Top 125 Andrew Carnegie Quotes on Success, Life, Teamwork, Education, and More

Andrew Carnegies famous quote

Who is Andrew Carnegie?

Andrew Carnegie, born on November 25th, 1835 in Dunfermline, Scotland, was a remarkable entrepreneur and philanthropist. Though he passed away on August 11th, 1919, his legacy continues to inspire generations. Carnegie’s road to success was far from easy. At the age of 12, he migrated with his family to the United States in search of better opportunities. Starting off as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory, he quickly climbed the ladder of success through perseverance and dedication.

What sets Carnegie apart from other successful entrepreneurs is not just his immense wealth but also his approach towards it. He believed that a man who dies rich dies disgraced and committed himself to giving away most of his fortune for charitable causes. His belief in philanthropy resulted in the construction of over two thousand public libraries worldwide and various social welfare initiatives aimed at improving people’s lives.

Carnegie’s chosen profession was indeed pivotal in shaping him into what he ultimately became – one of history’s greatest leaders and visionaries – transforming the steel industry in America while making an indelible mark on society.

The Importance of Andrew Carnegie Quotes

Andrew Carnegie Quotes are highly regarded and widely shared because they offer timeless wisdom and inspiration. Known for his success as an industrialist and philanthropist, Carnegie’s quotes provide valuable insights into various aspects of life, including success, wealth, and philanthropy. His words resonate with people from all walks of life, as they encapsulate the importance of hard work, perseverance, and giving back to society. Whether you’re looking for motivation to achieve your goals or seeking guidance on how to make a positive impact in the world, Andrew Carnegie quotes can serve as a friendly reminder that anything is possible with the right mindset and actions.

30 Andrew Carnegie Quotes about Success

  1. “Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” — Andrew Carnegie
  2. “The secret of success lies not in doing your own work but in recognizing the right man to do it.” — Andrew Carnegie
  3. “No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit.” — Andrew Carnegie
  4. “The way to become rich is to put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket.” — Andrew Carnegie
  5. “Success is never found. Failure is never fatal. Courage is the only thing.” — Andrew Carnegie
  6. “The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.” — Andrew Carnegie
  7. “To try to make the world in some way better than you found it is to have a noble motive in life.” — Andrew Carnegie
  8. “The greatest astonishment of my life was the discovery that the man who does the work is not the man who gets rich.” — Andrew Carnegie
  9. “The true road to success is not through riches, but through a golden personality.” — Andrew Carnegie
  10. “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.” — Andrew Carnegie
  11. “Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.” — Andrew Carnegie
  12. “Success is not measured by what a person accomplishes, but by the opposition they have encountered, and by the courage with which they have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.” — Andrew Carnegie
  13. “There is no use whatever trying to help people who do not help themselves. You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he is willing to climb himself.” — Andrew Carnegie
  14. “Surplus wealth is a sacred trust to be managed for the good of others.” — Andrew Carnegie
  15. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” — Andrew Carnegie
  16. “Success is the power to acquire whatever one demands of life without violating the rights of others.” — Andrew Carnegie
  17. “Success comes from making other people successful.” — Andrew Carnegie
  18. “Success is having what you want. Happiness is wanting what you have.” — Andrew Carnegie
  19. “The man who has no money is poor, but one who has nothing but money is poorer.” — Andrew Carnegie
  20. “Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best.” — Andrew Carnegie
  21. “Concentrate your energies, your thoughts, and your capital.” — Andrew Carnegie
  22. “Success can only be attained by each one doing the very best he can.” — Andrew Carnegie
  23. “Success in its highest and noblest form calls for peace of mind and enjoyment and happiness which come only to the man who has found the work that he likes best.” — Andrew Carnegie
  24. “Success is not the destination; it’s the journey.” — Andrew Carnegie
  25. “The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.” — Andrew Carnegie
  26. “Success is not in what you have, but who you are.” — Andrew Carnegie
  27. “The first man gets the oyster; the second man gets the shell.” — Andrew Carnegie
  28. “You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb.” — Andrew Carnegie
  29. “The man who dies rich dies disgraced.” — Andrew Carnegie
  30. “The true definition of wealth is not how much you have but how much you give.” — Andrew Carnegie

29 Andrew Carnegie Quotes about Life

  1. “Life is not so much a matter of position as of disposition.” — Andrew Carnegie
  2. “The older I get, the less I listen to what people say and the more I look at what they do.” — Andrew Carnegie
  3. “Life is a short journey from birth to death, and it must be colorful.” — Andrew Carnegie
  4. “To die rich is to die in disgrace.” — Andrew Carnegie
  5. “Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend.” — Andrew Carnegie
  6. “Life is not a pleasant task. It is a painful journey and we have to travel in it with joy, otherwise, we may become burdensome to others.” — Andrew Carnegie
  7. “Life is not about making money. It’s about making a difference.” — Andrew Carnegie
  8. “Life is not so much what you accomplish as what you overcome.” — Andrew Carnegie
  9. “Life is not merely being alive, but being well.” — Andrew Carnegie
  10. “Life is never really about the destination, it’s about the journey.” — Andrew Carnegie
  11. “Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass, but about learning how to dance in the rain.” — Andrew Carnegie
  12. “Life is full of surprises and serendipity. Being open to unexpected turns in the road is an important part of success. If you try to plan every step, you may miss those wonderful twists and turns.” — Andrew Carnegie
  13. “Life is an opportunity to grow, to learn, to love, and to make a difference.” — Andrew Carnegie
  14. “Life is an adventure in forgiveness.” — Andrew Carnegie
  15. “Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.” — Andrew Carnegie
  16. “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” — Andrew Carnegie
  17. “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” — Andrew Carnegie
  18. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” — Andrew Carnegie
  19. “Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.” — Andrew Carnegie
  20. “Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint you can at it.” — Andrew Carnegie
  21. “Life is change, growth is optional. Choose wisely.” — Andrew Carnegie
  22. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” — Andrew Carnegie
  23. “Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.” — Andrew Carnegie
  24. “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Andrew Carnegie
  25. “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.” — Andrew Carnegie
  26. “Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all.” — Andrew Carnegie
  27. “Life is short, and it’s up to you to make it sweet.” — Andrew Carnegie
  28. “Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.” — Andrew Carnegie
  29. “Life is a song – sing it. Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realize it.” — Andrew Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie’s 69 Inspirational Quotes

  1. “Aim for the highest.” — Andrew Carnegie
  2. “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision.” — Andrew Carnegie
  3. “The only irreplaceable capital an organization possesses is the knowledge and ability of its people.” — Andrew Carnegie
  4. “He that cannot reason is a fool. He that will not is a bigot. He that dare not is a slave.” — Andrew Carnegie
  5. “The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%.” — Andrew Carnegie
  6. “There is little success where there is little laughter.” — Andrew Carnegie
  7. “You must capture and keep the heart of the original and supremely able man before his brain can do its best.” — Andrew Carnegie
  8. “Think of yourself as on the threshold of unparalleled success. A whole, clear, glorious life lies before you. Achieve! Achieve!”
  9. “Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.” — Andrew Carnegie
  10. “Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community.” — Andrew Carnegie
  11. “Immense power is acquired by assuring yourself in your secret reveries that you were born to control affairs.” — Andrew Carnegie
  12. “Do your duty and a little more, and the future will take care of itself.” — Andrew Carnegie
  13. “Watch the costs, and the profits will take care of themselves.” — Andrew Carnegie
  14. “The price which society pays for the law of competition is worth what it costs.” — Andrew Carnegie
  15. “All personal achievement starts in the mind of the individual. Your personal achievement starts in your mind. The first step is to know exactly what your problem, goal, or desire is.” — Andrew Carnegie
  16. “And here is the prime condition of success, the great secret: concentrate your energy, thought, and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun on one line, resolve to fight it out on that line; to lead in it.” — Andrew Carnegie
  17. “The man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his mind may take possession of anything else to which he is justly entitled.” — Andrew Carnegie
  18. “The person who has stopped being thankful has fallen asleep in life.” — Andrew Carnegie
  19. “Concentration is my motto – first honesty, then industry, then concentration.” — Andrew Carnegie
  20. “People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.” — Andrew Carnegie
  21. “No one will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.” — Andrew Carnegie
  22. “You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he is willing to climb.” — Andrew Carnegie
  23. “The surest foundation of a manufacturing business is quality.” — Andrew Carnegie
  24. “The only question that ever should be asked by anyone seriously thinking of getting married is, ‘Will she make a good mother?'”
  25. “No amount of ability is of the slightest avail without honor.” — Andrew Carnegie
  26. “I began as a poor boy and have earned all I have received. I would have been glad to get as much education at the outset as I have since managed to pick up, but I could not pay for it.” — Andrew Carnegie
  27. “The man who starts out simply with the idea of getting rich won’t succeed, you must have a larger ambition.” — Andrew Carnegie
  28. “People who are incapable of extricating themselves from poverty are sending a certain percentage of their earnings to the pawnshop every Saturday night.” — Andrew Carnegie
  29. “I believe that no man can become a great leader unless he becomes a deep student.” — Andrew Carnegie
  30. “You cannot become a great leader if you’re unwilling to make mistakes and learn from them.” — Andrew Carnegie
  31. “The men who have succeeded are men who have chosen one line and stuck to it.” — Andrew Carnegie
  32. “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.” — Andrew Carnegie
  33. “You are what you think. So just think big, believe big, act big, work big, give big, forgive big, laugh big, love big and live big — Andrew Carnegie
  34. “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do — Andrew Carnegie
  35. “People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents — Andrew Carnegie
  36. “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results — Andrew Carnegie
  37. The fuel that allows common people attain uncommon results — Andrew Carnegie
  38. “A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.” — Andrew Carnegie ― Andrew Carnegie
  39. “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.” — Andrew Carnegie ― Andrew Carnegie
  40. “People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.” — Andrew Carnegie ― Andrew Carnegie
  41. “If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.” — Andrew Carnegie ― Andrew Carnegie
  42. “A man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is justly entitled.” — Andrew Carnegie ― Andrew Carnegie
  43. “No man becomes rich unless he enriches others.” — Andrew Carnegie ― Andrew Carnegie
  44. “The man who dies rich, dies disgraced.” — Andrew Carnegie ― Andrew Carnegie
  45. “There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration.” — Andrew Carnegie ― Andrew Carnegie
  46. “All human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes.” — Andrew Carnegie ― Andrew Carnegie
  47. “It marks a big step in your development when you come to realize that other people can help you do a better job than you could do alone.” — Andrew Carnegie ― Andrew Carnegie
  48. “Put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket.” — Andrew Carnegie ― Andrew Carnegie
  49. “When fate hands us a lemon, let’s try to make lemonade.” — Andrew Carnegie ― Andrew Carnegie
  50. “Perhaps the most tragic thing about mankind is that we are all dreaming about some magical garden over the horizon, instead of enjoying the roses that are right outside today.” — Andrew Carnegie ― Andrew Carnegie
  51. “Men who reach decisions promptly usually have the capacity to move with definiteness of purpose in other circumstances — Andrew Carnegie
  52. “Be king in your dreams. Make your vow that you will reach that position, with untarnished reputation, and make no other vow to distract your attention — Andrew Carnegie
  53. “Any person can achieve greatness if they understand the philosophy of success and the steps required to achieve it — Andrew Carnegie
  54. “Any person can achieve greatness if they understand the philosophy of success and the steps required to achieve it — Andrew Carnegie
  55. “Success is the power to acquire whatever one demands of life without violating the rights of others — Andrew Carnegie
  56. “When fate hands us a lemon, let’s try to make lemonade — Andrew Carnegie
  57. “The sole purpose of being rich is to give away money — Andrew Carnegie
  58. “Strong men don’t compromise, it is said, and principles should never be compromised — Andrew Carnegie
  59. “Do your duty and a little more and the future will take care of itself.” — Andrew Carnegie
  60. “The man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is justly entitled.” — Andrew Carnegie
  61. “No, your Majesty, I do not like kings, but I do like a man be­hind a king when I find him.” — Andrew Carnegie
  62. “There are instances of millionaires’ sons unspoiled by wealth, who, being rich, still perform great services in the community. Such are the very salt of the earth, as valuable as, unfortunately, they are rare.” — Andrew Carnegie
  63. “You are what you think. So just think big, believe big, act big, work big, give big, forgive big, laugh big, love big, and live big.” — Andrew Carnegie
  64. “There is no class as pitiably wretched as that which possesses money and nothing else.” — Andrew Carnegie
  65. “The ‘morality of compromise’ sounds contradictory. Compromise is usually a sign of weakness, or an admission of defeat. Strong men don’t compromise, it is said, and principles should never be compromised.” — Andrew Carnegie
  66. “Air castles are often within our grasp late in life, but then they charm not.” — Andrew Carnegie
  67. “No man can become rich without himself enriching others.” — Andrew Carnegie
  68. “Of every thousand dollars spent in so called charity to-day, it is probable that $950 is unwisely spent; so spent, indeed as to produce the very evils which it proposes to mitigate or cure.” — Andrew Carnegie
  69. “The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell.” — Andrew Carnegie
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