Moomin Words of Wisdom

Tove Jansson had a real knack for filling her Moomin characters full of wonderful words of wisdom.  Lessons on life and love and death, how to say no to relatives who want to stay in your house, how to feel glad to have emotions, how to embrace uncertainty and how sometimes it is ok to want to sack it all in and go live in a tree. Like Moomintroll, I too only want to live in peace and plant potatoes and dream. Here are some of the best pearls of wisdom Moomin characters have uttered over the years: 

“You can't ever be really free if you admire somebody too much.” ― Tove Jansson, Tales from Moominvalley

“A theatre is the most important sort of house in the world, because that's where people are shown what they could be if they wanted, and what they'd like to be if they dared to and what they really are” ― Tove Jansson, Moominsummer Madness 

“All things are so very uncertain, and that's exactly what makes me feel reassured.” ― Tove Jansson, Moominland Midwinter 

“You must go on a long journey before you can really find out how wonderful home is.” ― Tove Jansson, Comet in Moominland

“Someone who eats pancakes and jam can't be so awfully dangerous. You can talk to him.”  ― Tove Jansson, Finn Family Moomintroll

“Quite, quite,' she thought with a little sigh. 'It's always like this in their adventures. To save and be saved. I wish somebody would write a story sometime about the people who warm up the heroes afterward.” ― Tove Jansson, Moominland Midwinter

“I ONLY WANT TO LIVE IN PEACE AND PLANT POTATOES AND DREAM!”  ― Tove Jansson, Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip, Vol. 1

“It's funny about paths and rivers," he mused. "You see them go by, and suddenly you feel upset and want to be somewhere else--wherever the path or the river is going, perhaps.”  ― Tove Jansson, Comet in Moominland

“‎''Just think, never to be glad or disappointed. Never to like anyone and get cross at him and forgive him. Never to sleep or feel cold, never to make a mistake and have a stomach-ache and be cured from it, never to have a birthday party, drink beer, and have a bad conscience...How terrible.” ― Tove Jansson, Tales from Moominvalley

“There are those who stay at home and those who go away, and it has always been so. Everyone can choose for himself, but he must choose while there is still time and never change his mind.” ― Tove Jansson, Moominvalley in November  

“Moominpappa: "Tell us all that's happening out in the world!"

Snufkin: "Fuss and misery."

- from "Moomin and Family Life" comic strip” ― Tove Jansson, Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip, Vol. 1

“When one’s dead, one’s dead… This squirrel will become earth all in his time. And still later on, there’ll grow new trees from him, with new squirrels skipping about in them. Do you think that’s so very sad?” ― Tove Jansson, Moominland Midwinter

Wonderful Moomin Words of Wisdom quotes found on Goodreads.