Quotes from Elbert Hubbard

Formal religion was organized for slaves: it offered them consolation which earth did not provide.

Most reformers wore rubber boots and stood on glass when God sent a current of Commonsense through the Universe.

If your religion does not change you, then you had better change your religion.

Give us a religion that will help us to live - we can die without assistance.

Mystic: a person who is puzzled before the obvious but who understands the non-existent.

Your enemy is one who misunderstands you; why should you not rise above the fog and see his error and respect him for the good qualities you find in him?

Knowledge is the distilled essence of our institutions, corroborated by experience.

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

The man who craves disciples and wants followers is always more or less of a charlatan. The man of genuine worth and insight wants to be himself; and he wants others to be themselves, also.

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

The weaknesses of the many make the leader possible.

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

Do not dump your woes upon people — keep the sad story of your life to yourself. Troubles grow by recounting them.

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

In these days, a man who says a thing cannot be done is quite apt to be interrupted by some idiot doing it.

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

Two-thirds of all preachers, doctors and lawyers are hanging on to the coat tails of progress, shouting, whoa! while a good many of the rest are busy strewing banana peels along the line of march.

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

True life lies in laughter, love and work.

Rivalry is the life of trade, and the death of the trader.

Forbid a man to think for himself or to act for himself and you may add the joy of piracy and the zest of smuggling to his life.

You had better be a round peg in a square hole than a square peg in a square hole. The latter is in for life, while the first is only an indeterminate sentence.

The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live.

Responsibility is the price of freedom.