Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all.

It's time to take a look at the origin of another one of our Simple Sayings quotes:

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all."

~Helen Keller, The Open Door

It looks like many of us (myself included!) have actually been misquoting Helen Keller. The full quote from The Open Door (1957) is as follows: 

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

The Open Door is a collection of excerpts from her previously published works. In the forward, Katherine Cornell writes: 

"Today the name of Helen Keller is known by millions all over the world. But not because she is deaf and blind. Thousands have been, are, and will be deaf and blind. And not because, being deaf and blind, she learned to read and write and speak. But because although she is deaf and blind, she learned to think with a philosophical depth of understanding that reaches the minds and hearts of all, and because she learned to express those thoughts with a clarity all writers must envy. Helen Keller is thought of as a phenomenon, a miracle, a humanitarian, and educator. That she is also a philosopher and a writer will be found, I believe, by those who read these excerpts from her several books, to which it is now my pleasure to commend you."

Looks like a book I'll be adding to my reading list.

Be sure to check out all of our Simple Sayings here. If you'd prefer gold-filled instead of sterling silver, just contact us.

Have an idea for another quote? Please email us at orders@PunkyJane.com.