Laws, wisely administered, will secure men in the enjoyment of the fruits of their labour, whether of mind or body, at a comparatively small personal sacrifice; but no laws, however stringent, can make the idle industrious, the thriftless provident, or the drunken sober.

— Samuel Smiles Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct (1859)

More quotes by Samuel Smiles

Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct (1859)

Thrift (1875)

Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct (1859)

Samuel Smiles and the Victorian Work Ethic (1987)

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