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Spartan Surfers

1812–1904

Samuel Smiles

Scottish doctor, journalist and reformer whose book Self-Help (1859) told the lives of working people who rose through effort and character.

9 sourced lines

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

  1. Not ease but effort makes men. Not facility but difficulty.

    Comfort leaves you as you are; struggle shapes you. Smiles saw that the people he admired were formed by obstacles, not by smooth roads. When a task is hard, remember it is also doing the building.

    Self-Help (1859), ch. XI, Self-Culture: Facilities and Difficulties, Original English (Self-Help, revised popular edition, John Murray; first published 1859)

  2. We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success.

    Success confirms what you already believed; failure shows you what you did not know. The lesson is in the miss. Study your failures closely instead of hurrying past them.

    Self-Help (1859), ch. XI, Self-Culture: Facilities and Difficulties, Original English (Self-Help, revised popular edition, John Murray; first published 1859)

  3. He who never made a mistake never made a discovery.

    Discovery means trying things that might not work. A record without mistakes usually means a life without experiments. Accept errors as the cost of finding something new.

    Self-Help (1859), ch. XI, Self-Culture: Facilities and Difficulties, Original English (Self-Help, revised popular edition, John Murray; first published 1859)

  4. Help from outside weakens. Help from within strengthens.

    Being rescued too often can make you dependent. Effort you make yourself builds the muscles you will need next time. Accept help when you must, but grow the strength that comes from inside.

    Self-Help (1859), ch. I, Self-Help: National and Individual, Original English (Self-Help, revised popular edition, John Murray; first published 1859)

  5. Our habits are not our masters. We are masters of them.

    It is easy to talk as if habits and temptations run us. Smiles insists the will stays in charge: we are the masters of our habits, not the other way round. Take back the reins one small choice at a time.

    Self-Help (1859), ch. VIII, Energy and Courage, Original English (Self-Help, revised popular edition, John Murray; first published 1859)

  6. To think we are able is almost to be so.

    Belief in your ability is half the work. It keeps you trying long enough for skill to catch up. Start by deciding you can, then prove it.

    Self-Help (1859), ch. VIII, Energy and Courage, Original English (Self-Help, revised popular edition, John Murray; first published 1859)

  7. One energetic attempt is worth a thousand aspirations.

    Wishing costs nothing and produces nothing. One real try, even a clumsy one, moves you further than years of hoping. Swap a daydream for an attempt today.

    Self-Help (1859), ch. XI, Self-Culture: Facilities and Difficulties, Original English (Self-Help, revised popular edition, John Murray; first published 1859)

  8. The battle of life is fought uphill.

    Expect the climb. Most worthwhile things are won against resistance, not with the slope in your favour. If it feels uphill, you are probably on the right road.

    Self-Help (1859), ch. XI, Self-Culture: Facilities and Difficulties, Original English (Self-Help, revised popular edition, John Murray; first published 1859)

  9. The crown and glory of life is character.

    Smiles ends his book on success by naming what matters above money and fame. Who you are outlasts what you have. Build your character as deliberately as your career.

    Self-Help (1859), ch. XIII, Character: The True Gentleman, Original English (Self-Help, revised popular edition, John Murray; first published 1859)