Strength, Resilience & Mindfulness: Philosophical Food for ADHD

Philosophical quotes from great — sometimes even crazy — thinkers help promote balance and resilience in ADHD. Let yourself be inspired.

1. Mindfulness and presence

Ramana Maharshi: "Whatever happens, be done. Whatever is to be, be."

Context: Maharshi was an Indian mystic who saw mindfulness and inner peace as the key to a fulfilling life. His focus was on self-awareness and acceptance of the present moment.

Mindset: Maharshi taught serenity through self-reflection and detachment from external expectations. For people with ADHD, this attitude offers valuable guidance in an often chaotic daily life.

Immanuel Kant: "Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."

Context: Kant's categorical imperative is a fundamental ethical rule intended to contribute to clarity and order in decision-making. He viewed reason as the central anchor for human action.

Mentality: Kant's rational approach helps people with ADHD to set values ​​as solid guardrails that can guide them beyond impulsive decisions.

2. Self-acceptance and growth

Erich Fromm: "You are not here to be perfect, but to be real."

Context: Fromm was a psychoanalyst and philosopher who explored the nature of humanity. He emphasized authenticity over perfectionism, which often leads to self-alienation.

Mentality: Fromm's emphasis on authenticity offers relief for those affected by ADHD, who are often characterized by self-criticism and unrealistic expectations.

Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama): "There is no path to happiness. Happiness is the path."

Context: The Buddha taught that happiness is found in the here and now, not in a distant goal. His philosophy emphasized mindfulness and detachment from unnecessary worries.

Mentality: For those with ADHD, who are often plagued by sensory overload and anxiety about the future, this approach offers a reminder to experience the moment consciously.

3. Patience and calmness

Jean-Jacques Rousseau: "Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet."

Context: Rousseau, an Enlightenment thinker, saw patience as a necessary virtue in a hectic world. He believed in development through nature and nurture.

Mentality: Rousseau's focus on long-term gain despite short-term challenges fits well with ADHD, where impulsiveness often gets in the way of planning or even following through.

Gottfried Keller: "Peace attracts life, unrest drives it away."

Context: Keller, a Swiss writer, believed that a balanced life was a prerequisite for creativity and success. His stories often depicted the effects of overindulgence.

Mentality: For those affected by ADHD, who are often driven by inner restlessness, this sentence is a valuable reminder that balance and more patience can enrich life.

4. Creativity and focus

Arthur Schopenhauer: "Genius lives only one floor above madness."

Context: Schopenhauer was a pessimist who emphasized the irrational forces of life, but also praised the creative energy that can arise from diverse challenges.

Mentality: His perspective helps people with ADHD, who often find creative solutions to problems, to appreciate their differences instead of seeing them as a weakness.

Karl Valentin: "Order is half of life – but disorder is the other half."

Context: The humorist Valentin understood human nature as a balance between chaos and structure. His works often reflected this duality in a humorous way.

Mentality: The statement reminds people with ADHD that disorder is not always negative, but also creates space for creativity.

5. Resilience and meaning

Søren Kierkegaard: "Life is lived forward and understood backward."

Context: Kierkegaard, the father of existentialism, wrote about the uncertainty of life and the need to live it consciously nonetheless.

Mentality: His idea helps people with ADHD to see the past not as a mistake, but as a learning process in order to draw meaning from it for the future.

Friedrich Nietzsche: "He who has a why to live can endure almost any how."

Context: The German philosopher Nietzsche emphasized the importance of finding meaning in life, especially in difficult times. His philosophy encourages people to find a personal mission.

Mindset: For people with ADHD who often search for direction, focusing on the "why" can play a crucial anchoring role.

Each of these quotes offers a perspective that can help people with ADHD, as well as all neurotypicals , to live their lives in a more conscious, balanced, and authentic way.