Inspirational Quotes by Thomas Carlyle (Scottish Historian, Essayist)

Inspirational Quotations by Thomas Carlyle (Scottish Historian, Essayist)

Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) was an eminent—and controversial—Scottish historian, political philosopher, and essayist from the Victorian era.

Known for his incisive critique of British society, Carlyle was one of the most significant thinkers of the nineteenth century. However, since the early 1900s, his work has been criticized for his belief that powerful, heroic individuals can transform the course of humanity and for his adoration of the Germanic spirit—both of which invigorated Nazi ideologues.

Carlyle studied and translated German literature in his early years. Some of his earliest writings describe a polarity between the “sacrificial seriousness” of the German culture and the “superficial, pleasure-seeking” British culture. In Signs of the Times (1829,) he described the chasm between the material advancements of the machine age and the soulless mediocrity of “modern man.”

Carlyle’s first truly successful book was The French Revolution (3 vols., 1837.) Considered a reliable account of the early course of the Revolution, it was used for reference by Charles Dickens while writing his A Tale of Two Cities (1859.)

At the core of Carlyle’s political philosophy was his attribution of all historical progress solely to mighty heroes who served as role models for how people should live. He wrote, “No great man lives in vain. The history of the world is but the biography of great men.” He expounded these beliefs in The French Revolution, On Heroes and Hero Worship (1841,) and History of Frederick the Great (6 vols., 1858–65.) These books profoundly influenced German and Italian fascism and painted Carlyle as a progenitor of the concept of totalitarian regimes.

More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Thomas Carlyle

Adversity is sometimes hard upon a man; but for one man who can stand prosperity, there are a hundred that will stand adversity.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Adversity, Difficulties

Experience is the best of schoolmasters, only the school fees are heavy.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Experience

Imperfection clings to a person, and if they wait till they are brushed off entirely, they would spin for ever on their axis, advancing nowhere.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Perfection

There is often more spiritual force in a proverb than in whole philosophical systems.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Proverbs

A person who is gifted sees the essential point and leaves the rest as surplus.
—Thomas Carlyle

We are not altogether here to tolerate. We are here to resist, to control and vanquish withal.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Leadership

Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Aspirations, Goals

The depth of our despair measures what capability and height of claim we have to hope.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Despair

Enjoying things which are pleasant; that is not the evil: it is the reducing of our moral self to slavery by them that is.
—Thomas Carlyle

Tell a man he is brave, and you help him to become so.
—Thomas Carlyle

If you are ever in doubt as to whether to kiss a pretty girl, always give her the benefit of the doubt.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Women

The only happiness a brave person ever troubles themselves in asking about, is happiness enough to get their work done.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Happiness

Manhood begins when we have in any way made truce with Necessity; begins even when we have surrendered to Necessity, as the most part only do; but begins joyfully and hopefully only when we have reconciled ourselves to Necessity; and thus, in reality, triumphed over it, and felt that in Necessity we are free.
—Thomas Carlyle

Man is a tool-using animal…Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all.
—Thomas Carlyle

Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one less scoundrel in the world.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Honesty

The best effect of any book, is that it excites the reader to self-activity.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Reading, Books, Literature

The man who cannot laugh is not only fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils, but his whole life is already a treason and a stratagem.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Laughter, Fear

All greatness is unconscious, or it is little and naught.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Greatness

In every object there is inexhaustible meaning; the eye sees in it what the eye brings means of seeing.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Knowledge

Under all speech that is good for anything there lies a silence that is better, silence is deep as eternity; speech is shallow as time.
—Thomas Carlyle

All work, even cotton spinning, is noble; work is alone noble … A life of ease is not for any man, nor for any god.
—Thomas Carlyle

Of America it would ill beseem any Englishman, and me perhaps as little as another, to speak unkindly, to speak unpatriotically, if any of us even felt so. Sure enough, America is a great, and in many respects a blessed and hopeful phenomenon. Sure enough, these hardy millions of Anglosaxon men prove themselves worthy of their genealogy. But as to a Model Republic, or a model anything, the wise among themselves know too well that there is nothing to be said. Their Constitution, such as it may be, was made here, not there. Cease to brag to me of America, and its model institutions and constitutions.
—Thomas Carlyle

With stupidity and sound digestion man may front much.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Health

What you see, yet can not see over, is as good as infinite.
—Thomas Carlyle

The fraction of life can be increased in value not so much by increasing your numerator as by lessening your denominator. Nay, unless my algebra deceives me, unity itself divided by zero will give infinity.
—Thomas Carlyle

In every phenomenon the beginning remains always the most notable moment.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Beginning

Originality is a thing we constantly clamour for, and constantly quarrel with.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Originality

The first duty of man is to conquer fear; he must get rid of it, he cannot act till then.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Fear

The courage we desire and prize is not the courage to die decently, but to live manfully.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Bravery, Courage

The condition of the most passionate enthusiast is to be preferred over the individual who, because of the fear of making a mistake, won’t in the end affirm or deny anything.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Enthusiasm

The heart always sees before than the head can see.
—Thomas Carlyle

Show me the person you honor, for I know better by that the kind of person you are. For you show me what your idea of humanity is.
—Thomas Carlyle

If there be no enemy there’s no fight. If no fight, no victory and if no victory there is no crown.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Enemies, Fighting

There are depths in man that go to the lowest hell, and heights that reach the highest heaven, for are not both heaven and hell made out of him, everlasting miracle and mystery that he is.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Man

Is man’s civilization only a wrappage, through which the savage nature of him can still burst, infernal as ever?
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Civilization

We are firm believers in the maxim that for all right judgment of any man or thing it is useful, nay, essential, to see his good qualities before pronouncing on his bad.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Judgment

The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Attitude, Difficulties, Adversity, Obstacles, Decisions

A word spoken in season, at the right moment, is the mother of ages.
—Thomas Carlyle

By nature man hates change; seldom will he quit his old home till it has actually fallen around his ears.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Change

Everywhere in life the true question is, not what we have gained, but what we do.
—Thomas Carlyle
Topics: Doing