85 Influential Dale Carnegie Quotes

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Dale Carnegie was an American writer and lecturer who developed courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, public speaking, and interpersonal skills.

Best known for his 1936 bestseller How to Win Friends and Influence People, Carnegie was born into poverty. Carnegie enjoyed public speaking at school, and went on to graduate from Warrensburg State Teachers College in 1908.

By 1911, he was living at the YMCA on 125th Street in New York, where he persuaded the YMCA manager to let him teach a course on public speaking in return for 80% of the proceeds.

In his first session, he ran out of material. He improvised, telling students to speak about something that “made them angry.” He discovered that doing so made speakers unafraid to address their audience. From that point on, the Dale Carnegie Course evolved and thrived on the average American’s desire for self-improvement and self-confidence.

His training and books still inspire people all over the world to be more confident and go after their dreams. We hope these amazing Dale Carnegie quotes inspire you to go after yours too!

Dale Carnegie Quotes

Dale Carnegie quote "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get"Pin
“Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.” – Dale Carnegie

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.

Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, ‘I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you.’

It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.

You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind.

One of the tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon – instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.

Dale Carnegie quote "Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday"Pin
“Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” – Dale Carnegie

Don’t be afraid of enemies who attack you. Be afraid of the friends who flatter you.

No matter what happens, always be yourself.

Talk to someone about themselves and they’ll listen for hours.

When we hate our enemies, we are giving them power over us: power over our sleep, our appetites, our blood pressure, our health, and our happiness.

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.

Dale Carnegie quote "To be interesting, be interested"Pin
“To be interesting, be interested.” – Dale Carnegie

A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.

One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses.

If you are not in the process of becoming the person you want to be, you are automatically engaged in becoming the person you don’t want to be.

Everybody in the world is seeking happiness—and there is one sure way to find it. That is by controlling your thoughts. Happiness doesn’t depend on outward conditions. It depends on inner conditions.

Two men looked out from prison bars, one saw the mud, the other saw stars.

Dale Carnegie quote "Our thoughts make us what we are"Pin
“Our thoughts make us what we are.” – Dale Carnegie

The difference between appreciation and flattery? That is simple. One is sincere and the other insincere. One comes from the heart out; the other from the teeth out. One is unselfish; the other selfish. One is universally admired; the other universally condemned.

Tell the audience what you’re going to say, say it; then tell them what you’ve said.

It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.

Names are the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

The expression one wears on one’s face is far more important than the clothes one wears on one’s back.

"If you want to gather honey, don't kick over the beehive"Pin
“If you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive.” – Dale Carnegie

The world is full of people who are grabbing and self-seeking. So the rare individual who unselfishly tries to serve others has an enormous advantage.

When the fierce, burning winds blow over our lives – and we cannot prevent them – let us, too, accept the inevitable. And then get busy and pick up the pieces.

Control your temper. Remember, you can measure the size of a person by what makes him or her angry.

If you tell me how you get your feeling of importance, I’ll tell you what you are.

The world is full of people who are grabbing and self-seeking. So the rare individual who unselfishly tries to serve others has an enormous advantage.

"If you want to keep happiness, you have to share it"Pin
“If you want to keep happiness, you have to share it.” – Dale Carnegie

Even God doesn’t propose to judge a man till his last days, why should you and I?

I have come to the conclusion that there is only one way under high heaven to get the best of an argument— and that is to avoid it. Avoid it as you would avoid rattlesnakes and earthquakes.

If you can’t sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there and worrying. It’s the worry that gets you, not the loss of sleep.

"The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way"Pin
“The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.” – Dale Carnegie

Personally I am very fond of strawberries and cream, but I have found that for some strange reason, fish prefer worms. So when I went fishing, I didn’t think about what I wanted. I thought about what they wanted. I didn’t bait the hook with strawberries and cream. Rather, I dangled a worm or grasshopper in front of the fish and said: “Wouldn’t you like to have that?” Why not use the same common sense when fishing for people?

You can’t win an argument. You can’t because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it.

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.

The expression one wears on one’s face is far more important than the clothes one wears on one’s back.

Dale Carnegie quote "Today is our most precious possession. It is our only sure possession"Pin
“Today is our most precious possession. It is our only sure possession.” – Dale Carnegie

When the fierce, burning winds blow over our lives – and we cannot prevent them – let us, too, accept the inevitable. And then get busy and pick up the pieces.

Tell the audience what you’re going to say, say it; then tell them what you’ve said.

Control your temper. Remember, you can measure the size of a person by what makes him or her angry.

If you tell me how you get your feeling of importance, I’ll tell you what you are.

The ideas I stand for are not mine. I borrowed them from Socrates. I swiped them from Chesterfield. I stole them from Jesus. And I put them in a book. If you don’t like their rules, whose would you use?

Dale Carnegie quote "When fate hands you lemons, make lemonade"Pin
“When fate hands you lemons, make lemonade.” – Dale Carnegie

The best possible way to prepare for tomorrow is to concentrate with all your intelligence, all your enthusiasm, on doing today’s work superbly today. That is the only possible way you can prepare for the future.

Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, for your character is what you are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

Why talk about what we want? That is childish. Absurd. Of course, you are interested in what you want. You are eternally interested in it. But no one else is. The rest of us are just like you: we are interested in what we want.

Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.

Dale Carnegie quote "Winning friends begins with friendliness"Pin
“Winning friends begins with friendliness.” – Dale Carnegie

Always have something to say. The man who has something to say and who is known never to speak unless he has, is sure to be listened to.

Let’s not allow ourselves to be upset by small things we should despise and forget. Remember ‘Life is too short to be little.’

Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration and resentment.

Instead of condemning people, let’s try to understand them. Let’s try to figure out why they do what they do. That’s a lot more profitable and intriguing than criticism; and it breeds sympathy, tolerance and kindness. To know all is to forgive all.

When I asked him – Mr.Henry Ford – if he ever worried, he replied: “No. I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn’t need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe that every-thing will work out for the best in the end.” So what is there to worry about?

Dale Carnegie quote "You'll never achieve real success unless you like what you're doing"Pin
“You’ll never achieve real success unless you like what you’re doing.” – Dale Carnegie

If you argue and rankle and contradict, you may achieve a victory sometimes; but it will be an empty victory because you will never get your opponent’s good will.

All men have fears, but the brave put down their fears and go forward, sometimes to death, but always to victory.

When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and vanity.

We all have possibilities we don’t know about. We can do things we don’t even dream we can do.

Instead of worrying about what people say of you, why not spend time trying to accomplish something they will admire.

There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.

Dale Carnegie quote "Only knowledge that is used sticks in your mind"Pin
“Only knowledge that is used sticks in your mind.” – Dale Carnegie

First ask yourself: What is the worst that can happen? Then prepare to accept it. Then proceed to improve on the worst.

Today is life-the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto.

Flattery is telling the other person precisely what he thinks about himself.

By fighting you never get enough, but by yielding you get more than you expected.

Flaming enthusiasm, backed by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.

"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself"Pin
“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” – Dale Carnegie

A barber lathers a man before he shaves him.

If you believe in what you are doing, then let nothing hold you up in your work. Much of the best work in the world has been done against seeming impossibilities.

Take a chance! All life is a chance.The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore.

Do you remember the things you were worrying about a year ago? How did they work out? Didn’t you waste a lot of fruitless energy on account of most of them? Didn’t most of them turn out all right after all?

People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage"Pin
“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” – Dale Carnegie

Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.

Be wiser than other people if you can; but do not tell them so.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this collection of Dale Carnegie quotes! As well as How to Win Friends and Influence People, Carnegie’s other titles include How to Stop Worrying and Start Living and The Art of Public Speaking. We have them all on our shelf at KIM and highly recommend them. Have these Dale Carnegie quotes helped you? Let us know below.

Quincy Seale

Quincy is KIM's editor, and has collected and shared inspiring quotes and stories since 2005. Quincy holds an MBA from the University of Dundee and an MSc from the University of Edinburgh, and lives in San Antonio with his wife Natalie, son Alex, and his dog Oban.

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