Samuel Smiles Quotes - Page 3

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• No laws, however stringent, can make the idle industrious, the thriftless provident, or the drunken sober.

  Samuel Smiles

  Law, Sober, Idle

  Samuel Smiles (2009). “Self-Help: With Illustrations of Character and Conduct”, p.5, The Floating Press

  39 Copy quote

• Purposes, like eggs, unless they be hatched into action, will run into rottenness.

  Samuel Smiles

  Running, Eggs, Purpose

  Samuel Smiles (1861). “Self-help: With Illustrations of Character and Conduct”, p.353

  19 Copy quote

• There are many counterfeits of character, but the genuine article is difficult to be mistaken.

  Samuel Smiles

  Character, Genuine, Difficult

  Samuel Smiles (1873). “Self-help; with Illustrations of Character, Conduct, and Perseverance”, p.400

  8 Copy quote

• Progress, of the best kind, is comparatively slow

  Samuel Smiles

  Moving, Progress, Kind

  Samuel Smiles (1861). “Self-help: With Illustrations of Character and Conduct”, p.74

  8 Copy quote

• Commit a child to the care of a worthless, ignorant woman, and no culture in after-life will remedy the evil you have done.

  Samuel Smiles

  Children, Women, Evil

  Samuel Smiles (1872). “Character”, p.41

  6 Copy quote

• The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in the individual; and, exhibited in the lives of many, it constitutes the true source of national vigour and strength. Help from without is often enfeebling in its effects, but help from within invariably invigorates

  Samuel Smiles

  Self, Roots, Growth

  Samuel Smiles (1861). “Self-help: With Illustrations of Character and Conduct”, p.15

  31 Copy quote

• It is not ease, but effort-not facility, but difficulty, makes men. There is, perhaps, no station in life in which difficulties have not to be encountered and overcome before any decided measure of success can be achieved.

  Samuel Smiles

  Life, Men, Effort

  Samuel Smiles (1861). “Self-help: With Illustrations of Character and Conduct”, p.348

  8 Copy quote

• Help from without is often enfeebling in its effects, but help from within invariably invigorates.

  Samuel Smiles

  Helping, Genuine Smiles, Effects

  Samuel Smiles (1866). “Self-help: With Illustrations of Charakter, Conduct and Perseverance”, p.1

  7 Copy quote

• Even happiness itself may become habitual. There is a habit of looking at the bright side of things, and also of looking at the dark side. Dr. Johnson has said that the habit of looking at the best side of a thing is worth more to a man than a thousand pounds a year. And we possess the power, to a great extent, of so exercising the will as to direct the thoughts upon objects calculated to yield happiness and improvement rather than their opposites.

  Samuel Smiles

  Exercise, Dark, Men

  Samuel Smiles (1868). “Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character, Conduct, and Perseverance by Samuel Smiles”, p.391

  21 Copy quote

• Childhood is like a mirror, which reflects in after life the images first presented to it.

  Samuel Smiles

  Children, Mirrors, Childhood

  Samuel Smiles (1872). “Character”, p.34

  20 Copy quote

• Though an inheritance of acres may be bequeathed, an inheritance of knowledge and wisdom cannot. The wealthy man may pay others for doing his work for him; but it is impossible to get his thinking done for him by another, or to purchase any kind of self-culture.

  Samuel Smiles

  Men, Thinking, Self

  Samuel Smiles (1873). “Self-help; with Illustrations of Character, Conduct, and Perseverance”, p.35

  20 Copy quote

• Labour may be a burden and a chastisement, but it is also an honour and a glory. Without it, nothing can be accomplished.

  Samuel Smiles

  May, Glory, Burden

  Samuel Smiles (1872). “Character”, p.88

  9 Copy quote

• The knowledge and experience which produce wisdom can only become a man's individual possession and property by his own free action; and it is as futile to expect these without laborious, painstaking effort, as it is to hope to gather a harvest where the seed has not been sown.

  Samuel Smiles

  Wisdom, Men, Effort

  Samuel Smiles (1861). “Self-help: With Illustrations of Character and Conduct”, p.32

  19 Copy quote

• Even happiness itself may become habitual. There is a habit of looking at the bright side of things, and also of looking at the dark side.

  Samuel Smiles

  Gratitude, Dark, Sides

  Samuel Smiles (1859). “Self-help; with illustrations of character and conduct”, p.322

  7 Copy quote

• Luck whines; labor whistles.

  Samuel Smiles

  Luck, Labor

  Samuel Smiles (1800). “Thrift”, p.176

  17 Copy quote

• Luck lies in bed, and wishes the postman would bring him news of a legacy; labor turns out at six, and with busy pen or ringing hammer lays the foundation of a competence.

  Samuel Smiles

  Lying, Luck, Wish

  Samuel Smiles (1800). “Thrift”, p.176

  19 Copy quote

• The wise man... if he would live at peace with others, he will bear and forbear.

  Samuel Smiles

  Wise, Peace, Men

  Samuel Smiles (1871). “Character”, p.370

  7 Copy quote

• The great lesson of biography is to show what man can be and do at his best. A noble life put fairly on record acts like an inspiration to others.

  Samuel Smiles

  Inspiration, Men, Noble

  Samuel Smiles (1872). “Character”, p.269

  6 Copy quote

• Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh to -day as when they first passed through their authors' minds ages ago.

  Samuel Smiles

  Time, Mind, Age

  "Character".

  8 Copy quote

• Many are the lives of men unwritten, which have nevertheless as powerfully influenced civilization and progress as the more fortunate Great whose names are recorded in biography. Even the humblest person, who sets before his fellows an example of industry, sobriety, and upright honesty of purpose in life, has a present as well as a future influence upon the well-being of his country; for his life and character pass unconsciously into the lives of others, and propagate good example for all time to come.

  Samuel Smiles

  Country, Honesty, Character

  Samuel Smiles (1861). “Self-help: With Illustrations of Character and Conduct”, p.19

  8 Copy quote

• The highest culture is not obtained from the teacher when at school or college, so much as by our ever diligent self-education when we become men.

  Samuel Smiles

  Teacher, School, College

  8 Copy quote

• Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey towards it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us. ...Hope sweetens the memory of experiences well loved. It tempers our troubles to our growth and our strength. It befriends us in the dark hours, excites us in bright ones. It lends promise to the future and purpose to the past. It turns discouragement to determination. Samuel Smiles

  Samuel Smiles

  Determination, Memories, Dark

  6 Copy quote

• Men often discover their affinity to each other by the mutual love they have for a book.

  Samuel Smiles

  Book, Men, Mutual Love

  Samuel Smiles (1872). “Character”, p.264

  6 Copy quote

• For want of self-restraint many men are engaged all their lives in fighting with difficulties of their own making, and rendering success impossible by their own cross-grained ungentleness; whilst others, it may be much less gifted, make their way and achieve success by simple patience, equanimity, and self-control.

  Samuel Smiles

  Life, Success, Fighting

  Samuel Smiles (1910). “Character. Repr”

  11 Copy quote

• The path of success in business is invariably the path of common-sense. Nothwithstanding all that is said about "lucky hits," the best kind of success in every man's life is not that which comes by accident. The only "good time coming" we are justified in hoping for is that which we are capable of making for ourselves.

  Samuel Smiles

  Success, Men, Common Sense

  Samuel Smiles (1861). “Self-help: With Illustrations of Character and Conduct”, p.255

  11 Copy quote

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