The only difference between a problem and a solution is that people understand the solution.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Problem-solving, Problems
Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Hope, Imagination
A problem well stated is a problem half solved.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Identifying Problems, Problems
The opportunities of man are limited only by his imagination. But so few have imagination that there are ten thousand fiddlers to one composer.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Imagination
Don’t be afraid to stumble. Any inventor will tell you that you don’t follow a plan far before you strike a snag. If, out of 100 ideas you get one that works, it’s enough.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Ideas
If I have had any success, it’s due to luck, but I notice the harder I work, the luckier I get.
—Charles F. Kettering
The faster you go, the more chance there is of stubbing your toe, but the more chance you have of getting somewhere.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Perspective, Risk
There has never been any 30-hour week for men who had anything to do.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Work
The price of progress is trouble.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Progress
The future can be anything we want it to be, providing we have the faith and that we realize that peace, no less than war, required blood and sweat and tears.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Faith, Future
One of the things we have to be thankful for is that we don’t get as much government as we pay for.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Government
High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Success & Failure, Expectations, Achievement, Expectation, Achieve, Work
If a fellow wants to be a nobody in the business world, let him neglect sending the mail man to somebody on his behalf.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Advertising, Business
Problems are the price of progress. Don’t bring me anything but trouble. Good news weakens me.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Problems, Challenges, Difficulties, Adversity
Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Perseverance, Resolve, Endurance, Trying, Action, Challenges, Success & Failure
Nothing ever built arose to touch the skies unless some man dreamed that it should, some man believed that it could, and some man willed that it must.
—Charles F. Kettering
A man must have a certain amount of intelligent ignorance to get anywhere.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Common Sense, Men
If you want to kill any idea in the world today, get a committee working on it.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Ideas
One fails forward toward success.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Failure, One liners
It’s amazing what ordinary people can do if they set out without preconceived notions.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Prejudice, Achieving
Thinking is one thing no one has ever been able to tax.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Thinking, Thoughts, Thought
Logic is a system whereby one may go wrong with confidence.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Logic
My interest is in the future because I’m going to spend the rest of my life there.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Future, The Future, Tomorrow, Vision
The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Ideals, Change
You will never stub your toe standing still. The faster you go, the more chance there is of stubbing your toe, but the more chance you have of getting somewhere.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Failure, Chance, Action
Virtually nothing comes out right the first time. Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. The only time you don’t want to fail is the last time you try something … One fails forward toward success.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Failures, Success & Failure, Achievement, Mistakes
The difference between intelligence and an education is this-that intelligence will make you a good living.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Intelligence
You can be sincere and still be stupid.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Ignorance
In America we can say what we think, and even if we can’t think, we can say it anyhow.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Thinking, Thought, Thoughts
Whenever you look at a piece of work and you think the fellow was crazy, then you want to pay some attention to that. One of you is likely to be, and you had better find out which one it is. It makes an awful lot of difference.
—Charles F. Kettering
Topics: Mind
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- Alexander Graham Bell Scottish-born American Inventor
- Thomas Edison American Inventor
- Robert H. Goddard American Physicist
- Soichiro Honda Japanese Inventor
- Friedrich Koenig German Inventor
- Pierre Beaumarchais French Inventor
- Henry Ford American Businessperson
- An Wang Chinese-born American Engineer
- William C. Durant American Industrialist
- George Washington Carver American Scientist
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