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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.

Growing up, I did a lot of work that was technically based. So, I sort of feel that, no matter where you're playing, the basics are still the basics. Then it's just about adjusting on the day.

Quotes by Ellyse Perry

And every match is different: you have different opponents, different situations, different conditions. So there's no one approach that's going to work all the time.

Quotes by Ellyse Perry

If work was a good thing, the rich would have it all and not let you do it.

Quotes by Elmore Leonard

I think any writer is a fool if he doesn't do it for money. There needs to be some kind of incentive in addition to the project. It all goes together. It's fun to sit there and think of characters...

Quotes by Elmore Leonard

I really - I don't take my work that seriously, and I think that's what keeps me loose. If I try to write, if I catch myself trying to write, I'll fall right on my face. I'll see it. If...

Quotes by Elmore Leonard

If you take a few days to write an outline, you're just making up scenes that you think will work, that you think will be interesting. But as you write it, other ideas occur - better ideas that have to...

Quotes by Elmore Leonard

Writing screenplays is not my business. I've written half a dozen, and maybe half of those were made. But it was never a satisfying experience. It was just work. You're an employee. You would be told what to do. Studio...

Quotes by Elmore Leonard

There are cities that get by on their good looks, offer climate and scenery, views of mountains or oceans, rockbound or with palm trees. And there are cities like Detroit that have to work for a living.

Quotes by Elmore Leonard

When we're growing up there are all sorts of people telling us what to do when really what we need is space to work out who to be.

Quotes by Ellen Page

Producing is a way of finding a great script that nobody's making, and believing in it, and doing what you can to get it made. It lets you work with your friends, people you really love to do something with.

Quotes by Ellen Page

Learning about the way people process information and their emotions is hugely helpful to my work.

Quotes by Ellen Pompeo

Work is a sovereign remedy for all ills, and a man who loves to work will never be unhappy.

Quotes by Ellen Swallow Richards

We never can tell how our lives may work to the account of the general good, and we are not wise enough to know if we have fulfilled our mission or not.

Quotes by Ellen Swallow Richards

It will not work to keep asking men to change. Many have no real objective to do so. There's no reward for them. Why should they change? They're doing well inside the halls of coding.

Quotes by Ellen Ullman

I hate to see capable, smart people out of work - young or old.

Quotes by Ellen Ullman

Computer systems could not work without standards - an agreement among programs and systems about how they will exchange information.

Quotes by Ellen Ullman

To be a programmer is to develop a carefully managed relationship with error. There's no getting around it. You either make your accommodations with failure, or the work will become intolerable.

Quotes by Ellen Ullman

Reading code is like reading all things written: You have to scribble, make a mess, remind yourself that the work comes to you through trial and error and revision.

Quotes by Ellen Ullman

'Carrie Diaries' was one of the scripts that was sent my way, and it was instantly something I wanted to work on. It was very charming, and there's a lot of heart to it. It was touching and nostalgic and...

Quotes by Ellen Wong

I feel like the books that I'm reading at any given time will really help me with my work, because it's just more characters, and you see new people while you're reading.

Quotes by Ellie Bamber

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.