quotations about work
It is not work that kills; but no work and overwork.
ALDO MANUZIO
attributed, Day's Collacon
Most people spend the greatest part of their time working in order to live, and what little freedom remains so fills them with fear that they seek out any and every means to be rid of it.
JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE
The Sorrows of Young Werther
It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?
HENRY DAVID THOREAU
letter to Harrison Blake, November 16, 1857
While it will never be possible for employers to control all the factors that contribute to happiness at work, you can certainly help to create the right conditions for it. Ultimately, happiness is a choice, and a positive, healthy workplace environment is a good starting point. The benefits will be seen in better quality work, and significant improvements in recruitment and retention.
ROBERT HALF
"Happiness at work -- is it natural or necessary?", Business Zone , March 31, 2017
No nation can ever fulfil its potential without a positive mindset towards work, a commitment to work, and actual engagement in hard work. Work has to be a principle on which we build. Families should exemplify it, schools must teach it, churches must reinforce it and society must provide the opportunity for all to practice it.
AL MILLER
"The transforming power of work", Jamaica Observer, April 2, 2017
After forty years of close acquaintance with it, I've found that work is kind to its friends and harsh to its enemies. It pays the fellow who dislikes it his exact wages, and they're generally pretty small; but it gives the man who shines up to it all the money he wants and throws in a heap of fun and satisfaction for good measure.
GEORGE HORACE LORIMER
Old Gorgon Graham
I am not sure that life, to any one,
A fuller measure of contentment brings,
With all its gifts, than in the draught which springs,
From honest work, well plann'd, and bravely done.
WILLIAM WILSEY MARTIN
"Labor"
Nothing will work unless you do.
MAYA ANGELOU
Facebook post, January 2, 2014
We need economy that rewards work, not just wealth.
JOE BIDEN
speech on Super Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Work restores humankind and all its attributes to the savage animal condition that was its original intended state.
ELFRIEDE JELINEK
Lust
Some people were born to work for others. Not in a mindless, servile-way--rather they simply work better in a set regimen of daily tasks and functions. Others were born of the entrepreneurial spirit and enjoy the demands of self-determination and the roll of the dice.
RICHARD PAUL EVANS
The Christmas Box
When the toiler bends and labors till his sweat turns into pearls,
'Tis a nobler decoration than the coronets of earls.
EDWIN LEIBFREED
"Caelestis"
Our salvation is in work, but let us also take delight in that work.
MAXIM GORKY
Untimely Thoughts
As a cure for worrying, work is better than whiskey.
THOMAS EDISON
attributed, The Great Book of Best Quotes of All Time
The humblest workman has his place,
Which no one else can fill.
MAUD LINDSAY
"The Little Gray Pony", Mother Stories
How technology will transform the future of work is the burning question. And interestingly, when I talk with other executives about it, the conversation quickly moves from the technology itself -- to the people. Because at the heart of this digital revolution are human beings. And companies are trying to get their arms around what this Liquid Workforce means for their business, customers, communities and employees.
ELLYN SHOOK
"The Future of Work Is Now", Huffington Post, January 19, 2016
Changes to the way we work are bringing a focus on both the role of the stand alone workplace, and the design of cities. As co-working spaces evolve to meet the demand of workers for flexible, autonomous and creative work environments, broader changes are occurring in how we work and live.
LIBBY SANDER
"Co-working is evolving to combine co-living", Business Insider, March 29, 2017
Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life become a beautiful success, in spite of poverty.
LOUISA MAY ALCOTT
Little Women
The workman is a vine that is crushed by the burden of its own clustered grapes.
ABRAHAM MILLER
Unmoral Maxims
Each man delights in the work that suits him best.
HOMER
The Odyssey