You may fill your heads with knowledge or skillfully train your hands, but unless it is based upon high, upright character, upon a true heart, it will amount to nothing. You will be no better than the most ignorant. Booker T. Washington More Quotes by Booker T. Washington More Quotes From Booker T. Washington There is another class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs — partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs. Booker T. Washington raceclassjobs I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed. Booker T. Washington successinspirationallife The happiest people are those who do the most for others. The most miserable are those who do the least. Booker T. Washington happyhappinessinspirational There is a certain class of race problem-solvers who don't want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public. Booker T. Washington get-wellracemean Most leaders spend time trying to get others to think highly of them, when instead they should try to get their people to think more highly of themselves. It's wonderful when the people believe in their leader. It's more wonderful when the leader believes in their people! You can't hold a man down without staying down with him. Booker T. Washington menbelievethinking Success waits patiently for anyone who has the determination and strength to seize it. Booker T. Washington determinationwaiting Holding a grudge does not hurt the person against whom the grudge is held, it hurts the one who holds it. Booker T. Washington grudgehurtdoe I would permit no man, no matter what his colour might be, to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him. Booker T. Washington hateangelpositive There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up. Booker T. Washington strengthsuccesspositive Never get to the point where you will be ashamed to ask anybody for information. The ignorant man will always be ignorant if he fears that by asking another for information he will display ignorance. Better once display your ignorance of a certain subject than always know nothing of it. Booker T. Washington ignorantignorancemen Decide to be your best. In the long run the world is going to want and have the best and that might as well be you. Booker T. Washington runninglongworld Of all forms of slavery there is none that is so harmful and degrading as that form of slavery which tempts one human being to hate another by reason of his race or color. One man cannot hold another man down in the ditch without remaining down in the ditch with him. Booker T. Washington hateracemen The circumstances that surround a man's life are not important. How that man responds to those circumstances IS IMPORTANT. His response is the ultimate determining factor between success and failure. Booker T. Washington success-and-failureimportantmen If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. Booker T. Washington motivationalinspirationallife Political activity alone cannot make a man free. Back of the ballot, he must have property, industry, skill, economy, intelligence, and character. Booker T. Washington skillscharactermen Success is not measured by where you are in life, but the obstacles you've over come Booker T. Washington obstaclesmotivationalinspirational The older I grow, the more I am convinced that there is no education which one can get from books and costly apparatus that is equal to that which can be gotten from contact with great men and women. Booker T. Washington equalmenbook Think about it: we went into slavery pagans; we came out Christians. We went into slavery pieces of property; we came out American citizens. We went into slavery with chains clanking about our wrists; we came out with the American ballot in our hands. Booker T. Washington christianhandsthinking Those who have accomplished the greatest results are those...who never grow excited or lose self-control, but are always calm, self-possessed, patient and polite. Booker T. Washington calmpatientself No greater injury can be done to any youth than to let him feel that because he belongs to this or that race he will be advanced in life regardless of his own merits or efforts. Booker T. Washington diversityeffortrace
