Of all vain things excuses are the vainest.
—Charles Buxton (1823–71) British Politician, Writer
It is wise to direct your anger towards problems—not people, to focus your energies on answers—not excuses.
—William Arthur Ward (1921–94) American Author
We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.
—Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) British Children’s Books Writer, Short story, Novelist, Poet, Journalist
The only man who is really free is the one who can turn down an invitation to dinner without giving an excuse.
—Jules Renard (1864–1910) French Writer, Diarist
No doubt Jack the Ripper excused himself on the grounds that it was human nature.
—A. A. Milne (1882–1956) British Humorist, Playwright, Children’s Writer
The real man is one who always finds excuses for others, but never excuses himself.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
Apologizing.—A very desperate habit,—one that is rarely cured. Apology is only egotism wrong side out. Nine times out of ten, the first thing a man’s companion knows of his shortcoming is from his apology. It is mighty presumptuous on your part to suppose your small failures of so much consequence that you must make a talk about them.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–94) American Physician, Essayist
Two wrongs don’t make a right, but they make a good excuse.
—Thomas Szasz (1920–2012) Hungarian-American Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst
Any excuse will serve a tyrant.
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
Bad men excuse their faults; good men will leave them.
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637) English Dramatist, Poet, Actor
Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things.
—Russell Baker (1925–2019) American Journalist, Humorist, Television Host
Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts.
—Edward R. Murrow (1908–65) American Journalist, Radio Personality
The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other person finds an excuse.
—Unknown
Every vice has its excuse ready.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
Uncalled for excuses are practical confessions.
—Charles Simmons (1924–2017) American Editor, Novelist
Don’t make excuses—make good.
—Anonymous
And oftentimes excusing of a fault doth make the fault the worse by the excuse.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The absent are never without fault, nor the present without excuse.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Bad excuses are worse than none.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
To offer the complexities of life as an excuse for not addressing oneself to the simpler, more manageable (trivial) aspects of daily existence is a perversity often indulged in by artists, husbands, intellectuals—and critics of the Women’s Movement.
—Barbara Grizzuti Harrison (1934–2002) American Journalist, Essayist, Memoirist, Travel Writer
I never knew a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Destiny: A tyrant’s authority for crime and a fool’s excuse for failure.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
We have more ability than will power, and it is often an excuse to ourselves that we imagine that things are impossible.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
The best job goes to the person who can get it done without passing the buck or coming back with excuses.
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American Author, Journalist, Attorney, Lecturer
Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard master to yourself—and be lenient to everybody else.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
Never ruin an apology with an excuse.
—Kimberly Johnson (b.1971) American Poet, Historian, Academic
An excuse is worse than a lie, for an excuse is a lie, guarded.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
A lie is an excuse guarded.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist
Justifying a fault doubles it.
—French Proverb
Success is a tale of obstacles overcome, and for every obstacle overcome, an excuse not used.
—Robert Brault
Don’t do what you’ll have to find an excuse for.
—Common Proverb
Don’t make excuses—make good.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
I attribute my success to this:I never gave or took an excuse.
—Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) English Nurse
For many people, an excuse is better than an achievement because an achievement, no matter how great, leaves you having to prove yourself again in the future; but an excuse can last for life.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
The girl who can’t dance says the band can’t play.
—Yiddish Proverb
Pessimism is an excuse for not trying and a guarantee to a personal failure.
—Bill Clinton (b.1946) American Head of State, Lawyer, Public Speaker
He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
When you get right down to it, one of the most important tasks of a leader is to eliminate his people’s excuse for failure.
—Robert C. Townsend (1920–98) American Businessman
We excuse our sloth under the pretext of difficulty.
—Quintilian (c.35–c.100 CE) Roman Rhetorician, Literary Critic
No one ever excused his way to success.
—Dave Del Dotto American Real Estate Investor
It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.
—George Washington (1732–99) American Head of State, Military Leader
Sometimes I wish I had a terrible childhood, so that at least I’d have an excuse.
—Jimmy Fallon (b.1974) American Comedian, TV Personality, Actor, Musician
If you don’t want to do something, one excuse is as good as another.
—Yiddish Proverb
Your letter of excuses has arrived. I receive the letter but do not admit the excuses except in courtesy, as when a man treads on your toes and begs your pardon—the pardon is granted, but the joint aches, especially if there is a corn upon it.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
It’s a good rule in life never to apologize. The right sort of people don’t want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them.
—P. G. Wodehouse (1881–1975) British Novelist, Short-story Writer, Playwright
People with integrity do what they say they are going to do. Others have excuses.
—Laura Schlessinger (b.1947) American Radio Talk-Show Host, Author
Several excuses are always less convincing than one.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
We are all manufacturers – some make good, others make trouble, and still others make excuses.
—Unknown
Don’t make excuses, make good.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher