Work and Recreation

We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have done.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in Work and Recreation

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.

Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, 1532, in Work and Recreation

He that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.

Confucius, in Work and Recreation

There's no real need to do housework -- after four years it doesn't get any worse.

Quentin Crisp, in Work and Recreation

Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity, and in cold weather becomes frozen, even so does inaction sap the vigors of the mind.

Leonardo Da Vinci, in Work and Recreation

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.

Douglas Adams, in Work and Recreation

There is nothing so easy but that it becomes difficult when you do it reluctantly.

Publius Terentius Afer, in Work and Recreation

We trained hard, but it seemed that everytime we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralization.

Unknown, (sometimes incorrectly attributed to Petronius Arbiter), in Work and Recreation

All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind.

Aristotle, in Work and Recreation

The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.

Richard Bach, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, in Success and Failure and Work and Recreation

Most plans are just inaccurate predictions.

Ben Bayol, in Success and Failure and Work and Recreation

Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.

Albert Camus, in Work and Recreation

The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.

Unknown, in Work and Recreation

Theft from a single author is plagiarism. Theft from two is comparative study. Theft from three or more is research.

Unknown, in Science and Religion and Work and Recreation

There are two kinds of people: those who work and those who take the credit. It's better to belong to the first group because there is less competition.

Unknown, (Wilson on Home Improvement), in Work and Recreation

Wasting time is an important part of living.

Unknown, in Work and Recreation

Westheimer's Discovery: A couple of months in the laboratory can frequently save a couple of hours in the library.

Unknown, in Work and Recreation

When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.

Unknown, (Ethiopian proverb), in Work and Recreation

Work is accomplished by those employees who have not reached their level of incompetence.

Unknown, (probably a misquote of Peter's Principle), in Work and Recreation

You may only have two of the three choices: (1) Enjoy your job. (2)Work within the law. (3)Make lots of money.

Unknown, in Work and Recreation