Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by Will Rogers (American Humorist, Actor)

Will Rogers (1879–1935,) fully William Penn Adair Rogers, was an American actor, entertainer, rancher, and humorist. Celebrated for pithy and homespun humor and cracker-barrel philosophy, he came to personify the wisdom of the common person.

Born the son of a rancher in Oolagah, Indian Territory (Oklahoma,) Rogers traveled to Buenos Aires and Johannesburg. He was employed as a ranch hand and cowpuncher. He used these skills as a vaudeville headliner with his rope twirling and homespun humor from 1905, appearing at the St Louis World’s Fair (1904) and in the musical The Girl Rangers (1907.)

Rogers’s first Broadway performance was in The Wall Street Girl (1912,) and he later became a regular attraction at the Ziegfeld Follies (1917–18.) By this time, his act had expanded to include homespun philosophy, wisecracking and rustic ruminations. He made several silent films, including Laughing Bill Hyde (1918,) Jubilo (1919,) and Doubling for Romeo (1921.)

Rogers returned to Broadway in Three Cheers (1928) and made They Had to See Paris (1929; his first sound film,) State Fair (1933,) Judge Priest (1934,) and Steamboat Round the Bend (1935.)

Rogers wrote a syndicated column for The New York Times 1922–35, wrote articles for the Saturday Evening Post and made frequent radio broadcasts. He died in a plane crash with aviator Wiley Post in Alaska.

Rogers’s notable works include The Cowboy Philosopher at the Peace Conference (1919,) Political Follies (1929,) and The Autobiography of Will Rogers (1949; compiled by from his writings and sayings by Donald Day.)

More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Will Rogers

An economist’s guess is liable to be as good as anybody else’s.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Economics, Economy

The best way to make a fire with two sticks is to make sure one of them is a match.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Energy

So let’s be honest with ourselves and not take ourselves too serious, and never condemn the other fellow for doing what we are doing every day, only in a different way.
—Will Rogers

A comedian can only last ’til he either takes himself serious or his audience takes him serious.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Audiences

You can’t say civilization isn’t advancing: in every war, they kill you in a new way.
—Will Rogers
Topics: War, Civilization

We are always saying: Let the Law take its Course but what we really mean is: Let the Law take OUR Course.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Law

Every time we have an election, we get in worse men and the country keeps right on going. Times have proven only one thing and that is you can’t ruin this country even with politics.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Politics

There should be one day when there is open season on senators.
—Will Rogers

You can’t say that civilization don’t advance… for in every war they kill you a new way.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Progress, Civilization, War

The nation is prosperous on the whole, but how much prosperity is there in a hole?
—Will Rogers
Topics: Debt

One ad is worth more to a paper than forty editorials.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Advertising

We are sure living in a peculiar time. You get more for not working than you will for working, and more for not raising a hog than for raising it
—Will Rogers
Topics: Welfare

Another way to solve the traffic problems of this country is to pass a law that only paid-for cars be allowed to use the highways.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Driving

Politics ain’t worrying this country one-tenth as much as where to find a parking space
—Will Rogers
Topics: Politics, Worry

I guess the only way to stop divorce is to stop marriage.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Divorce

For the American people are a very generous people and will forgive almost any weakness, with the possible exception of stupidity.
—Will Rogers

Popularity is the easiest thing in the world to gain and it is the hardest thing to hold.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Popularity

Pain is such an uncomfortable feeling that even a tiny amount of it is enough to ruin every enjoyment.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Pain

In the early days of the Indian Territory, there were no such things as birth certificates. You being there was certificate enough.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Life and Living

I have always said that a conference was held for one reason only, to give everybody a chance to get sore at everybody else. Sometimes it takes two or three conferences to scare up a war, but generally one will do it.
—Will Rogers

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.
—Will Rogers

The best doctor is the veterinarian. He can’t ask his patients what is the matter- he’s got to just know.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Doctors

People’s minds are changed through observation and not through argument.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Observation

People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Anger

There wasn’t any more truth in over half of what any so-called orator said. If it wasn’t a Deliberate Lie, why it was an Exaggerated Falsehood.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Deception/Lying

Politics has become so expensive that it takes a lot of money even to be defeated.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Politics, Defeat

I guess there is nothing that will get your mind off everything like golf. I have never been depressed enough to take up the game, but they say you get so sore at yourself you forget to hate your enemies.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Golf

There is no more independence in politics than there is in jail.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Independence, Politics, Politicians

I will never joke about old soldiers who try to get to reunions to talk over the war again. To talk of old times with old friends is the greatest thing in the world.
—Will Rogers
Topics: The Military

I’m not a member of any organized political party, I’m a Democrat!
—Will Rogers
Topics: Politicians, Politics

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