Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer to your goal.

About Elbert Hubbard

Elbert Green Hubbardwas an American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher. Raised in Hudson, Illinois, he had early success as a traveling salesman for the Larkin Soap Company.

More about the author

More quotes from Elbert Hubbard

We work to become, not to acquire.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Love grows by giving. The love we give away is the only love we keep. The only way to retain love is to give it away.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

If you can’t answer a man’s arguments, all is not lost; you can still call him vile names.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Men are only as great as they are kind.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

He has achieved success who has worked well, laughed often, and loved much.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

A pessimist? That’s a person who has been intimately acquainted with an optimist.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The reason men oppose progress is not that they hate progress, but that they love inertia.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The supernatural is the natural not yet understood.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Many a man’s reputation would not know his character if they met on the street.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Polygamy: An endeavour to get more out of life than there is in it.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

It may happen sometimes that a long debate becomes the cause of a longer friendship. Commonly, those who dispute with one another at last agree.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Character is the result of two things: mental attitude and the way we spend our time.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience would have achieved success.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires great strength to decide on what to do.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Art is the beautiful way of doing things. Science is the effective way of doing things. Business is the economic way of doing things.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

There is something that is much more scarce, something finer far, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Little minds are interested in the extraordinary; great minds in the commonplace.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Fear clogs; faith liberates.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

God will not look you over for medals degrees or diplomas, but for scars.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Life is just one damned thing after another.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

A man is as good as he has to be, and a woman as bad as she dares.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The idea that is not dangerous is not worthy of being called an idea at all.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The church saves sinners, but science seeks to stop their manufacture.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

If you suffer, thank God! It is a sure sign that you are alive.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

I would rather be able to appreciate things I can not have than to have things I am not able to appreciate.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Never explain – your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Optimism is a kind of heart stimulant – the digitalis of failure.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure criticism without resentment.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

We are punished by our sins, not for them.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Be pleasant until ten o’clock in the morning and the rest of the day will take care of itself.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Art is not a thing; it is a way.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The teacher is the one who gets the most out of the lessons, and the true teacher is the learner.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The happiness of this life depends less on what befalls you than the way in which you take it.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Positive anything is better than negative nothing.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

If pleasures are greatest in anticipation, just remember that this is also true of trouble.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Our desires always disappoint us; for though we meet with something that gives us satisfaction, yet it never thoroughly answers our expectation.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The man who knows it can’t be done counts the risk, not the reward.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

A man is not paid for having a head and hands, but for using them.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Secrets are things we give to others to keep for us.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Editor: a person employed by a newspaper, whose business it is to separate the wheat from the chaff, and to see that the chaff is printed.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer to your goal.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

A retentive memory may be a good thing, but the ability to forget is the true token of greatness.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

No one ever gets far unless he accomplishes the impossible at least once a day.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Never get married in college; it’s hard to get a start if a prospective employer finds you’ve already made one mistake.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The thing we fear we bring to pass.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

It is easy to get everything you want, provided you first learn to do without the things you cannot get.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The sculptor produces the beautiful statue by chipping away such parts of the marble block as are not needed – it is a process of elimination.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Fear is the thought of admitted inferiority.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Do your work with your whole heart, and you will succeed – there’s so little competition.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The love we give away is the only love we keep.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

There is no failure except in no longer trying.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

It’s pretty hard to be efficient without being obnoxious.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The greatest mistake you can make in life is continually fearing that you’ll make one.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it: so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Where much is expected from an individual, he may rise to the level of events and make the dream come true.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Friendship, like credit, is highest when it is not used.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

A failure is a man who has blundered, but is not able to cash in the experience.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Love, we say, is life; but love without hope and faith is agonizing death.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The highest reward that God gives us for good work is the ability to do better work.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Pray that success will not come any faster than you are able to endure it.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Live truth instead of professing it.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

We are not punished for our sins, but by them.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The man who has no problems is out of the game.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

A woman will doubt everything you say except it be compliments to herself.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The ineffable joy of forgiving and being forgiven forms an ecstasy that might well arouse the envy of the gods.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

A conservative is a man who is too cowardly to fight and too fat to run.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

So long as governments set the example of killing their enemies, private individuals will occasionally kill theirs.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

This will never be a civilized country until we spend more money for books than we do for chewing gum.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Die, v.: To stop sinning suddenly.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Often we can help each other most by leaving each other alone; at other times we need the hand-grasp and the word of cheer.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Responsibility is the price of freedom.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Christianity supplies a Hell for the people who disagree with you and a Heaven for your friends.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Every tyrant who has lived has believed in freedom for himself.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

In order to have friends, you must first be one.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Reversing your treatment of the man you have wronged is better than asking his forgiveness.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Life in abundance comes only through great love.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

We awaken in others the same attitude of mind we hold toward them.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The only foes that threaten America are the enemies at home, and these are ignorance, superstition and incompetence.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without his teacher.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy to be called an idea at all.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher

Initiative is doing the right things without being told.

Elbert Hubbard

American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher