Labor disgraces no man, but occasionally men disgrace labor.
—Ulysses S. Grant (1822–85) American Civil War General, Head of State
Thinking is the hardest and most exhausting of all labor; and hence many people shrink from it.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
The fruits of labor are the sweetest of all pleasures.
—Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues (1715–47) French Moralist, Essayist, Writer
Labor: One of the processes by which A acquires property of B.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
As labor is the common burden of our race, so the effort of some to shift their share of the burden onto the shoulders of others is the great durable curse of the race.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Genius begins great works, labor alone finishes it.
—Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) French Writer, Moralist
Beautiful is the intellectual occupation, if combined with some practical work.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
He who lives by the work of his hands is greater than he who indulges in idle piety.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. , Jr 1929
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
Labor is the instituted means for the methodical development of all our powers under the direction and control of the will.
—Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819–81) American Editor, Novelist
Next to faith in God, is faith in labor.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
Every man is dishonest who lives upon the labor of others, no matter if he occupies a throne.
—Robert G. Ingersoll (1833–99) American Lawyer, Orator, Agnostic
To create a little flower is the labor of ages.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
Whatever there is of greatness in the United States, or indeed in any other country, is due to labor. The laborer is the author of all greatness and wealth. Without labor there would be no government, and no leading class, and nothing to preserve.
—Ulysses S. Grant (1822–85) American Civil War General, Head of State
Men give me credit for some genius. All the genius I have lies in this: When I have a subject in hand, I study it profoundly. Day and night it is before me. I explore it in all its bearings. My mind becomes pervaded with it. Then the effort which I have made is what people are pleased to call the fruit of genius. It is the fruit of labor and thought.
—Alexander Hamilton (c.1757–1804) American Federalist Politician, Statesman
The preparations were elaborate and mammoth in scale, and Washington threw himself into the effort, demanding that not an hour be lost.
—David McCullough (1933–2022) American Historian
Do what thou dost as if the earth were heaven, and thy last day the day of judgment.
—Charles Kingsley (1819–75) English Clergyman, Academic, Historian, Novelist
Of all pleasures the fruit of labor is the sweetest.
—Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues (1715–47) French Moralist, Essayist, Writer
Good to sell knowledge for labor, honor for risk.
—Arabic Proverb
Great is the dignity of labor; it honors man.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Ah, why should life all labor be?
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
What the country needs are a few labor-making inventions.
—Arnold Glasow (1905–98) American Businessman
It is not, truly speaking, the labor that is divided; but the men: divided into mere segments of men—broken into small fragments and crumbs of life, so that all the little piece of intelligence that is left in a man is not enough to make a pin, or a nail, but exhausts itself in making the point of a pin or the head of a nail.
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic
Industry need not wish, and he that lives upon hopes will die fasting. There are no gains without pains. He that hath a trade hath an estate, and he that hath a calling hath an office of profit and honor; but then the trade must be worked at, and the calling followed, or neither the, estate nor the office will enable us to pay our taxes. If we are industrious, we shall never starve; for, at the workingman’s house hunger looks in, but dares not enter. Nor will the bailiff or the constable enter, for industry pays debts, while idleness and neglect increase them.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
The labor and sweat of our brows is so far from being a curse, that without it our very bread would not be so great a blessing.—If it were not for labor, men could neither eat so much, nor relish so pleasantly, nor sleep so soundly, nor be so healthful, so useful, so strong, so patient, so noble, nor so untempted.
—Jeremy Taylor
The gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor.
—Albert Camus (1913–60) Algerian-born French Philosopher, Dramatist, Novelist
Work is a great blessing; after evil came into the world, it was given as an antidote, not as a punishment.
—Arthur Sherburne Hardy (1847–1930) American Engineer, Educator, Diplomat
The true epic of our times is not “arms and the man,” but “tools and the man,” an infinitely wider kind of epic.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
Reward sweetens labor.
—Dutch Proverb
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