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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.

Will it, and set to work briskly.

Quotes by Friedrich Schiller

It hinders the creative work of the mind if the intellect examines too closely the ideas as they pour in.

Quotes by Friedrich Schiller

It has been my experience that work on the screen clarifies stage portrayals and vice versa. You learn to make your face express more in making movies, and in working for the theater you have a sense of greater freedom.

Quotes by Fredric March

The last Hague Conference has in the meantime expressed its opinion that a body should be established which could prepare for the work involved more effectively than has hitherto proved possible.

Quotes by Fredrik Bajer

I couldn't sustain myself if I skimped on food - I work 16-hour days, I need the energy, I can't afford to be stingy on what I eat.

Quotes by Freema Agyeman

My mother was an English teacher who decided to become a math teacher, and she used me as a guinea pig at home. My father had been a math teacher and then went to work at a steel mill because,...

Quotes by Freeman A. Hrabowski III

It is exciting to work with students thinking about issues of the day, from closing the achievement gap to finding a cure for cancer.

Quotes by Freeman A. Hrabowski III

It is part of the work of education to have substantive relationships with your students.

Quotes by Freeman A. Hrabowski III

I guarantee the people who study are going to be successful. Nothing can replace hard work.

Quotes by Freeman A. Hrabowski III

Rich kids work hard. Most black kids aren't working hard enough.

Quotes by Freeman A. Hrabowski III

The climate-studies people who work with models always tend to overestimate their models. They come to believe models are real and forget they are only models.

Quotes by Freeman Dyson

Every orchid or rose or lizard or snake is the work of a dedicated and skilled breeder. There are thousands of people, amateurs and professionals, who devote their lives to this business. Now imagine what will happen when the tools...

Quotes by Freeman Dyson

The technologies that raise the fewest ethical problems are those that work on a human scale, brightening the lives of individual people.

Quotes by Freeman Dyson

I have never been satisfied with a piece of work I have been actively involved in, and would never want to be.

Quotes by Frei Otto

I've been travelling around the U.K., actually getting to see places. I'm so lucky that I am able to travel with work, but you don't often get to experience them properly.

Quotes by Freja Beha Erichsen

This is just what I have thought when I have seen slaves at work - they seem to go through the motions of labor without putting strength into them. They keep their powers in reserve for their own use at...

Quotes by Frederick Law Olmsted

I was strongly encouraged by a science teacher who took an interest in me and presented me with a key to the laboratory to allow me to work whenever I wanted.

Quotes by Frederick Reines

I was married to Margaret Joan Howe in 1940. Although not a scientist herself she has contributed more to my work than anyone else by providing a peaceful and happy home.

Quotes by Frederick Sanger

I believe that we have been doing this not primarily to achieve riches or even honour, but rather because we were interested in the work, enjoyed doing it and felt very strongly that it was worthwhile.

Quotes by Frederick Sanger

A manager is not a person who can do the work better than his men; he is a person who can get his men to do the work better than he can.

Quotes by Frederick W. Smith

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.