Samuel Smiles
Full Name and Common Aliases
Samuel Smiles was a prominent figure in the 19th century, known for his influential writings on self-improvement and personal development. He did not commonly use aliases, and his name became synonymous with the virtues of hard work and perseverance.
Birth and Death Dates
Samuel Smiles was born on December 23, 1812, and he passed away on April 16, 1904. His life spanned a period of significant social and industrial change in Britain, which deeply influenced his work and ideas.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Samuel Smiles was a Scottish author and reformer. He is best known for his work as a writer, but he also practiced as a physician and was involved in journalism and railway administration. His diverse career paths provided him with a broad perspective on the societal changes of his time.
Early Life and Background
Samuel Smiles was born in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland, into a large family. His father, a paper manufacturer, instilled in him the values of diligence and education. Smiles attended the University of Edinburgh, where he studied medicine. However, his interests soon expanded beyond the medical field. The early death of his father forced Smiles to leave university temporarily to support his family, an experience that likely influenced his later emphasis on self-reliance and perseverance.
Major Accomplishments
Samuel Smiles is best known for his book "Self-Help," published in 1859. This work became a bestseller and is often credited with popularizing the self-help genre. The book emphasized the importance of individual effort and personal responsibility in achieving success. Smiles argued that self-improvement was the key to both personal and societal progress. His ideas resonated with the Victorian ethos of the time, which valued hard work and moral integrity.
Notable Works or Actions
In addition to "Self-Help," Samuel Smiles authored several other influential books, including "Character" (1871), "Thrift" (1875), and "Duty" (1880). Each of these works expanded on the themes of personal development and moral character. Smiles also wrote biographies of notable engineers and inventors, such as "The Life of George Stephenson" (1857) and "The Lives of the Engineers" (1861-1862), highlighting the achievements of individuals who contributed to the Industrial Revolution. These biographies celebrated the ingenuity and perseverance of their subjects, reinforcing Smiles's belief in the power of individual effort.
Impact and Legacy
Samuel Smiles's writings had a profound impact on the Victorian society of his time and continue to influence the self-help movement today. His emphasis on self-reliance and personal responsibility resonated with a society undergoing rapid industrialization and social change. Smiles's work encouraged individuals to take control of their destinies and strive for personal improvement, a message that remains relevant in contemporary discussions about personal development and success.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Samuel Smiles is widely quoted and remembered for his pioneering contributions to the self-help genre. His aphorisms and insights into the nature of success and personal development have endured because they speak to universal human experiences and aspirations. Phrases like "Heaven helps those who help themselves" encapsulate his philosophy and continue to inspire individuals seeking to improve their lives. Smiles's work laid the foundation for the modern self-help industry, and his ideas about the importance of character, thrift, and duty continue to be cited by those advocating for personal and societal betterment.
In summary, Samuel Smiles's legacy as a writer and thinker is defined by his unwavering belief in the power of individual effort and moral integrity. His works remain a testament to the enduring appeal of self-improvement and the potential for personal growth to effect positive change in society.
Quotes by Samuel Smiles
Samuel Smiles's insights on:
Progress, however, of the best kind, is comparatively slow. Great results cannot be achieved at once; and we must be satisfied to advance in life as we walk, step by step.
We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success; we often discover what will do, by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery.
The very greatest things, great thoughts, discoveries, inventions have usually been nurtured in hardship, often pondered over in sorrow, and at length established with difficulty.
Hope is the companion of power, and the mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles.
This extraordinary metal, the soul of every manufacture, and the mainspring perhaps of a civilised society. Of iron.
We learn wisdom from failure much more than success. We often discover what we will do, by finding out what we will not do.
Misfortune is next door to stupidity, and it will often be found that men who are constantly lamenting their luck, are in some way or other reaping the consequences of their own neglect, mismanagement, improvidence, or want of application.
Childhood is like a mirror, which reflects in afterlife the images first presented to it. The first thing continues forever with the child. The first joy, the first sorrow, the first success, the first failure, the first achievement, the first misadventure paint the foreground of his life.