59 pages 1 hour read

Rick Warren

The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2002

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Important Quotes

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“It’s not about you.”


(Part 1, Day 1, Page 21)

This abrupt opening line utilizes asyndeton, a deliberate omission of conjunctions, creating a stark and blunt statement. The sentence’s brevity and directness immediately draw attention to the central theme of the book: the pursuit of personal purpose in the context of a greater divine plan. This is in opposition to self-serving lifestyles that focus on the individual.

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“This life is not all there is.”


(Part 1, Day 4, Page 39)

There’s an implicit use of antithesis, a literary device that places contrasting ideas in close proximity. This quote contrasts the seen with the unseen, suggesting a more significant spiritual reality beyond the physical world. This antithesis functions to encourage a look beyond surface-level appearances to deeper meanings and purposes.

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“Life is a test, life is a trust, and life is a temporary assignment.”


(Part 1, Day 5, Page 45)

This quote uses a tricolon to enhance its rhetorical impact. It suggests that life’s sequence of tests offers opportunities for personal and spiritual growth, positioning life as a trust that underscores the responsibility to manage it with care as something bestowed by a higher power. Furthermore, it underscores life’s fleeting nature, a temporary mission that calls for an emphasis on eternal over temporal achievements, each part employing