Logo - Feel The Words

Work Quotes

Quotes on the meaning of work.

Several quotes here describe work as a solitary process, one that takes real effort to protect from distraction, while others connect a person's politics directly to the character of their work. Related reading includes Growth Quotes.

I'd rather work all night and sleep all day... perhaps I was a mole in my last incarnation.

Quotes by Ida Lupino

I would love to work with Matt Damon.

Quotes by Idina Menzel

After 'Rent,' I tried to make a record, and it didn't work out, and it was the Broadway community that welcomed me back. It's where I feel the most understood, most at home.

Quotes by Idina Menzel

Every leading lady I work with, I'll see if I can get a song out of them and put it on an album.

Quotes by Idris Elba

When I look at my body of work, I've played a lot of characters who are morally conflicted - 'I'm right, no I'm wrong, I don't know what to do!' I want to play more characters who don't care as...

Quotes by Idris Elba

I'm not interested in making all-black films - I come from a very diverse culture; I want to work with every type of person. I work a lot with women executives because they seem to be a lot more open...

Quotes by Idris Elba

I work out every morning for an hour while in front of the news channel or business channels, then I'll ride for four, five hours a day. So I'm on the move all the time, and I think that's the...

Quotes by Ian Millar

I have a strong work ethic, yet I'm incredibly lazy as well. The problem with being a writer is that everything you do can be called research. Sitting in the pub is research. Reading the newspaper can be research.

Quotes by Ian Rankin

I'm not qualified for anything. I've had lots of little jobs, like picking grapes and being a tax man. I can't imagine not writing, because I've done it since I was five or six. Maybe I'd work in academia. That's...

Quotes by Ian Rankin

I realised I'd been spoiled at Liverpool. We were used to winning. In Italy I grew up as a person. I didn't enjoy the football, mind. It was very defensive, but I became a better player because of the work...

Quotes by Ian Rush

When I travel, I just take what I need and I run. I always have my briefcase stuffed with work, even when I go on a holiday.

Quotes by Ian Schrager

I've sorta learned that I'm so tired of taking myself so seriously. It's so great to show up at work and truly enjoy every word you say.

Quotes by Ian Somerhalder

It's so great to show up at work and truly enjoy every word you say.

Quotes by Ian Somerhalder

I work with the Humane Society a lot and have three rescue cats.

Quotes by Ian Somerhalder

Yeah, right. I mean, he criticises everybody in the media, then the first thing he does when he finishes is he goes to work for the media. Thompson, too. Hypocritical.

Quotes by Ian St. John

I think now I'll probably take a few days off and enjoy the competition and then sit down with a few people and work out what is next, work out what the next preparation will be and what competition will...

Quotes by Ian Thorpe

I'm disappointed that I really haven't been able to race in a way that is reflective of the amount of work that I have done and how I have trained. But I don't regret giving this a go.

Quotes by Ian Thorpe

I'm working class. Not because my family have always been skint or because I'm from the grim north, but because I am from a class of people who believe in work. In paying their way.

Quotes by Ian Watson

No, I don't make my work in order to challenge or confuse other people's expectations - I only do what I find natural.

Quotes by Ian Hamilton Finlay

If the work is pure then you have to think it could be understood. If it is not understood it doesn't mean that your work is not accessible. It doesn't worry me, but, of course, I would be pleased if...

Quotes by Ian Hamilton Finlay

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of quotes are on the "Work" page?
These lean toward the thoughtful side of work — the idea that "intellectual work is essentially a lonely process," the belief that one's politics and "the character of his particular work are inseparable," and an image of people unwinding after work all over the world talking about life's bigger questions.
Is there a spiritual angle to any of these?
While these particular quotes are secular, if you're looking for a spiritual perspective on work, see Prayers for that theme.
Do these quotes connect work to personal identity?
Yes, one of the strongest lines here argues that your politics and "the character of his particular work are inseparable" — the idea that what you do reflects who you are. If that resonates, Growth quotes explore a similar idea of work shaping the person.
Is there anything here about effort or persistence?
These specific quotes focus more on the nature and meaning of work than on effort itself, but Effort quotes cover that ground directly.
What about setting goals through work?
For that angle, Goal quotes is the better fit — the "Work" page here is more about the character and process of working itself.

There's also a lighter side - people unwinding after work to talk through life's bigger questions over drinks. See Effort Quotes and Goal Quotes for more on getting things done.