Elbert Hubbard, have you heard of him? He was a late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century American writer, artist, and philosopher. His words continue to inspire and encourage others today, including me! and his quotes are a testament to his wisdom and insight.
These quotes by Elbert Hubbard are very illuminating to me, and I appreciate how they urge us to take responsibility for our own lives, accept failure as a part of the learning process, and follow our passions with enthusiasm.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the most famous quotes from Elbert Hubbard and explore the wisdom they contain. His will words remind us of the significance of perseverance, dedication, and personal accountability in achieving our goals.
Who is Elbert Hubbard
Elbert Hubbard was an American writer, artist, and philosopher who lived from 1856 to 1915. Hubbard was a prominent member of the Arts and Crafts Movement, best known for developing the Roycroft artisan community in East Aurora, New York, which produced handcrafted books, furniture, and other decorative objects.
Here are some interesting facts about Hubbard:
- Aside from his artisanal work, Hubbard had an impressive output as a writer and speaker, producing literature and lectures on various topics, such as philosophy, entrepreneurship, and self-improvement.
- He firmly advocated for hard work, individual accountability, and the pursuit of passions, and his words still serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to many people today.
- Hubbard’s renowned literary work is the essay entitled “A Message to Garcia” which praises the values of resourcefulness and personal accountability.
- He possessed a remarkable sense of humor, and his quotations often reveal his conviction that life should be lived fully, and that one should not take oneself too seriously.
- Tragically, Hubbard passed away in 1915, after the Lusitania, the vessel he was traveling on, was torpedoed by a German U-boat during World War I.
Elbert Hubbard Quotes for Everyday Life
If men could only know the best way to prepare for life is to begin to live.
A goal without a plan is a dream.
A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn into glorious success.
Character is the result of two things: mental attitude and the way we spend our time.
The highest reward that God gives us for good work is the ability to do better work.
No one ever gets far unless he accomplishes the impossible at least once a day.
The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.
Don’t take life too seriously; you’ll never get out of it alive.
Strong men can always afford to be gentle. Only the weak are intent on giving as good as they get.
The sculptor produces the beautiful statue by chipping away such parts of the marble block as are not needed — it is a process of elimination.
Cultivate only the habits that you are willing should master you.
We are punished for our sins, not for them.
One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.
The only way to have a friend is to be one.
School should not be a preparation for life. A school should be life.
Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.
Art is not a thing; it is a way.
God will not look you over for medals degrees or diplomas, but for scars.
The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.
Every quarrel begins in nothing and ends in a struggle for supremacy.
The final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure criticism without resentment.
Thoroughness characterizes all successful men. Genius is the art of taking infinite pains. All great achievement has been characterized by extreme care, and infinite painstakingness, even to the minutest detail.
The greatest gift you can give another is the purity of your attention.
It is easy to get everything you want, provided you first learn to do without the things you cannot get.
If I supply you with a thought, you may remember it and you may not. But if I can make you think a thought for yourself, I have indeed added to your stature.
Do not dump your woes upon people – keep the sad story of your life to yourself. Troubles grow by recounting them.
The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
Self-control is the ability to restrain a laugh at the wrong place.
Love grows by giving. The love we give away is the only love we keep. The only way to retain love is to give it away.
The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.
One great, strong, unselfish soul in every community could actually redeem the world.
A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.
Art is a beautiful way of doing things. Science is an effective way of doing things. Business is the economic way of doing things.
Dreams can come true, but there is a secret. They’re realized through the magic of persistence, determination, commitment, passion, practice, focus, and hard work. They happen a step at a time, manifested over years, not weeks.
No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one.
If men could only know each other, they would neither idolize nor hate.
Righteous indignation: your own wrath as opposed to the shocking bad temper of others.
The only way to avoid criticism is to do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.
To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.
The mintage of wisdom is to know that rest is rust, and that real life is love, laughter, and work.
Life without absorbing occupation is hell; joy consists in forgetting life.
All good men are anarchists. All cultured, kindly men; all gentlemen; all just men are anarchists. Jesus was an anarchist.
Never explain – your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.
The teacher is the one who gets the most out of the lessons, and the true teacher is the learner.
If you don’t advertise yourself you will be advertised by your loving enemies.
Get happiness out of your work or you may never know what happiness is.
The man who knows it cannot be done counts the risk, not the reward.
Responsibility is the price of freedom.
Famous Elbert Hubbard Quotes
Man creates both his god and his devil in his own image. His god is himself at his best, and his devil himself at his worst.
The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without his teacher.
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it: so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it.
Never get married in college; it’s hard to get a start if a prospective employer finds you’ve already made one mistake.
A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.
Positive anything is better than negative nothing.
Do your work with your whole heart, and you will succeed – there’s so little competition.
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.
Life is just one damn thing after another.
Happiness is a habit – cultivate it.
People who matter are most aware that everyone else does too.
The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.
The highest reward for a man’s toil is not what he gets for it but what he becomes by it each other, they would neither idolize nor hate.
If you can’t answer a man’s arguments, all is not lost; you can still call him vile names.
Life is a paradox. Every truth has its counterpart which contradicts it, and every philosopher supplies the logic of his own undoing.
If your religion does not change you, then you should change your religion.
It is a fine thing to have the ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test.
If you work for a man, in Heaven’s name work for him! If he pays you wages that supply your bread and butter, work for him, stand by him, and stand by the institution he represents.
What boy well raised can compare with your street gamin who has the knowledge and the shrewdness of a grown-up broker.
If put to the pinch, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness.
Religions are many and diverse, but reason and goodness are one.
If men will not act for themselves, what will they do when the benefit of their effort is for all?
Impossible things are simply those which so far have never been done.
Insomnia never comes to a man who has to get up exactly at six o’clock. Insomnia troubles only those who can sleep at any time.
It may happen sometimes that a long debate becomes the cause of a longer friendship. Commonly, those who dispute with one another at last agree.
Wrapping up:
Here are some quotes by Elbert Hubbard that showcase his wisdom and insight into the human condition.
As a gifted author, orator, and thinker, Hubbard shared countless words of wisdom that continue to captivate and motivate audiences today.
His ideas spanned a wide range of topics, from the significance of hard work and individual accountability to the pursuit of passions and the role of humor in life. Join us as we delve into a selection of Hubbard’s most memorable quotes and reflect on the enduring messages they convey. You can learn more about him in this article.
