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 love politics, but I wouldn't want to be involved in it. Too little money, too much work! I don't really have the personality for that.

Quotes by Dennis Quaid

The visible things that have come from the group have been the Plan 9 system and Inferno, but I hasten to say that the ideas and the work have come from colleagues.

Quotes by Dennis Ritchie

Any editing, software work, and mail is done in this exported Plan 9.

Quotes by Dennis Ritchie

My work was fairly theoretical. It was in recursive function theory. And in particular, hierarchies of functions in terms of computational complexity. I got involved in real computers and programming mainly by being - well, I was interested even as...

Quotes by Dennis Ritchie

It has been an honor to work in the Obama Administration and to serve this President, particularly during a period of unprecedented change in the broader Middle East. Obviously, there is still work to do but I promised my wife...

Quotes by Dennis Ross

After Wings I did a lot of recording rather than live work. I even went into a kind of semi-retirement to places like Spain at one point.

Quotes by Denny Laine

Paul forced the Beatles to work a lot harder than they would have otherwise, and he did the same thing with Wings.

Quotes by Denny Laine

Where I think the most work needs to be done is behind the camera, not in front of it.

Quotes by Denzel Washington

I'm not in the loop; I don't know any actors, really, just the ones I work with.

Quotes by Denzel Washington

It's simple: You get a part. You play a part. You play it well. You do your work and you go home. And what is wonderful about movies is that once they're done, they belong to the people. Once you...

Quotes by Denzel Washington

Michelle Pfeiffer hasn't been finding a lot of work recently because she doesn't like what a woman her age is offered. That's a real double standard. You get Sean Connery, who gets older and older, still playing opposite young ladies,...

Quotes by Denzel Washington

I work hard for the audience. It's entertainment. I don't need validation.

Quotes by Denzel Washington

Work has been my lover - I've shied away from any commitments.

Quotes by Dennis Christopher

Forget about where you want to be and go out and build stuff. Dodgeball came from being bored at work... things happen because you make them happen. Stop sketching, and start building.

Quotes by Dennis Crowley

Really, the amount of work I do on a project, I will torture myself.

Quotes by Dennis DeYoung

Anyone in showbiz rock 'n' roll who says they're so tired of playing their hit songs, I want to smack them. I think it's an act. Because, look, you work your tail off to get people to validate you.

Quotes by Dennis DeYoung

Every artist thinks his most recent work is his best. If you didn't feel like that, you wouldn't do anything.

Quotes by Dennis DeYoung

If you have talent and you work really hard, it increases your odds but it doesn't ensure anything. But every now and then, the universe must tilt in your direction.

Quotes by Dennis DeYoung

I'm proud of the body of work I was part of and I want people to enjoy it as long as they choose to.

Quotes by Dennis DeYoung

I think there is something very nice about going to work to try to make people laugh.

Quotes by Dennis Farina

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.