Andrew Carnegie quotes

Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist who led the expansion of the American steel industry. His enormous wealth funded libraries, universities, and charities across the United States and abroad. He became one of the most influential philanthropists of his time. Here are 68 of his quotes:

People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.

Andrew Carnegie

Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community.

Andrew Carnegie

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

The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell.

Andrew Carnegie

The way to become rich is to put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket.

Andrew Carnegie

Do your duty and a little more and the future will take care of itself.

Andrew Carnegie

He that cannot reason is a fool. He that will not is a bigot. He that dare not is a slave.

Andrew Carnegie

The problem of our age is the proper administration of wealth, so that the ties of brotherhood may still bind together the rich and poor in harmonious relationship.

Andrew Carnegie

Those who would administer wisely must, indeed, be wise, for one of the serious obstacles to the improvement of our race is indiscriminate charity.

Andrew Carnegie

The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.

Andrew Carnegie

You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb.

Andrew Carnegie

The sound rule in busi­ness is that you may give money freely when you have a sur­plus, but your name never-nei­ther as en­dorser nor as mem­ber of a cor­po­ra­tion with in­di­vid­ual li­a­bil­ity.

Andrew Carnegie

Watch the costs and the profits will take care of themselves.

Andrew Carnegie

The older I get the less I listen to what people say and the more I look at what they do.

Andrew Carnegie

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

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

Three generations from shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves.

Andrew Carnegie

While the law [of competition] may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it insures the survival of the fittest in every department. We accept and welcome, therefore, as conditions to which we must accommodate ourselves, great inequality of environment, the concentration of business, industrial and commercial, in the hands of the few, and the law of competition between these, as being not only beneficial, but essential for the future progress of the race.

Andrew Carnegie

Concentration is my motto - first honesty, then industry, then concentration.

Andrew Carnegie

No man can become rich without himself enriching others.

Andrew Carnegie

If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.

Andrew Carnegie

There is little success where there is little laughter.

Andrew Carnegie