Inside yourself or outside, you never have to change what you see, only the way you see it.
—Thaddeus Golas (1924–97) American New Age Writer
When a tradesman is about to weigh his goods, he first of all looks to his scales and sees that his weights are right. And so for all wise, or safe, or profitable self-examination, we are not to look to frames, or feelings, or to the conduct of others, but to God’s word, which is the only true standard of decision.
—Tryon Edwards American Theologian
Commit to CANI!—Constant And Never-ending Improvement
—Tony Robbins (b.1960) American Self-Help Author, Entrepreneur
If you wish to achieve worthwhile things in your personal and career life, you must become a worthwhile person in your own self-development.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
Become addicted to constant and never-ending self-improvement.
—Anthony J. D’Angelo
It makes little difference how many university courses or degrees a person may own. If he cannot use words to move an idea from one point to another, his education is incomplete.
—Norman Cousins (1912–1990) American Political Journalist
The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.
—Robert M. Pirsig (b.1928) American Writer, Philosopher, Author
The never-ending task of self improvement.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts. Every man is tasked to make his life, even in its details, worthy of the contemplation of his most elevated and critical hour.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Invest three percent of your income in yourself (self-development) in order to guarantee your future.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
He was always smoothing and polishing himself, and in the end he became blunt before he was sharp.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set. This is true of earthly as of heavenly things. Even the man whose object is to acquire wealth must be prepared to make great personal sacrifices before he can accomplish his object; and how much more so he who would realize a strong and well-poised life.
—James Allen (1864–1912) British Philosophical Writer
The good man is the man who, no matter how morally unworthy he has been, is moving to become better.
—John Dewey (1859–1952) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Educator
I am a bad, wicked man, but I am practicing moral self-purification; I don’t eat meat any more, I now eat rice cutlets.
—Vladimir Lenin (1870–1924) Russian Revolutionary Leader
Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.
—Isaac Asimov (1920–92) Russian-born American Writer, Scientist
Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man. For him all doors are flung wide: him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire. Our love goes out to him and embraces him, because he did not need it. We solicitously and apologetically caress and celebrate him, because he held on his way and scorned our disapprobation. The gods loved him because men hated him.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
He who asks of life nothing but the improvement of his own nature is less liable than anyone else to miss and waste life.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven’t done anything today.
—Lou Holtz (1893–1980) American Stage Performer
Let us believe neither half of the good people tell us of ourselves, nor half the evil they say of others.
—Jean Antoine Petit-Senn (1792–1870) Swiss Poet
Whoever will cultivate their own mind will find full employment. Every virtue does not only require great care in the planting, but as much daily solicitude in cherishing as exotic fruits and flowers; the vices and passions (which I am afraid are the natural product of the soil) demand perpetual weeding. Add to this the search after knowledge… and the longest life is too short.
—Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689–1762) English Aristocrat, Poet, Novelist, Writer
What you become directly influences what you get.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
He who stops being better stops being good.
—Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658) British Head of State, Military Leader
The improvement of our way of life is more important than the spreading of it. If we make it satisfactory enough, it will spread automatically. If we do not, no strength of arms can permanently oppose it.
—Charles Lindbergh (1902–74) American Aviator, Inventor, Conservationist
That discipline which corrects the eagerness of worldly passions, which fortifies the heart with virtuous principles, which enlightens the mind with useful knowledge, and furnishes to it matter of enjoyment from within itself, is of more consequence to real felicity than all the provisions which we can make of the goods of fortune.
—Hugh Blair (1718–1800) Scottish Preacher, Scholar, Critic
Is it asked, how can the laboring man find time for self-culture? I answer, that an earnest purpose finds time, or makes it. It seizes on spare moments, and turns fragments to golden account. A man who follows his calling with industry and spirit, and uses his earnings economically, will always have some portion of the day at command. And it is astonishing how fruitful of improvement a short season becomes, when eagerly seized and faithfully used. It has often been observed, that those who have the most time at their disposal profit by it the least. A single hour in the day, steadily given to the study of some interesting subject, brings unexpected accumulations of knowledge.
—William Ellery Channing (1780–1842) American Unitarian Theologian, Poet
People never improve unless they look to some standard or example higher and better than themselves.
—Tryon Edwards American Theologian
Before a diamond shows its brilliancy and prismatic colors it has to stand a good deal of cutting and smoothing.
—Unknown
I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self. So you have to begin there, not outside, not on other people. That comes afterward, when you’ve worked on your own corner.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
The biggest room in the world, is the room for improvement.
—Unknown