Thomas Carlyle Sayings and Quotes

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

Action hangs, as it were, dissolved in speech, in thoughts whereof speech is the shadow; and precipitates itself therefrom. The kind of speech in a man betokens the kind of action you will get from him. Thomas Carlyle
Everywhere in life, the true question is not what we gain, but what we do. Thomas Carlyle
The wind does blow as it lists always; / Canst thou change this world to thy mind? / The world will wander its own wise way; / I also will wander mine, mine, / I also will wander mine. Thomas Carlyle
God Almighty never created a man half as wise as he looks. Thomas Carlyle
Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness. He has a work, a life-purpose... Get your happiness out of your work or you will never know what real happiness is... Even in the meanest sorts of labor, the whole soul of a man is composed into a kind of real harmony the instant he sets himself to work. Thomas Carlyle
Caution is the lower story of prudence. Thomas Carlyle
A great man shows his greatness by the way he treats little men. Thomas Carlyle
A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge. Thomas Carlyle
Music is well said to be the speech of angels; in fact, nothing among the utterances allowed to man is felt to be so divine. It brings us near to the infinite. Thomas Carlyle
If you look deep enough you will see music. The heart of nature being everywhere music. Thomas Carlyle
Each human heart can properly exhibit but one love, if even one: the 'first love, which is infinite,' can be followed by no second like unto it. Thomas Carlyle
In youth the universe is majestically unveiling, and everywhere heaven revealing itself on earth, nowhere to the young man does this heaven on earth so immediately reveal itself as in the young maiden. Thomas Carlyle
History is the essence of innumerable biographies. Thomas Carlyle
I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom. Thomas Carlyle
Fame is no sure test of merit, but only a probability of such; it is an accident, not a property of man. Thomas Carlyle
Generations are as the days of toilsome mankind.... What the father has made, the son can make and enjoy but has also work of his own appointed him. Thus all things wax and roll onwards; arts, establishments, opinions; nothing is ever completed, but ever completing. Thomas Carlyle
Originality is a thing we constantly clamor for, and constantly quarrel with. Thomas Carlyle
The merit of originality is not novelty, it is sincerity. The believing man is the original man; he believes for himself, not for another. Thomas Carlyle
For suffering and enduring there is no remedy, but striving and doing. Thomas Carlyle
For suffering and enduring there is no remedy, but striving and doing. Thomas Carlyle
Experience is the best of schoolmasters, only the school fees are heavy. Thomas Carlyle
The mystery of a Person, indeed, is ever divine, to him that has a sense for the Godlike. Thomas Carlyle
Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment. Thomas Carlyle
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope. Thomas Carlyle
He that can work is born to be king of something. Thomas Carlyle
Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight. Thomas Carlyle
Courtesy is the due of man to man; not of suit-of-clothes to suit-of-clothes. Thomas Carlyle
The best effect of any book is that it excites the reader to self activity. Thomas Carlyle
The first duty of man is that of subduing fear. We must get rid of fear; we cannot act at all till then. Thomas Carlyle
This world, after all our science and sciences, is still a miracle wonderful, inscrutable, magical and more, to whosoever will think of it. Thomas Carlyle