James Hudson Taylor (1832–1905) Missionary in China
(Leslie T. Lyall. A Passion for the Impossible: The Continuing Story of the Mission Hudson Taylor Began. London: OMF Books, 1965, 5).
“Every noble work is at first impossible.”
From Past and Present (1843), Chapter XI : Labour
The Wikipedia page for Thomas Carlyle has links to the Project Gutenberg version of this book
1840s
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Thomas Carlyle481
Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian… 1795–1881Related quotes
“Of every noble work the silent part is best,
Of all expression that which can not be expressed.”
William Wetmore Story (1819–1895) American sculptor, art critic, poet, translator and editor
The Unexpressed.
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)
Kailash Satyarthi (1954) Indian children's rights activist
Times of India interview (2014)
Context: I hope that youngsters and civil society organizations and every Indian will feel proud. It is a noble cause to work for the rights of children. It is a movement against child labour and everyone must join it.
Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher
Bk. III, ch. 4.
1840s, Past and Present (1843)
“There is a perennial nobleness and even sacredness in work.”
Albert Pike book Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry
Source: Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (1871), Ch. XXII : Knight of the Royal Axe, or Prince of Libanus, p. 341
Context: There is a perennial nobleness and even sacredness in work. Be he never so benighted and forgetful of his high calling, there is always hope in a man that actually and earnestly works: in Idleness alone is there perpetual Despair.
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–1799) German scientist, satirist
H 1
Aphorisms (1765-1799), Notebook H (1784-1788)
Peter F. Drucker (1909–2005) American business consultant
Source: 1960s - 1980s, MANAGEMENT: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices (1973), Part 1, p. 182
Kenneth Tynan (1927–1980) English theatre critic and writer
"Laurence Olivier" (1966), p. 208
Profiles (1990)
“Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work.”
Bette Davis (1908–1989) film and television actress from the United States
From Davis' running commentary in Whitney Stine's Mother Goddam https://books.google.com/books?id=kxs_AAAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=%22Attempt+the+impossible+in+order+to+improve+your+work.%22 (1974), p. 123 ISBN 0-8015-5184-6