WIST Quotations

Franklin, Benjamin -- Poor Richard (1736 ed.)

Dave — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 20:13:06 +0000

Diligence is the Mother of Good-Luck.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard (1736 ed.)
(Source)

Chesterfield (Lord) -- Letter (1749-12-26) to his son (#211)

Dave — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 23:02:53 +0000

Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day.

Lord Chesterfield (1694-1773) English statesman, wit [Philip Dormer Stanhope]
Letter (1749-12-26) to his son (#211)
(Source)

Chesterfield either loves the "Never put off" phrase or is very familiar with it: he repeats it a few months later in Letter 216 (1750-02-05), and then a few years later in Letter 309 (1754-02-26).

See Fuller and Franklin.

Franklin, Benjamin -- “The Way to Wealth” (1758)

Dave — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 23:01:41 +0000

Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
“The Way to Wealth” (1758)
(Source)

Today, this is more commonly given as "Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today."

Franklin had used a different phrasing in Poor Richard (1742 ed.): "Have you somewhat to do To-morrow, do it To-day." That was reprinted in Poor Richard Improved (1758 ed.), but when that latter work was condensed into "The Way to Wealth" that same year, the wording above was used.

As with so many of Franklin's "Poor Richard" aphorisms, this was not original to him. Thomas Fuller uses a similar phrase in 1725.

The sentiment itself has been mocked or modified by others such as Mark Twain, Josh Bilings, Aldous Huxley, Pablo Picasso, and Mignon McLaughlin.

Fuller, Thomas (1654) -- Introductio ad Prudentiam, Vol. 1, # 124 (1725)

Dave — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 22:47:52 +0000

Never do that to Morrow, which thou canst as well do to Day.

Thomas Fuller (1654-1734) English physician, preacher, aphorist, writer
Introductio ad Prudentiam, Vol. 1, # 124 (1725)
(Source)

See Franklin.

Franklin, Benjamin -- Poor Richard (1735 ed.)

Dave — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 17:44:19 +0000

By diligence and patience, the mouse bit in two the cable.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard (1735 ed.)
(Source)

Austin, Alfred -- The Garden That I Love, “April 30th” (1894)

Dave — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 21:32:14 +0000

For there is no gardening without humility, an assiduous willingness to learn, and a cheerful readiness to confess you were mistaken. Nature is continually sending even its oldest scholars to the bottom of the class for some egregious blunder. But, by the due exercise of patience and diligence, they may work their way to the top again.

Alfred Austin (1835-1913) English poet, UK Poet Laureate (1896-1913)
The Garden That I Love, “April 30th” (1894)
(Source)

Ennius -- Fragment 315 [tr. Warmington]

Dave — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 17:14:24 +0000

No sooner said than done — so acts your man of worth.

[Dictum factumque facit frux.]

Ennius (239-169 BC) Roman poet, writer [Quintus Ennius]
Fragment 315 [tr. Warmington]
(Source)

Quoted in Priscianus, Ars Prisciani, Book 6.

Gaiman, Neil -- (Attributed)

Dave — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 16:01:33 +0000

If you only write when inspired, you may be a fairly decent poet, but you’ll never be a novelist.

Neil Gaiman (b. 1960) British author, screenwriter, fabulist
(Attributed)

Hubbard, Elbert -- An American Bible [ed. Alice Hubbard] (1918)

Dave — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 17:34:13 +0000

Success is ten percent opportunity and ninety percent intelligent hustle.

Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American writer, businessman, philosopher
An American Bible [ed. Alice Hubbard] (1918)

Tchaikovsky, Peter -- Letter to N. F. von Meck (15 Mar 1878)

Dave — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 14:12:47 +0000

There is no doubt that even the greatest musical geniuses have sometimes worked without inspiration. This guest does not always respond to the first invitation. We must always work, and a self-respecting artist must not fold his hands on the pretext that he is not in the mood. If we wait for the mood, without endeavouring to meet it half-way, we easily become indolent and apathetic. We must be patient, and believe that inspiration will come to those who can master their disinclination.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Russian composer
Letter to N. F. von Meck (15 Mar 1878)
(Source)

Barrie, James -- Speech (1922-05-03), “Courage,” Rectoral Address, University of St. Andrews, Scotland

Dave — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:34:21 +0000

You must have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by. Yes, but some of them are golden only because we let them slip.

J. M. Barrie (1860-1937) Scottish novelist and dramatist [James Matthew Barrie]
Speech (1922-05-03), “Courage,” Rectoral Address, University of St. Andrews, Scotland
(Source)