an unwavering desire to actuate the American Dream and live his life to the fullest. Thompson had this eccentricity about him that told you he just saw the world differently and had no regrets regarding how he lived.

Not surprisingly, he left behind some rather thought-provoking quotes. Read below for seven Hunter S. Thompson quotes that will inspire you to live your life to the absolute fullest:

No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride... and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what you had in mind, well... maybe chalk it off to forced conscious expansion: Tune in, freak out, get beaten. ― "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"

Don’t let your fears stand in your way of accomplishing your goals. If you set out to do something, do it completely. Inevitably, things will go wrong at some point, but you’ll have something to glean from the experience.

You will have learned from the novel situation, and your life will likely be more exciting because of it. Sometimes, you just have to slam on the gas pedal and go.

We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and — in spite of True Romance magazines — we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. I do not say lonely — at least, not all the time — but essentially, and finally, alone. This is what makes your self-respect so important, and I don't see how you can respect yourself if you must look in the hearts and minds of others for your happiness. ― "The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman," 1955-1967

No matter how much love and support you have from your friends and family, no one can live your life for you. At the end of the day, you are the only person you can count on because your future is in your own hands. You have to carry the weight; you have to put the team on your back.

Happiness doesn’t happen by accident, and you shouldn’t expect to achieve it passively or second-handedly. In many cases, happiness requires hard work and attention.

It is up to you to build yourself into who you want to be, and in return, you'll figure out how to self-sustain long-term happiness.

You should strive to have the skills and abilities that allow you to tap into that uniquely effervescent surge of calm euphoria that you so rarely experience; that feeling you get when you're relaxing on the beach, gazing at the clouds with a drink in your hand, with not a worry in the world.

This is not easy to accomplish, as some people dedicate their lives to attaining enlightenment. But, as long as you continually make an active effort to enhance your mindset and improve upon yourself, you'll find your life only getting better as time goes on.

There is no ceiling for how good life can be, it is simply up to you.

So we shall let the reader answer this question for himself: who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?

It’s everyone’s dream to cast out a line, tug at the ropes, catch the giant marlin and bring it back to shore safely. Everyone wants to win the proverbial bread, and everyone wants to live happy lives. But, given the difficulty of submerging yourself in adversity and actually facing the tides, not everyone will be able to live the lives they pictured.

Many will fail and simply stop trying, but others will rise up again and face the storm. And, with great risk comes great reward.

You can choose to chase the feeling that causes your pupils to dilate and blood to rush powerfully through your veins, or you can choose to ignore your passions and dull your senses. You can take the road less traveled and live the life you truly desire, or you can choose to be another brick in the wall. The choice is yours.

Sex without love is as hollow and ridiculous as love without sex.

With sex, love or life in general, you should never half-ass it. If you are going to do something, do it completely; pour your heart and soul into it. Reach deep down inside yourself and find what sparks your passion.

Take that flicker of fire and douse it in kerosene; watch it explode into a beautiful spectacle of your wildest dreams, flashing right before your very eyes. Bask in the wholehearted glory of what you choose to do and you'll notice your life only getting better.

Some may never live, but the crazy never die.

Becoming replaceable is the equivalent of death. You should strive to offer value in every possible situation. You should strive to think outside of the box and challenge the status quo.

You should constantly think of ways to move forward and enhance your life, along with the lives of others.

Like most others, I was a seeker, a mover, a malcontent, and at times a stupid hell-raiser. I was never idle long enough to do much thinking, but I felt somehow that some of us were making real progress, that we had taken an honest road, and that the best of us would inevitably make it over the top. At the same time, I shared a dark suspicion that the life we were leading was a lost cause, that we were all actors, kidding ourselves along on a senseless odyssey. It was the tension between these two poles — a restless idealism on one hand and a sense of impending doom on the other — that kept me going. ― "The Rum Diary"

Life sometimes has its ways of making you feel like it’s all a big joke. The future is uncertain, and you’ll never truly know for a fact whether or not you’re on the right track. If you dwell on this uncertainty and take the analytical plunge off the deep end, constantly second-guessing yourself, you will end up paralyzed.

You should use whatever you can in order to propel yourself forward because the uncertainty will always be there; it’s the common denominator that reflects our humanity.

Every now and then when your life gets complicated and the weasels start closing in, the only cure is to load up on heinous chemicals and then drive like a bastard from Hollywood to Las Vegas... with the music at top volume and at least a pint of ether. ― "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"

We all have our vices and activities that keep us sane. While Hunter S. Thompson’s penchant for chaos may have been a bit precarious, you should have some things in life that are purely yours, for you to enjoy.

Everyone needs outlets for the stress that naturally accumulates in life. Find some routines that help you take your mind off the madness (without drugs) and you’ll find yourself enjoying life a whole lot more.