In order to be successful in any undertaking, I think the main thing is for one to grow to the point where he completely forgets himself; that is, to lose himself in a great cause. In proportion as one loses himself in this way, in the same degree does he get the highest happiness out of his work.
You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you have to overcome to reach your goals.
We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.
From some things that I have said one may get the idea that some of the slaves did not want freedom. This is not true. I have never seen one who did not want to be free, or one who would return to slavery.
You may fill your heads with knowledge or skillfully train your hands, but unless it is based upon high, upright character, upon a true heart, it will amount to nothing. You will be no better than the most ignorant.
It is important and right that all privileges of the law be ours, but it is vastly more important that we be prepared for the exercise of those privileges.
I believe that any man’s life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement, if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day, and as nearly as possible reaching the high-water mark of pure and useful living.
We must not only become reliable, progressive, skillful and intelligent, but we must keep the idea constantly before our youths that all forms of labor, whether with the hand or head, are honorable.
There is no power on earth that can neutralize the influence of a high, simple and useful life.
The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; it is what the man or woman is able to do that counts.
The highest test of the civilization of any race is in its willingness to extend a helping hand to the less fortunate.
There is no escape – man drags man down, or man lifts man up.
Lay hold of something that will help you, and then use it to help somebody else.
No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.
I have begun everything with the idea that I could succeed, and I never had much patience with the multitudes of people who are always ready to explain why one cannot succeed.
I think I have learned, in some degree at least, to disregard the old maxim “”Do not get others to do what you can do yourself.“” My motto on the other hand is; “”Do not do that which others can do as well.
No one can degrade us except ourselves.
The man who has learned to do something better than anyone else, has learned to do a common thing in an uncommon manner, is the man who has a power and influence that no adverse circumstances can take from him.
A life is not worth much of which it cannot be said, when it comes to its close, that it was helpful to humanity.
At the bottom of education, at the bottom of politics, even at the bottom of religion, there must be for our race economic independence.