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Elbert Hubbard

62 quotes

Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) was an American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher who founded the Roycroft artisan community in East Aurora, New York. His essay *A Message to Garcia* became one of the most widely distributed publications in history. Hubbard's aphorisms on work, success, and character remain widely quoted.

“A retentive memory may be a good thing, but the ability to forget is the true token of greatness.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Good

All Quotes by Elbert Hubbard

“Love grows by giving. The love we give away is the only love we keep. The only way to retain love is to give it away.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Love

“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Men

“Positive anything is better than negative nothing.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Positive

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

— Elbert Hubbard

Life

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

— Elbert Hubbard

Great

“The highest reward that God gives us for good work is the ability to do better work.”

— Elbert Hubbard

God

“If you suffer, thank God! It is a sure sign that you are alive.”

— Elbert Hubbard

God

“Fear clogs faith liberates.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Faith

“Friendship, like credit, is highest when it is not used.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Friendship

“The sculptor produces the beautiful statue by chipping away such parts of the marble block as are not needed - it is a process of elimination.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Art

“We are punished by our sins, not for them.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Religion

“Life is just one damned thing after another.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Life

“The ineffable joy of forgiving and being forgiven forms an ecstasy that might well arouse the envy of the gods.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Forgiveness

“The love we give away is the only love we keep.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Love

“Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Wisdom

“The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Best

“We work to become, not to acquire.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Work

“Never explain - your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Friendship

“The happiness of this life depends less on what befalls you than the way in which you take it.”

— Elbert Hubbard

Happiness

“The only foes that threaten America are the enemies at home, and these are ignorance, superstition and incompetence.”

— Elbert Hubbard

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