Inspirational Quotes by Will Rogers (American Humorist, Actor)

Inspirational Quotations 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

Liberty doesn’t work as well in practice as it does in speeches.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Speech, Liberty, Freedom

Communism is like prohibition, it is a good idea, but it won’t work.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Communism

The Republicans have their splits right after election and Democrats have theirs just before an election.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Elections

There is no credit to being a comedian, when you have the whole Government working for you. All you have to do is report the facts. I don’t even have to exaggerate.
—Will Rogers

We can’t all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Heroes/Heroism, Heroes, Failure, Success

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

If you ever injected truth into politics, you would have no politics.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Politics, Truth

There ain’t nothing that breaks up homes, country, and nations like somebody publishing their memoirs.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Biography

Successful colleges will start laying plans for a new stadium; unsuccessful ones will start hunting a new coach.
—Will Rogers

The main thing about being a hero is to know when to die.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Heroes/Heroism, Heroes

We are the first nation in the history of the world to go to the poorhouse in an automobile.
—Will Rogers

Here it is, a New Year. We got to make some resolutions, as well as interest and tax payments in this joyful season. It’s the start of a New Year of trials and tribulations, and if everybody that does anything gets caught, it will be mostly trials.
—Will Rogers

I never met a man I didn’t like.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Love, Man

A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Reading, Learning

Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.
—Will Rogers

And kid Congress and the Senate, don’t scold em. They are just children thats never grown up. They don’t like to be corrected in company. Don’t send messages to em, send candy.
—Will Rogers

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

Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else.
—Will Rogers

When I die, my epitaph or whatever you call those signs on gravestones is going to read: I joked about every prominent man of my time, but I never met a man I dident like. I am so proud of that I can hardly wait to die so it can be carved. And when you come to my grave you will find me sitting there, proudly reading it.
—Will Rogers

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

Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Courage, Risk

Do anything in this world but monkey with somebody else’s religion. What reasoning of conceit makes anyone think theirs is right?
—Will Rogers
Topics: Religion

The fellow that can only see a week ahead is always the popular fellow, for he is looking with the crowd. But the one that can see years ahead, he has a telescope but he can’t make anybody believe he has it.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Dreams, Vision

That’s one thing about a little education. It spoils you for actual work. The more you know the more you think somebody owes you a living.
—Will Rogers

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

I wonder if it isn’t just cowardice instead of generosity that makes us give tips.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Charity, Giving

Live that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Integrity, Character, Gossip

We can make this thing into a Party, instead of a Memory.
—Will Rogers

You politicians have got to look further ahead; you always got a Putter in your hands, when you ought to have a Driver.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Foresight

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

See where Congress passed a two billion dollar bill to relieve bankers’ mistakes. You can always count on us helping those who have lost part of their fortune, but our whole history records nary a case where the loan was for the man who had absolutely nothing. Our theory is to help only those who can get along, even if they don’t get a loan.
—Will Rogers

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

There is no more interesting place in the world to meet characters than a movie set. If you have lost anybody anywhere in the World and don’t know where they are, they are in Hollywood trying to get in the Movies.
—Will Rogers

Lord, the money we do spend on Government and its not one bit better than the government we got for one-third the money twenty years ago.
—Will Rogers

The trouble with our praying is, we just do it as a means of last resort.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Prayer

Things will get better—despite our efforts to improve them.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Progress

If advertisers spent the same amount of money on improving their products as they do on advertising then they wouldn’t have to advertise them.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Advertising

America is a great country, but you can’t live in it for nothing.
—Will Rogers

Worrying is like paying on a debt that may never come due
—Will Rogers
Topics: Worry

In order to succeed, you must know what you are doing, like what you are doing, and believe in what you are doing.
—Will Rogers