Andrew Carnegie citations

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”

“A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.”

“People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.”

“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.”

“There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration.”

“A man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is justly entitled.”

“No man becomes rich unless he enriches others.”

“The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.”

“It marks a big step in your development when you come to realize that other people can help you do a better job than you could do alone.”

“When fate hands us a lemon, let's try to make lemonade.”

“He that cannot reason is a fool. He that will not is a bigot. He that dare not is a slave.”

“Put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket.”

“Perhaps the most tragic thing about mankind is that we are all dreaming about some magical garden over the horizon, instead of enjoying the roses that are right outside today.”

“All human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes.”

“You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he is willing to climb a little.”

“Success is getting what you want.
Happiness is wanting what you get.”

“TEAMWORK: the fuel that allows common people attain uncommon results.”

“Do your duty and a little more and the future will take care of itself.”

“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.”

“It is not the rich man's son that the young struggler for advancement has to fear in the race of life, nor his nephew, nor his cousin. Let him look out for the "dark horse" in the boy who begins by sweeping out the office.”

“Did you ever sum up these prizes and think how very little the millionaire has beyond the peasant, and how very often his additions tend not to happiness but to misery!”

“No, Your Majesty, I do not like kings, but I do like a man be­hind a king when I find him.”

“While the law [of competition] may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it insures the survival of the fittest in every department. We accept and welcome, therefore, as conditions to which we must accommodate ourselves, great inequality of environment, the concentration of business, industrial and commercial, in the hands of the few, and the law of competition between these, as being not only beneficial, but essential for the future progress of the race.”

“The sound rule in busi­ness is that you may give money freely when you have a sur­plus, but your name never—nei­ther as en­dorser nor as mem­ber of a cor­po­ra­tion with in­di­vid­ual li­a­bil­ity”

“Salary, (I said, quite offended) what do I care for salary? I do not want the salary; I want the position. It is glory enough to go back to the Pittsburgh Division in your former place. You can make my salary just what you please and you need not give me any more than what I am getting now… Oh, please don't speak to me of money!”

“Those who would administer wisely must, indeed, be wise, for one of the serious obstacles to the improvement of our race is indiscriminate charity.”

“Three generations from shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves.”

“Watch the costs and the profits take care of themselves.”

“Such, in my opinion, is the true Gospel concerning Wealth, obedience to which is destined some day to solve the problem of the Rich and the Poor, and to bring "Peace on earth, among men Good Will."”