John D. Rockefeller Quotes

Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.

When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognised. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.

God gave me my money. I believe the power to make money is a gift from God . to be developed and used to the best of our ability for the good of mankind. Having been endowed with the gift I possess, I believe it is my duty to make money and still more money and to use the money I make for the good of my fellow man according to the dictates of my conscience.

I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I ever made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week.

Success comes from keeping the ears open and the mouth closed

I was early taught to work as well as play. My life has been one long, happy holiday; Full of work and full of play- I dropped the worry on the way- And God was good to me everyday.

I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity.

I would rather hire a man with enthusiasm, than a man who knows everything.

Every right implies a responsibility; Every opportunity, an obligation, Every possession, a duty.

If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.

The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well.

Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life, no matter what may be one's aim.

The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets.

Own nothing, control everything.

Giving is the secret to a healthy life. Not necessarily money, but whatever a person has to give of encouragement, sympathy, and understanding.

I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living.

Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people.

And we are never too old to study the Bible. Each time the lessons are studied comes some new meaning, some new thought which will make us better.

The man who starts out simply with the idea of getting rich won't succeed, you must have a larger ambition.

The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun.

Never think you need to apologize for asking someone to give to a worthy cause, any more than as though you were giving him or her an opportunity to participate in a high-grade investment. The duty of giving is as much his or hers as is the duty of asking yours.

How much money does it take to make a man happy? Just one more dollar.

Never lose interest in life and the world. Never allow yourself to become annoyed.

The man will be most successful who confers the greatest service on the world.

I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.

There is no feeling in this world to be compared with self-reliance--do not sacrifice that to anything else.

Giving should be entered into in just the same way as investing. Giving is investing.

I had no ambition to make a fortune. Mere money-making has never been my goal, I had an ambition to build.

Do not many of us who fail to achieve big things. . .fail because we lack concentration--the art of concentrating the mind on the thing to be done at the proper time and to the exclusion of everything else?

Oh, how blessed young men are who have to struggle for a foundation and beginning in life.

I don't want a nation of thinkers, I want a nation of workers

Homeopathy is a progressive and aggressive step in medicine.

Our cup will truly run over only after we have sealed the character cracks.

I never placed my head upon the pillow at night without reminding myself that my success might only be temporary.

I would rather earn 1% off a 100 people's efforts than 100% of my own efforts.

Save when you can and not when you have to.

Who is the poorest man in the world? I tell you, the poorest man I know of is the man who has nothing but money.

Competition is a sin.

I have no use for men who fail. The cause of their failure is no business of mine, but I want successful men as my associates.

A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship.

I believe it is a religious duty to get all the money you can, fairly and honestly; to keep all you can, and to give away all you can.

Character - not wealth, power, or position - is the supreme word.

The most important thing for a young man is to establish a credit... a reputation, character.

I have made many millions but they have brought me no happiness.

The common denominator for success is work.

It is very important to remember what other people tell you, not so much what you yourself already know.

To think! All that power and he wasn't even rich!

A friendship built on business can be glorious, while a business built on friendship can be murder.

Probably the greatest single obstacle to the progress and happiness of the American people lies in the willingness of so many men to invest their time and money in multiplying competitive industries instead of opening up new fields, and putting their money into lines of industry and development that are needed.

The success of each is dependent upon the success of the other.