Samuel Smiles Quotes

The experience gathered from books, though often valuable, is but the nature of learning whereas the experience gained form actual life is of the nature of wisdom.

The ignorant man passes through the world dead to all pleasures, save those of the senses.

Truthfulness is at the foundation of all personal excellence.

Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey towards it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us. ...Hope sweetens the memory of experiences well loved. It tempers our troubles to our growth and our strength. It befriends us in the dark hours, excites us in bright ones. It lends promise to the future and purpose to the past. It turns discouragement to determination.

Samuel Smiles

In fine, human character is moulded by a thousand subtle influences; by example and precept; by life and literature; by friends and neighbours; by the world we live in as well as by the spirits of our forefathers, whose legacy of good words and deeds we inherit. But great, unquestionably, though these influences are acknowledged to be, it is nevertheless equally clear that men must necassarily be the active agents of their own well-being and well-doing; and that, however much the wise and the good may owe to others, they themselves in the very nature of things be their own best helpers (p.31).

Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

The crown and glory of life is Character. It is the noblest possession of a man, constituting a rank in itself, and an estate in the general goodwill; dignifying every station, and exalting every position in society. It exercises a greater power than wealth, and secures all the honour without the jealousies of fame. It carries with it an influence which always tells; for it is the result of proved honour, rectitude, and consistency — qualities which, perhaps more than any other, command the general confidence and respect of mankind.

Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.

We often discover what will do by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery.

Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles.

It is a mistake to suppose that men succeed through success; they much oftener succeed through failures. Precept, study, advice, and example could never have taught them so well as failure has done.

It is not then how much a man may know that is of importance, but the end and purpose for which he knows it (p.299).

Good actions give strength to ourselves, and inspire good actions in others.

Simple honesty of purpose in a man goes a long way in life, if founded on a just estimate of himself and a steady obedience to the rule he knows and feels to be right.

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