Persistence

Explore 21 quotes about Persistence

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

Buy the Tao Te Ching at Amazon Buy the Tao Te Ching at Amazon
Read the Tao Te Ching at MIT's classics department website

More information about this quote

Topic

Patience Persistence One step at a time

Author

Lao Tzu

Source

Tao Te Ching

Genre

Philosophical literature Religious literature

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

Chinese

Time

400 BC 400s BC 5th century BC

Authentication Score 0

Original Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. 道德經 [Tao Te Ching]. c. 400 BC, ch. 64.

Current Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu." A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated by Wing-Tsit Chan. Princeton University Press, 1969, ch. 64.

Diligence is the mother of good luck.

Poor Richard (Benjamin Franklin)

Buy Poor Richard's Almanack at Amazon Buy Poor Richard's Almanack at Amazon
Read this proverb at the National Archives website

More information about this quote

Topic

Hard work Diligence Persistence Good luck Luck

Author

Poor Richard (Benjamin Franklin)

Source

Poor Richard's Almanack

Medium

Almanac

Statement Type

Proverbs, aphorisms and adages

Language

English

Time

1736 1730s 18th century

Era

Colonial America

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Franklin, Benjamin [published as Richard Saunders]. Poor Richard's Almanack. Philadelphia, 1736.

Current Citation

Franklin, Benjamin. "Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1736." Benjamin Franklin: Autobiography, Poor Richard, and Later Writings, edited by J. A. Leo Lemay. Library of America, 2005.

Little strokes fell great Oaks.

Poor Richard (Benjamin Franklin)

Buy Poor Richard's Almanack at Amazon Buy Poor Richard's Almanack at Amazon
Read this proverb at the National Archives website

More information about this quote

Topic

Butterfly effect Incremental progress Diligence Persistence

Author

Poor Richard (Benjamin Franklin)

Source

Poor Richard's Almanack

Medium

Almanac

Statement Type

Proverbs, aphorisms and adages Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1750 1750s 18th century

Era

Colonial America

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Franklin, Benjamin [published as Richard Saunders]. Poor Richard Improved. Philadelphia, 1750.

Current Citation

Franklin, Benjamin. "Poor Richard Improved." Benjamin Franklin: Autobiography, Poor Richard, and Later Writings, edited by J. A. Leo Lemay. Library of America, 2005.

Dripping water hollows out a stone, a ring is worn away by use.

Ovid

More information about this quote

Topic

One step at a time Persistence

Author

Ovid

Medium

Letter

Statement Type

Proverbs, aphorisms and adages

Language

Latin

Time

18 10s 1st century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Ovid. "To Albinovanus: The Sixth Summer." Epistulae ex Ponto. 1st century CE, bk. 4, no. 10, l. 5.

Current Citation

Oivd. "Ex Ponto." Triste; Ex Ponto, translated by Arthur Leslie Wheeler, edited by G. P. Goold. Harvard University Press, 1988.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

Thomas H. Palmer

More information about this quote

Topic

Persistence Never giving up

Author

Thomas H. Palmer

Source

The Teacher's Manual

Statement Type

Advice

Language

English

Time

1840 1840s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Palmer, Thomas H. The Teacher's Manuel. Boston: Marsh, Capen, Lyon, and Webb, 1840.

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.

Samuel Beckett

More information about this quote

Topic

Perseverance Persistence Failure

Author

Samuel Beckett

Source

Worstward Ho

Medium

Short story

Statement Type

Advice

Language

English

Time

1989 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 0

Citation

Beckett, Samuel. "Worstward Ho!" Nohow On. The Limited Editions Club, 1989.

And though hard be the task,
"Keep a stiff upper lip."

Phoebe Cary

More information about this quote

Topic

Perseverance Persistence

Author

Phoebe Cary

Source

Keep a Stiff Upper Lip

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1870 1870s 19th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Cary, Phoebe. Keep a Stiff Upper Lip. c. 1870.

Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty-never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.

Winston Churchill

Speech at Harrow School, October 29, 1941

More information about this quote

Topic

Never giving up Persistence

Speaker

Winston Churchill

Source

Speech at Harrow School, October 29, 1941

Medium

Speech

Language

English

Time

1941 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Never Give In." 29 Oct. 1941, Harrow School, Harrow, England, UK. Speech.

Current Citation

Churchill, Winston. "'Never give in!', 29 October 1941, Harrow School." Never Give In!: Winston Churchill's Speeches. A&C Black, 2013.

The ring on the finger becomes thin beneath by wearing, the fall of dripping water hollows the stone.

Lucretius

On the Nature of Things

Buy On The Nature of Things at Amazon Buy On The Nature of Things at Amazon
Read On the Nature of Things at MIT's classics department website

More information about this quote

Topic

Effects of time Persistence

Author

Lucretius

Source

On the Nature of Things

Medium

Poem

Genre

Didactic poem Philosophical literature

Language

Latin

Time

55 BC 50s BC 1st century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Carus, Titus Lucretius. De Rerum Natura [On the Nature of Things]. c. 55 BC, bk. 1, l. 312.

Current Citation

Carus, Titus Lucretius. The Nature of Things, translated by Alicia Stallings. Penguin Classics, 2007, bk. 1, l. 312.

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed, is more important than any other one thing.

Abraham Lincoln

Read the full text of this letter at umich.edu

More information about this quote

Topic

How to succeed Determination Persistence Success

Author

Abraham Lincoln

Source

Letters of Abraham Lincoln

Medium

Letter

Statement Type

Advice

Language

English

Time

1855 1850s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Lincoln, Abraham. Letter to Isham Reavis. 5 Nov. 1855.

Current Citation

Lincoln, Abraham. Letter to Isham Reavis, November 5, 1855." Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1832-1858, edited by Don E. Fehrenbacher. Library of America, 1989.

Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse, wouldn't quit. He struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out. Gentlemen, as of this moment, I am that second mouse.

Catch Me if You Can

Watch Catch Me if You Can at Amazon Watch Catch Me if You Can at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Persistence Never giving up Perseverance

Speaker

Frank Abagnale

Actor

Christopher Walken

Source

Catch Me if You Can

Medium

Film

Genre

Comedy drama (film) Crime (film) Comedy drama Crime

Language

English

Time

2002 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Catch Me If You Can. Directed by Steven Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment/DreamWorks Pictures/Parkes/MacDonald Productions/Kemp Company/Splendid Pictures, 2002.

There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing unto the end until it be thoroughly finished yields the true glory.

Francis Drake

More information about this quote

Topic

Finishing a task Persistence Perseverance Accomplishment

Author

Francis Drake

Genre

Historical literature

Language

English

Time

1587 1580s 16th century

Era

Age of Exploration

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Drake, Francis. Dispatch to Francis Walsingham. 17 May 1587, Francis Drake's ship, Iberian coasts between Lisbon and Cape St. Vincent. Dispatch.

Just have one more try-it's dead easy to die,
It's the keeping-on-living that's hard.

Robert W. Service

More information about this quote

Topic

Persistence Never giving up Challenges of life Life

Author

Robert W. Service

Source

The Quitter

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1912 1910s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Service, Robert W. "The Quitter." Rhymes of a Rolling Stone. Dodd, Mead and Co., 1912.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Robert Lloyd

The Hare and Tortoise

More information about this quote

Topic

Persistence

Author

Robert Lloyd

Source

The Hare and Tortoise

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1762 1760s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Lloyd, Robert. "The Hare and Tortoise." Poems. London: T. Davies, 1762.

It's a pity you don't have as much charm as you have persistence.

An American in Paris

Watch An American in Paris at Amazon Watch An American in Paris at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Charm Persistence

Speaker

Lise Bouvier

Actor

Leslie Caron

Source

An American in Paris

Medium

Film

Genre

Musical comedy (film) Musical (film) Musical comedy Musical

Language

English

Time

1951 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

An American in Paris. Directed by Vincente Minnelli, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1951.

The secret of success is constancy of purpose.

Benjamin Disraeli

More information about this quote

Topic

Success Singlemindedness Persistence

Speaker

Benjamin Disraeli

Source

Speeches of Benjamin Disraeli

Medium

Speech

Language

English

Time

1872 1870s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Disraeli, Benjamin. Speech in London. National Union of Conservative and Constitutional Associations. 24 June 1872, Crystal Palace, London, England, UK.

In most things success depends on knowing how long it takes to succeed.

Montesquieu

More information about this quote

Topic

Success Persistence

Author

Montesquieu

Medium

Essay

Language

French

Time

1755 1750s 18th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Montesquieu. Pensees et fragments inedits De Montesquieu [Thoughts and Unpublished Fragments of Montesquieu]. G. Gounouilhou, 1901.

Gift, like genius, I often think, only means an infinite capacity for taking pains.

Ellice Hopkins

More information about this quote

Topic

Persistence

Author

Ellice Hopkins

Source

Work Amongst Working Men

Genre

Historical literature

Language

English

Time

1879 1870s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Hopkins, Jane Ellice. Work Amongst Working Men. Strahan and Company, 1879, ch. 4.

Never give up and good luck will find you.

The NeverEnding Story

Watch The NeverEnding Story at Amazon Watch The NeverEnding Story at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Persistence Determination Never giving up

Speaker

Falkor

Actor

Alan Oppenheimer

Source

The NeverEnding Story

Medium

Film

Genre

Fantasy (film) Fantasy

Language

English

Time

1984 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The NeverEnding Story. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, Neue Constantin Film/Bavaria Film/Producers Sales Organization, 1984.

Patience and tenacity of purpose are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness.

T.H. Huxley

More information about this quote

Topic

Tenacity Patience Persistence Perseverance

Speaker

T.H. Huxley

Source

On Medical Education

Medium

Speech

Language

English

Time

1870 1870s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Huxley, Thomas Henry. "On Medical Education." 1870, University College London, London, England, UK.

Current Citation

Huxley, Thomas Henry. "On Medical Education." Collected Essays. Vol. 3, Cambridge University Press, 2011.