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've always wanted to work with Paul Newman. I had a couple opportunities in the past, and I didn't take advantage of it, so it was really fun to be working with him.

Quotes by Ed Harris

The Republican Party is bringing out here onto the floor of Congress an all-out assault on the protection of the rights of people who work in the fields of our country, in the factories of our country, in the offices...

Quotes by Ed Markey

I'm trying to just take things as they come, not to try to expect too much, just do my job and hope things work out.

Quotes by Ed McCaffrey

Look, I follow my heart. That's the only thing I know how to do. I look at the work, I look for opportunities, and when I feel it's right, I go for it.

Quotes by Ed McCaffrey

I felt I could still make a contribution with ideas. I didn't know how, and it has taken me some time to work that out. There were things that mattered to me about the future of the country: inequality, what...

Quotes by Ed Miliband

I never really grasped how big it was when I initially got 'Alexander'; I thought, 'Ooh, this is exciting,' but after I got home, I looked back and thought, 'That was an incredible experience.' I got to work with some...

Quotes by Ed Oxenbould

I will work to restore fiscal responsibility to our country's budget and to provide for a more robust economy.

Quotes by Ed Pastor

I don't believe in an outside agent that creates the world, then walks away. But I feel very strongly there is an intelligence at work in every flower, in every blade of grass, in every cell of my body. And...

Quotes by Eckhart Tolle

I went into acting as psychotherapy, and it's still a work in progress.

Quotes by Ed Asner

Where the work goes, I go. Wherever adulation occurs, that's where you'll find me.

Quotes by Ed Asner

You don't work with Cloris Leachman, you experience her.

Quotes by Ed Asner

I'm not sought after. I never get enough work. It's the history of my career. There just isn't anything to turn down, let me put it that way.

Quotes by Ed Asner

There was no one around me who didn't work hard.

Quotes by Ed Bradley

You can work hard to sharpen your talent, to get better at whatever it is that you do, and I think that's what it comes back to.

Quotes by Ed Bradley

Be prepared, work hard, and hope for a little luck. Recognize that the harder you work and the better prepared you are, the more luck you might have.

Quotes by Ed Bradley

Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work...

Quotes by Earl Nightingale

Executive ability is deciding quickly and getting somebody else to do the work.

Quotes by Earl Nightingale

We are at our very best, and we are happiest, when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy on the journey toward the goal we've established for ourselves. It gives meaning to our time off and comfort to our...

Quotes by Earl Nightingale

Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations.

Quotes by Earl Nightingale

Playing baseball is fun. If I could play, I'd never retire. But managing is work. It's constant decisions of whose feelings you want to hurt all the time.

Quotes by Earl Weaver

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.