Quotes About Effort

We must take arms each and every day, perhaps knowing that the battle can not be entirely won, but fight we must, if only a gentle bout. The smallest effort to win means, at the end of each day, a sort of victory.

But that's the wonderful thing about man; he never gets so discouraged or disgusted that he gives up doing it all over again, because he knows very well it is important and worth the doing.

What can we writers learn from lizards, lift from birds? In quickness is truth. The faster you blurt, the more swiftly you write, the more honest you are. In hesitation is thought. In delay comes the effort for a style, instead of leaping upon truth which is the only style worth deadfalling or trigger-trapping.

The smallest effort to win means, at the end of each day, a sort of victory.

Mas é isso que a humanidade tem de maravilhoso: por mais desencorajantes e terríveis que sejam as circunstâncias, nuca deixa de voltar a tentar, porque sabe que há coisas que são importantes e merecedoras do risco da tentativa.

Ma questa è la meravigliosa qualità dell'uomo: non si scoraggia né si disgusta abbastanza da rinunciare a tentare di nuovo, perchè sa molto bene che è importante e ne vale la pena

The smallest effort to win means, at the end of each day, a sort of victory. Remember that pianist who said that if he did not practice every day he would know, if he did not practice for two days, the critics would know, after three days, his audiences would know.

You fight, work, sweat, nearly kill yourself, sometimes do kill yourself, trying to accomplish something — and you can't. Not from any fault of yours. You simply can do nothing, neither great nor little — not a thing in the world — not even marry an old maid, or get a wretched 600-ton cargo of coal to its port of destination.

I remember my youth and the feeling that will never come back any more—the feeling that I could last for ever, outlast the sea, the earth, and all men; the deceitful feeling that lures us on to joys, to perils, to love, to vain effort—to death; the triumphant conviction of strength, the heat of life in the handful of dust, the glow in the heart that with every year grows dim, grows cold, grows small, and expires—and expires, too soon, too soon—before life itself.

No influential friend would have served me better. She [the steamboat] had given me a chance to come out a bit-to find out what I could do. No, I don't like work. I had rather laze about and think of all the fine things that can be done. I don't like work-no man does-but I like what is in the work,-the chance to find yourself. Your own reality-for yourself, not for others-what no other man can ever know. They can only see the mere show, and can never tell what it really means.

But the snags were thick, the water was treacherous and shallow, the boiler seemed indeed to have a sulky devil in it, and thus neither that fireman nor I had any time to peer into our creepy thoughts.

You fellows know there are those voyages that seem ordered for the illustration of life, that might stand for a symbol of existence. You fight, work, sweat, nearly kill yourself, sometimes do kill yourself, trying to accomplish something — and you can't. Not from any fault of yours. You simply can do nothing, neither great nor little — not a thing in the world — not even marry an old maid, or get a wretched 600-ton cargo of coal to its port of destination.

L'atmosfera di burocrazia ucciderebbe qualsiasi cosa respirasse aria di sforzo umano, estinguerebbe parimenti speranza e timore sotto la supremazia di carta e inchiostro.

I don't like work-no man does-but I like what is in the work-the chance to find yourself.

He applied himself to that pastime with great industry

Me parece que estoy tratando de contar un sueño… que estoy haciendo un vano esfuerzo, porque el relato de un sueño no puede transmitir la sensación que produce esa mezcla de absurdo, de sorpresa y aturdimiento en un rumor de revuelta y rechazo, esa noción de ser capturados por lo increíble que es la misma esencia de los sueños.

I don't like work--no man does--but I like what is in the work, the chance to find yourself. Your own reality--for yourself, not for others--what no other man can ever know. They can only see the mere show and never can tell what it really means.

It's only those who do nothing that make no mistakes.

He was too lazy even for a mere demagogue, for a workman orator, for a leader of labour. It was too much trouble. He required a more perfect form of ease; or it might have been that he was the victim of a philosophical unbelief in the effectivness of every human effort.

don't like work— no man does—but I like what is in the work, the chance to find yourself.

worth the candle.

Well! well! It's only those who do nothing that make no mistakes, I suppose.

I don't like work—no man does—but I like what is in the work—the chance to find yourself.

The callow birdlet waits for two or three, But to the eyes of those already fledged, In vain the net is spread or shaft is shot.