Elbert Hubbard Quotes

Powerful Elbert Hubbard for Daily Growth

About Elbert Hubbard

Elbert Green Hubbard (June 15, 1856 – May 7, 1915) was an American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher, renowned for his works advocating the Arts and Crafts movement and the simple, satisfying life. Born in Hudson, New York, Hubbard grew up in a modest family that valued self-education. His early years were spent working in his father's print shop, laying the foundation for his future career in publishing. After several jobs, including a stint as a salesman and an unsuccessful attempt at farming, he settled into the role of a traveling salesman selling lamps. In 1894, Hubbard founded The Roycroft Campus in East Aurora, New York, an arts and crafts community that produced handmade furniture, stained glass, metalwork, and books. The Roycroft Press published works by Hubbard and other authors, promoting the Arts and Crafts ethos of craftsmanship, simplicity, and beauty. Hubbard's writings, which included essays, poems, short stories, and books, were heavily influenced by Transcendentalism, Eastern philosophy, and the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and William Shakespeare. His most famous work is "A Message to Garcia" (1899), an essay that extols the virtues of initiative, resourcefulness, and determination. Hubbard was a prolific speaker and lecturer, traveling extensively across the United States to share his ideas. However, his life was cut short when he died aboard the RMS Lusitania in 1915 during World War I. His legacy continues to inspire, particularly through The Roycroft Campus, which remains active today as a center for arts and crafts education.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Do more than belong: Believe. Contribute. Lead."

This quote encourages individuals to not just exist or be passive members of society, but rather to actively engage, believe in something greater, contribute their unique skills and talents, and lead others through example and inspiration. In essence, it calls for personal growth, purpose-driven actions, and positive impact on the community or world at large.


"Art is not a thing, it is a way."

Elbert Hubbard's quote, "Art is not a thing, it is a way," emphasizes that art is not just an object or product, but rather a means of expression or a method of living. It suggests that every person has the innate ability to create and express themselves artistically, and this artistic approach to life can enrich our experiences and perceptions. Therefore, we should cultivate creativity in our daily lives as a way of exploring and understanding ourselves and the world around us.


"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one."

The quote emphasizes that an excessive, constant fear of making a mistake is detrimental in life. It suggests that the fear itself can be a significant impediment to personal growth and success. Instead, it encourages one to take calculated risks, learn from their mistakes, and grow wiser as they progress through life.


"Never do for people what they can do for themselves."

This quote by Elbert Hubbard emphasizes self-reliance and empowerment. It suggests that we should encourage others to develop their skills and capabilities, rather than doing tasks for them that they are capable of accomplishing independently. By allowing people to do things for themselves, we foster growth, independence, and self-confidence, ultimately contributing to a more empowered and resilient community. This perspective encourages us to strike a balance between helping and enabling others, promoting a culture of mutual respect, personal responsibility, and trust.


"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."

This quote by Elbert Hubbard emphasizes the importance of thorough understanding rather than superficial knowledge. The "Pierian spring" refers to the well in ancient Greece that was said to inspire poetic wisdom. "A little learning is a dangerous thing" suggests that shallow, incomplete knowledge can be misleading and potentially harmful, while "Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring" advises one either to commit fully to learning (drink deep) or not to bother at all (taste not). In essence, this quote encourages us to delve deeply into a subject instead of skimming its surface.


If you can't answer a man's arguments, all is not lost; you can still call him vile names.

- Elbert Hubbard

Him, Call, Still, Argument

The final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure criticism without resentment.

- Elbert Hubbard

Great, Greatness, Resentment, Final

A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.

- Elbert Hubbard

Hope, More, May, Seemed

The idea that is not dangerous is not worthy of being called an idea at all.

- Elbert Hubbard

Dangerous, Idea, Being, Worthy

God will not look you over for medals degrees or diplomas, but for scars.

- Elbert Hubbard

Graduation, Over, Medals, Scars

The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.

- Elbert Hubbard

Ignorance, Satisfied, Recipe, Perpetual

A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.

- Elbert Hubbard

Friendship, Same, Loves, Knows

Little minds are interested in the extraordinary; great minds in the commonplace.

- Elbert Hubbard

Extraordinary, Minds, Commonplace

There is something that is much more scarce, something finer far, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability.

- Elbert Hubbard

More, Finer, Far, Rarer

Editor: a person employed by a newspaper, whose business it is to separate the wheat from the chaff, and to see that the chaff is printed.

- Elbert Hubbard

Newspaper, See, Editor, Printed

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without his teacher.

- Elbert Hubbard

Teacher, Along, His, Enable

The sculptor produces the beautiful statue by chipping away such parts of the marble block as are not needed - it is a process of elimination.

- Elbert Hubbard

Art, Process, Away, Produces

Love grows by giving. The love we give away is the only love we keep. The only way to retain love is to give it away.

- Elbert Hubbard

Love, Give, Grows, Love Is

If you suffer, thank God! It is a sure sign that you are alive.

- Elbert Hubbard

Thankful, Suffer, Sure, Sure Sign

The ineffable joy of forgiving and being forgiven forms an ecstasy that might well arouse the envy of the gods.

- Elbert Hubbard

Forgiveness, Joy, Envy, Arouse

Reversing your treatment of the man you have wronged is better than asking his forgiveness.

- Elbert Hubbard

Forgiveness, Better, Wronged

Never explain - your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.

- Elbert Hubbard

Friendship, Never, Explain, Never Explain

Fear clogs; faith liberates.

- Elbert Hubbard

Fear, Faith, Liberates

The supernatural is the natural not yet understood.

- Elbert Hubbard

Natural, Supernatural, Understood

One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.

- Elbert Hubbard

Technology, Extraordinary, Ordinary Men

Never get married in college; it's hard to get a start if a prospective employer finds you've already made one mistake.

- Elbert Hubbard

Marriage, College, Mistake, Get Married

The reason men oppose progress is not that they hate progress, but that they love inertia.

- Elbert Hubbard

Love, Men, Reason, Inertia

A pessimist? That's a person who has been intimately acquainted with an optimist.

- Elbert Hubbard

Pessimist, Person, Been, Acquainted

This will never be a civilized country until we spend more money for books than we do for chewing gum.

- Elbert Hubbard

Country, Will, Civilized, Chewing

Polygamy: An endeavour to get more out of life than there is in it.

- Elbert Hubbard

More, Get, Than, Polygamy

The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can't be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.

- Elbert Hubbard

Doing, Done, Generally, Interrupted

Art is the beautiful way of doing things. Science is the effective way of doing things. Business is the economic way of doing things.

- Elbert Hubbard

Beautiful, Effective Way, Economic

The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it: so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it.

- Elbert Hubbard

Success Is, Line, Pass, Scarcely

The teacher is the one who gets the most out of the lessons, and the true teacher is the learner.

- Elbert Hubbard

Teacher, True, Most, Learner

The greatest mistake you can make in life is continually fearing that you'll make one.

- Elbert Hubbard

Great, Mistake, Make, Fearing

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