John Ruskin Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old John Ruskin quotes, John Ruskin sayings, and John Ruskin proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.'

The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it. John Ruskin
Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort. John Ruskin
A great thing can only be done by a great person; and they do it without effort. John Ruskin
Endurance is nobler than strength, and patience than beauty. John Ruskin
Living without an aim, is like sailing without a compass. John Ruskin
When a man is all wrapped up in himself he makes a pretty small package. John Ruskin
All great art is the work of the whole living creature, body and soul, and chiefly of the soul. John Ruskin
Every great person is always being helped by everybody; for their gift is to get good out of all things and all persons. John Ruskin
Do not think of your faults, still less of other's faults; look for what is good and strong, and try to imitate it. Your faults will drop off, like dead leaves, when their time comes. John Ruskin
When we build, let us think that we build forever. John Ruskin
It is only by labor that thought can be made healthy, and only by thought that labor can be happy; and the two cannot be separated with impunity. John Ruskin
When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece. John Ruskin
The distinguishing sign of slavery is to have a price, and to be bought for it. John Ruskin
Our purity of taste is best tested by its universality, for if we can only admire this thing or that, we maybe use that our cause for liking is of a finite and false nature. John Ruskin
Unless we perform divine service with every willing act of our life, we never perform it at all. John Ruskin
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather John Ruskin
There is no wealth but life. John Ruskin
It is excellent discipline for an author to feel that he must say all that he has to say in the fewest possible words, or his readers is sure to skip them. John Ruskin
When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece. John Ruskin
Cursing is invoking the assistance of a spirit to help you inflict suffering. Swearing on the other hand, is invoking, only the witness of a spirit to an statement you wish to make. John Ruskin
To banish imperfection is to destroy expression, to check exertion, to paralyze vitality. John Ruskin
Reverence is the chief joy and power of life - reverence for that which is pure and bright in youth; for what is true and tried in age; for all that is gracious among the living, great among the dead, - and marvelous in the powers that cannot die. John Ruskin
Contrast increases the splendor of beauty, but it disturbs its influence; it adds to its attractiveness, but diminishes its power. John Ruskin
Make yourselves nests of pleasant thoughts. None of us knows what fairy palaces we may build of beautiful thought-proof against all adversity. Bright fancies, satisfied memories, noble histories, faithful sayings, treasure houses of precious and restful thoughts, which care cannot disturb, nor pain make gloomy, nor poverty take away from us. John Ruskin
Every increased possession loads us with a new weariness. John Ruskin
As in the instances of alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, and other such popular creeds, political economy, has a plausible idea at the root of it.  John Ruskin
There is a working class - strong and happy - among both rich and poor: there is an idle class - weak, wicked, and miserable - among both rich and poor. John Ruskin
The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most. John Ruskin
Let every dawn be to you as the beginning of life, and every setting sun be to you as its close. John Ruskin
Taste is the only morality. Tell me what you like and I'll tell you what you are. John Ruskin