Andrew Carnegie Quotes - Page 5

The problem of our age is the proper administration of wealth, so that the ties of brotherhood may still bind together the rich and poor in harmonious relationship.

I shall argue that strong men, conversely, know when to compromise and that all principles can be compromised to serve a greater principle.

Pioneering don't pay.

I have never known a concern to make a decided success that did not do good, honest work, and even in these days of fiercest competition, when everything would seem to be a matter of price, there lies still at the root of great business success the very much more important factor of quality. The effect of attention to quality, upon every man in the service, from the president of the concern down to the humblest laborer, cannot be overestimated.

There is no way of making a business successful that can vie with the policy of promoting those who render exceptional service.

The 'morality of compromise' sounds contradictory. Compromise is usually a sign of weakness, or an admission of defeat. Strong men don't compromise, it is said, and principles should never be compromised.

You must capture and keep the heart of the original and supremely able man before his brain can do its best.

There is no class so pitiably wretched as that which possesses money and nothing else.

The only irreplaceable capital an organization possesses is the knowledge and ability of its people. The productivity of that capital depends on how effectively people share their competence with those who can use it.

There is very little success where there is very little laughter.

I would as soon leave my son a curse as the almighty dollar.

A man who was generous with his wealth. It has been reported that during his lifetime, Carnegie gave away over $350 million of his money to help others.

Here lies one who knew how to get around him men who were cleverer than himself

All honor's wounds are self-inflicted.

I choose free libraries as the best agencies for improving the masses of the people, because they give nothing for nothing. They only help those who help themselves.

A business is seldom if ever built up except on lines of strictest integrity.

Humanities education is the worst thing for an industrialist.

The public only knows one side of [Mark Mark Twain] - the amusing part. Little does it suspect that he was a man of strong convictions upon political and social questions and a moralist of no mean order.

And there is no use whatever, gentlemen, trying to help people who do not help themselves. You cannot push any one up a ladder unless he be willing to climb a little himself.

I resolved to stop accumulating and begin the infinitely more serious and difficult task of wise distribution.

No man can become rich without himself enriching others

Those who would administer [charity] wisely must, indeed, be wise, for one of the serious obstacles to the improvement of our race is indiscriminate charity. It were better for mankind that the millions of the rich were thrown into the sea than spent to encourage the slothful, the drunken, the unworthy. Of every thousand dollars spent in so-called charity today, it is probable that nine hundred and fifty dollars is unwisely spent - so spent, indeed, as to produce the very evils which it hopes to mitigate or cure.

Concentrate your energies, your thoughts and your capital. The wise man puts all his eggs in one basket and watches the basket.

The surest foundation of a manufacturing concern is quality. After that, and a long way after, comes cost.

The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work.