What is your favorite quote? Who said it? How has it impacted you?

TLT Sounding Board September 2009

 

Not surprising for an audience of scientists, TLT readers cited Albert Einstein more frequently than anyone else in their lists of quotable sources. Among the others receiving multiple citations were Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, Mark Twain, Eleanor Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln. Also not surprising for research scientists, many of the quotes emphasized patience, persistence and a proactive, can-do attitude. Many readers said their inspiring quotes came from non-famous individuals—parents, relatives and often bosses and co-workers. Note: In some instances TLT was not able to verify the source of a quote cited by a reader. In these instances we kept the quote but removed the source rather than risk misquoting someone. Also, in some cases a reader stated a quote somewhat incorrectly. In these instances TLT verified the quote and corrected the language.

“Victory is not won in miles but in inches.” Louis L’Amour. It’s one of life’s little truisms we see played out everyday in sales, sports, business. A little extra effort or preparation is the difference between first place and also ran, $1 million and $100,000, etc.

“You live and die by shades of gray.” Robert Earl Keen. It reminds me to make things either black or white, if possible.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell: “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.”

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” My father said it to me all the time. This saying has kept me watchful to make sure I don’t put work ahead of my family.

“That’s what 10-foot poles are for!” It reminds me that sometimes the best way to handle a difficult situation or person is safely and from a distance.

“Knock the ‘t’ off of ‘can’t.’” Winston Churchill. Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential.

“No one can consider you to be inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt.

“The door to success is always marked ‘push.’”

“Never say it cannot be done, say ‘I’ll try.’” My father. Keeps me energized even when a solution does not seem that obvious.


“Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them.” Albert Einstein.


“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” Abraham Lincoln.

“I am seldom wrong but often misunderstood.” Moral: Never answer a question or make a statement without thinking it through first.

“Sometimes it is best to ride the horse in the direction it is going.” Often I want something more than my organization can offer and have unnecessary conflicts.

“The only people who don’t goof up are the one’s who don’t do anything.” My uncle Harry.

“Never, never, never, never give up!” Winston Churchill. It goes directly to the issue of staying the course in the face of difficult business or personal concerns.

Frederick Nietzsche: “That which does not kill you makes you stronger.” I heard it originally from my high school band director, who was a long-time inspiration. Remembering this just generally helps me get through tough times.

“Plan the work and work the plan.”

“Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” Malcolm Forbes in Forbes magazine. This provided me with the motivation to keep well-informed and act accordingly.

“This too shall pass.” From a poem by Lanta Wilson Smith adopting a Biblical passage. It reminds me that every system is dynamic (physical or organic), and change is inevitable.

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Thomas Edison. This quote reinforces the idea that there is no substitute for hard work.


“You have to be the change that you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi.

“I have never, on the field of battle, sent you where I was unwilling to go myself.” Lt. General N.B. Forrest. I believe that if people see a person lead by example, they are much more willing to work for that type of person than someone who simply hands out orders. Because of that, I have tried to never ask someone to do anything I was not willing to do myself.

“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.” Mark Twain. This keeps me from taking my life too seriously.

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex and more violent. It takes a touch of genius, and a lot of courage, to move in the opposite direction.” Albert Einstein. This quote has helped me remember that there is a beautiful elegance to simplicity (often accompanied by a cost savings).


“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill. 

“Just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them.” Jesus. Helps me be more empathetic and find better ways to accomplish the same goals.

Norman Vincent Peale: “It’s nice to be smart, but it’s smart to be nice.”

“Isolation is a dream killer.”

“First things first and second things never.” This helps me to focus on what really matters. Of course, when the first thing is solved, the second becomes first and so forth.

Harry S. Truman: “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” Relieves stress because others think they did it themselves.

“Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein.

“Resisting changing is like holding your breath—if you win you die!”

“Live strong.” Lance Armstrong.

“if you fear change, don’t look in the mirror!” Convincing people to adapt to new concepts is my job as a lubrication professional. It never fails to surprise me when I hear people tell me they still adhere to 3,000-mile oil changes in their cars.

“Faultfinding without suggestions for improvement is a waste of time.” Ralph C. Smedley, founder of Toastmasters. This has helped most in my professional life as my subordinate was very good about complaining about everything without offering any suggestions for improving the situation. In my personal life it has helped me not to nit-pick my husband’s bad habits...OK, sometimes.

“A year in the laboratory can save you a day in the library.” Anonymous. Always take time to do some reading first—maybe somebody else has already done something similar (maybe you’ve already done something similar!). Take time to plan your work before just jumping in and doing it.

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” Herm Albright.

“Rule 1: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule 2: It’s all small stuff.”

“Your best helping hand is at the end of your own arm.” I heard this while serving in the Air Force in 1975.

“Change three things: Your thinking, your attitude and your behavior.” It helps me to change myself.

“Procrastination is the thief of time.” Benjamin Franklin. I try to do tasks that I would like to avoid as soon as possible, and this makes life a lot easier.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

“Stop talking about it, try it.”

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Aristotle. It has helped me maintain an open mind and to listen to the opposition.

“99% of lubrication failures are not related to the lubricant itself but the application thereof.”

“Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.” Jim Valvano, former North Carolina State basketball coach who died of cancer.

“No pain, no gain.” Simple but very true.

“The proof is in the pudding.” This has caused me to ask questions and seek answers instead of just taking things at face value and wishing I had dug a little deeper. It has also shown me that once something is proven and works, the results will speak for themselves.


“Genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. Thomas Edison.


“If Edison had a needle to find in a haystack, he would proceed at once with the diligence of the bee to examine straw after straw until he found the object of his search. I was a sorry witness to such doings, knowing that a little theory and calculation would have saved him 90% of his labor.” Nikola Tesla.

Albert Einstein: “The problems that exist today cannot be solved by thinking the way we thought when we created the problems in the first place.”

“Things happen for a reason.” Believing this, for me, removes the stress of wondering why.

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Benjamin Franklin. Like many Franklin quotes, this one combines the ethereal with the temporal. It reminds me that there is more to life than drudgery and that if I approach it properly I can enjoy myself while doing good for others.

“Without deviation, progress is not possible.” Frank Zappa.

“You can’t leave footprints in the sands of time by sitting on your butt. And who wants to leave butt prints in the sands of time?”

“Oil is oil and grease is grease and it don’t make no mind!” This is an expression of a long-standing subconscious attitude that many have toward the single most important part of a manufacturer’s basic care program. It serves as a juxtaposition of the appropriate approach, which is precision lubrication.

“Relax, you don’t want to die all tensed up.” My boss says it all the time. It makes you laugh and relax.

“Look out for No. 1, just try not to step in No. 2.” Rodney Dangerfield.

“It ain’t what you know but what you know that ain’t so that gets you in trouble.” David Stockman.

“Anything worth doing is worth doing right!” The quality of work directly affects reliability.

“The danger to democracy is not that politicians ignore people in the street but that they cater to their delusions.” This with a few word changes can apply to anything.

Speaking of the lever, Archimedes said, “Give me a place to stand on, and I will move the Earth.” Helps me remember that there is always some way to achieve your objectives.

Albert Einstein’s three rules of work: “Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. Realize that in the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.”

“If you don’t know where you are going, any path will get you there.” Lewis Carroll from Alice in Wonderland. Reminds me that having an objective in mind is essential to the process.

“He who feels pressure in his bladder should go to the bathroom.” This was said to me tens of times by one of my first bosses in the lubricant industry. What he meant is that one should do things by and for oneself and not rely on others—a go-out-and-do-it kind of philosophy. This saying’s applications in my professional and personal life have been too many to enumerate!

“I swear by my life and my love of it never to live my life for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for the sake of mine.” Ayn Rand. It has helped me be self-motivated, self-reliant and driven to succeed on my own terms. Also it has taught me never to ask a customer or prospect a question I have not earned the right to ask, such as, “May I have your business?” This is a question that should only be asked once you have earned the right by showing your prospect how you and your company offer a true value to the prospect.

“Wherever you are, be there.” Ralph Waldo Emerson. Helps me accept and adjust to adversity.

“Serve to deserve.”

“Give a man a piece of fish and he can feed himself for a day. Teach a man to fish and he can feed himself for the rest of his life.” I use it with salespeople and customers when trying to educate them on certain tasks. I walk them through but have them do the task.

“Your efforts may fail, but don’t fail to make any efforts.” I’m a doctoral student and it helps me stay patient and apply my efforts with the same pace.


John Lennon: “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.” I often quote this when colleagues are over planning their careers. I always remember to keep my feet grounded.


“I tried to think but nothing happened." Curly Howard.


“The more I learn, the more I find out how much I did not know.” Socrates.

“Smooth seas do not make good sailors.” African proverb. I remember this during difficult times to realize that I will emerge better equipped with improved skills to handle life and work.

“Do not let the door hit your butt on the way out.” I’m a field service rep, and when we hear this it tells me we should have been listening instead of talking to understand what the real problem is.

Theodore Roosevelt: “The chief factor in any man’s success or failure must be his own character.”

“Life is a journey. Enjoy the ride.”

“He who has data wins an argument. Anybody else is just another person who has an opinion.” This has helped me in my career by making sure I have data before giving my opinion.

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!”

At our research center we have a saying in the development portion of product formulations, “If all the testing is showing positive results, then you have likely overlooked something important.” It has proven to be a valuable reminder that a person must stay vigilant and cautious when results are evaluated.

“Blessed are those who aren’t asked to participate in surveys.”