The “what is best in life” quote most people mean is from the 1982 movie Conan the Barbarian :
“What is best in life? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women.”

Quick Scoop: Core Answer

  • The famous line comes from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Conan being asked, “What is best in life?”
  • Conan answers with a brutal, warlike code:

To crush your enemies,
see them driven before you,
and hear the lamentations of their women.

  • It’s intentionally exaggerated, darkly humorous, and shows how barbaric his world is, not a serious modern life philosophy.

Where the Quote Comes From

  • The scene is in Conan the Barbarian (1982), during a sequence where Conan is sitting among warriors and leaders, and the question is posed like a warrior’s riddle.
  • The line is loosely inspired by a historical quote attributed to Genghis Khan, about the greatest happiness being to defeat your enemies and hear the cries of their women, which the film adapts into a punchy, memorable version.

Why It Became So Popular

  • The quote is:
    • Short, extreme, and easy to remember.
    • Delivered in a dead-serious tone, which makes it unintentionally funny and very meme‑able.
    • Used online as a tongue‑in‑cheek joke answer whenever someone asks “What is best in life?” in forums or chats.

People often use it:

  • As a joke punchline in gaming communities.
  • As an ironic contrast to wholesome “live your best life” quotes.
  • In memes, image macros, and comment threads.

Modern Takes vs. Conan’s Take

If you’re looking for “what is best in life quote” in a more inspirational sense (not barbarian‑mode), people today often lean toward ideas like:

  • Appreciating everyday moments and relationships.
  • Focusing on how you respond to life more than what happens to you.
  • “Living your best life” through growth, gratitude, and health.

So there are really two worlds of answers:

  1. The Conan quote – violent, over-the-top, iconic pop‑culture line.
  2. Modern self‑growth quotes about living your “best life” that focus on joy, meaning, and resilience.

Quick TL;DR

  • “What is best in life?” in pop culture = Conan’s line: “To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women.”
  • It’s famous because it’s extreme, memorable, meme‑friendly, and rooted in a stylized barbarian ethos, not because it’s meant as real-world advice.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.