Thomas Carlyle Quotes About Life

Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish historian, philosopher, and mathematician who lived through much of the 19th century.  His writings influenced notable authors and philosophers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Charles Dickens.

I became aware of Thomas Carlyle when I read Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior’s “I have a dream” speech.  Dr. King quotes Thomas Carlyle when he says “no lie can live forever.”

The quotes from Thomas Carlyle’s works below give us insights into his views on communication, popular opinion, character, and human relationships.

Enjoy!

“Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see further.” – Thomas Carlyle 

“No pressure, no diamonds.” – Thomas Carlyle

“Every man is my superior in that I may learn from him.” – Thomas Carlyle 

“Of all your troubles, great and small, the greatest are the ones that don’t happen at all.” – Thomas Carlyle

“Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand. ”– Thomas Carlyle

“My books are friends that never fail me.” – Thomas Carlyle 

“Conviction is worthless unless it is converted into conduct.” – Thomas Carlyle 

“Tell a man he is brave, and you help him to become so.” – Thomas Carlyle 

“The tragedy of life is not so much what men suffer, but rather what they miss.” – Thomas Carlyle 

“Popular opinion is the greatest lie in the world.” – Thomas Carlyle 

“Silence is deep as Eternity, speech is shallow as Time.” – Thomas Carlyle 

A man lives by believing something; not by debating and arguing about many things.” – Thomas Carlyle 

“Show me the man you honor, and I will know what kind of man you are” – Thomas Carlyle

“The greatest of faults is to be conscious of none.” – Thomas Carlyle

“A great man shows his greatness by the way he treats little men.” – Thomas Carlyle

“Silence is more eloquent than words.” – Thomas Carlyle

“The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong.” – Thomas Carlyle

“In a controversy, the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.” – Thomas Carlyle

“A person usually has two reasons for doing something, a good reason and the real reason.” – Thomas Carlyle

“Have a purpose in life, and having it, throw into your work such strength of mind and muscle as God has given you.” – Thomas Carlyle

“Every noble work is at first impossible.” – Thomas Carlyle

“When the oak is felled the whole forest echoes with its fall, but a hundred acorns are sown in silence by an unnoticed breeze.” – Thomas Carlyle

“Adversity is the diamond dust Heaven polishes its jewels with” – Thomas Carlyle

“For a hundred that can bear adversity, there is hardly one that can bear prosperity.” – Thomas Carlyle

“Of our thinking it is but the upper surface that we shape into articulate thought; underneath the region of argument and conscious discourse lies the region of meditation.” – Thomas Carlyle

“Under all speech that is good for anything, there lies a silence that is better.” – Thomas Carlyle

“Permanence, perseverance, and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” – Thomas Carlyle

“No lie can live forever.” – Thomas Carlyle

Thanks for reviewing these quotes about life from Thomas Carlyle.  Which ones were most meaningful to you?  How can you put them to work in your life today?  Leave a comment.

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