WIST Quotations

Russell, Bertrand -- Conquest of Happiness, Part 2, ch. 14 “Work” (1930)

Dave — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 19:23:44 +0000

The habit of viewing life as a whole is an essential part both of wisdom and of true morality, and is one of the things which ought to be encouraged in education. Consistent purpose is not enough to make life happy, but it is an almost indispensable condition of a happy life. And consistent purpose embodies itself mainly in work.

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) English mathematician and philosopher
Conquest of Happiness, Part 2, ch. 14 “Work” (1930)
(Source)

Carlyle, Thomas -- Past and Present, Book 3, ch. 11 “Labour” (1843)

Dave — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 22:53:36 +0000

Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness. He has a work, a life-purpose; he has found it, and will follow it!

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) Scottish essayist and historian
Past and Present, Book 3, ch. 11 “Labour” (1843)
(Source)

For a discussion of this and related quotations, see: Get Your Happiness Out of Your Work, or You’ll Never Know What Happiness Is – Quote Investigator®.

Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr. -- Man Without a Country, ch. 3 “Here Is a Lesson in Creative Writing” (2005)

Dave — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 16:21:22 +0000

If you want to really hurt your parents, and you don’t have the nerve to be gay, the least you can do is go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way of making a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable.

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (1922-2007) American novelist, journalist
Man Without a Country, ch. 3 “Here Is a Lesson in Creative Writing” (2005)
(Source)

Sarton, May -- Journal of a Solitude, ch. 11 (1973)

Dave — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 21:20:00 +0000

It is good for a professional to be reminded that his professionalism is only a husk, that the real person must remain an amateur, a lover of the work.

May Sarton (1912-1995) Belgian-American poet, novelist, memoirist [pen name of Eleanore Marie Sarton]
Journal of a Solitude, ch. 11 (1973)
(Source)

Buechner, Frederick -- The Hungering Dark (1969)

Dave — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 22:38:24 +0000

Your calling is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.

Frederick Buechner (b. 1926) American minister, author
The Hungering Dark (1969)

Pratchett, Terry -- Discworld No. 10, Moving Pictures [Ginger] (1990)

Dave — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 16:45:11 +0000

You know what the greatest tragedy is in the whole world? It’s all the people who never find out what it is they really want to do or what it is they’re really good at. It’s all the sons who become blacksmiths because their fathers were blacksmiths. It’s all the people who could be really fantastic flute players who grow old and die without ever seeing a musical instrument, so they become bad plowmen instead. It’s all the people with talents who never even find out. Maybe they are never even born in a time when it’s even possible to find out.
It’s all the people who never get to know what it is that they can really be. It’s all the wasted chances.

Terry Pratchett (1948-2015) English author
Discworld No. 10, Moving Pictures [Ginger] (1990)
(Source)

De Stael, Germaine -- Reflections on Suicide (1813)

Dave — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 00:46:03 +0000

I believe that happiness consists in having a destiny in keeping with our abilities. Our desires are things of the moment, often harmful even to ourselves; but our abilities are permanent, and their demands never cease.

Germaine de Staël (1766-1817) Swiss-French writer, woman of letters, critic, salonist [Anne Louise Germaine de Staël-Holstein, Madame de Staël, Madame Necker]
Reflections on Suicide (1813)
(Source)

Adams, John -- (Misattributed)

Dave — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 00:24:26 +0000

There are obviously two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.

John Adams (1735–1826) American lawyer, Founding Father, statesman, US President (1797–1801)
(Misattributed)

Actually American writer and historian James Truslow Adams (1878-1949). Variants:

"There are two types of education. One should teach us how to make a living, and the other how to live."
"There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live."

Kerr, Jean -- Poor Richard, Act 1 (1965)

Dave — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 16:33:07 +0000

SYDNEY: Even though a number of people have tried, no one has yet found a way to drink for a living.

Jean Kerr (1922-2003) American author and playwright [b. Bridget Jean Collins]
Poor Richard, Act 1 (1965)

Gulliver, Julia -- (Attributed)

Dave — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 13:48:49 +0000

Let us never be betrayed into saying we have finished our education; because that would mean we had stopped growing.

Julia H. Gulliver (1856-1940) American philosopher, educator, academician
(Attributed)

Francis I (Pope) -- Evangelii Gaudium, sec. 203 (24 Nov 2013)

Dave — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 15:06:49 +0000

Business is a vocation, and a noble vocation, provided that those engaged in it see themselves challenged by a greater meaning in life; this will enable them truly to serve the common good by striving to increase the goods of this world and to make them more accessible to all.

Francis I (1936-2025) Argentinian Catholic Pope (2013–2025) [b. Jorge Mario Bergoglio]
Evangelii Gaudium, sec. 203 (24 Nov 2013)
(Source)

Bradbury, Ray -- (Attributed)

Dave — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 12:29:40 +0000

I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true — hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it.

Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) American writer, futurist, fabulist
(Attributed)

Stewart, Jon -- Commencement Address, College of William & Mary (2004-05-20)

Dave — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:20:54 +0000

Love what you do. Get good at it. Competence is a rare commodity in this day and age. And let the chips fall where they may.

Jon Stewart (b. 1962) American satirist, comedian, and television host. [b. Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz]
Commencement Address, College of William & Mary (2004-05-20)
(Source)

Confucius -- (Spurious)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

Confucius (c. 551- c. 479 BC) Chinese philosopher, sage, politician [孔夫子 (Kǒng Fūzǐ, K'ung Fu-tzu, K'ung Fu Tse), 孔子 (Kǒngzǐ, Chungni), 孔丘 (Kǒng Qiū, K'ung Ch'iu)]
(Spurious)

Though it has been included in books of quotations, the earliest connection between this thought and Confucius is found in the mid-1980s. See here and here for more discussion.