Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) was a popular American salesman, author, and philosopher from the turn of the twentieth century.
This self-described “businessman with a literary attachment” had an unusual career. Hubbard was a brilliant marketer and salesperson for a soap company. At age 37, he sold his shares in the company to establish an arts and crafts community called Roycroft in East Aurora, New York. Roycroft attracted publishers, bookbinders, and artisans who, although not paid well, had a great deal of freedom to experiment with and refine their trade-skills.
Hubbard wrote six novels and hundreds of inspirational biographical essays called Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great. His A Message to Garcia (1899) was a bestselling inspirational essay on sales and marketing. His satirical newspaper The Philistine had a monthly circulation of over 100,000.
In 1915, Hubbard died on a voyage from New York to Liverpool aboard the RMS Lusitania when a German submarine torpedoed it off the coast of Ireland.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Elbert Hubbard
A pessimist is a man who has been compelled to live with an optimist.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Pessimism, Optimism
Allow motion to equal emotion.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Action
We find what we expect to find, and we receive what we ask for.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Expectation
The supernatural is the natural not yet understood.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Faith
I believe in my own divinity—and yours.
—Elbert Hubbard
When we really live truth, we will cease to talk about it.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Truth
A man is as good as he has to be, and a woman is as bad as she dares.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Women
The art of winning in business is in working hard—not taking things too seriously.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Business
The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Procrastination, Getting Going, Secrets of Success, Inaction
Parties who want milk should not seat themselves on a stool in the middle of a field in hope that the cow will back up to them
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Welfare
The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.
—Elbert Hubbard
The average man plays to the gallery of his own self-esteem.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Self-Discovery
Habit is a form of exercise.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Habits, Habit
So long as governments set the example of killing their enemies, private citizens will occasionally kill theirs.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Peace, Government, Example, Enemy
The point I wish to make is this: President William McKinley gave Rowan a letter to be delivered to Garcia; Rowan took the letter & did not ask, Where is he at? By the Eternal! there is a man whose form should be cast in deathless bronze & the statue placed in every college of the land. It is not book-learning young men need, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies: do the thingCarry a message to Garcia!
—Elbert Hubbard
Our desires always disappoint us; for though we meet with something that gives us satisfaction, yet it never thoroughly answers our expectation.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Expectation, Anticipation
Editor: a person employed by a newspaper, whose business it is to separate the wheat from the chaff, and to see that the chaff is printed.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Authors & Writing
There is no devil but fear.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Fear
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.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Simplicity
Action is thought tempered by illusion.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Action
Character is the result of two things: mental attitude and the way we spend our time.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Character, Attitude
Lovers are fools, but Nature makes them so.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Lovers, Love
Get happiness out of your work or you may never know what happiness is.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Happiness, Work
Morality is largely a matter of geography.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Morals
An imitator is a man who succeeds in being an imitation.
—Elbert Hubbard
Dignity is a mask we wear to hide our ignorance.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: One liners, Dignity
Genius is often only the power of making continuous efforts. 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. How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience, would have achieved success. As the tide goes clear out, so it comes clear in. In business sometimes prospects may seem darkest when really they are on the turn. A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success. There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent weakness of purpose.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Failure, Perseverance, Mistakes, Genius, Resolve, Persistence, Failures, Endurance, Success
Forbid a man to think for himself or to act for himself and you may add the joy of piracy and the zest of smuggling to his life.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Enthusiasm
It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires a great deal of strength to decide what to do.
—Elbert Hubbard
Topics: Decide, Decisions, Strength, Great
Simply be filled with the thought of good, and it will radiate—you do not have to bother about it, any more than you need trouble about your digestion.
—Elbert Hubbard
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