James Cash Penney

Do not primarily train men to work. Train them to serve willingly and intelligently.

Success will always be measured by the extent to which we serve the buying public.

The thought in my mind was that I must be a good merchant. If I were a good merchant, the rest would probably take care of itself.

My definition of an executive’s job is brief and to the point. It is simply this: Getting things done through other people.

The well-satisfied customer will bring the repeat sale that counts.

Change is vital, improvement the logical form of change.

Englishmen hate Liberty and Equality too much to understand them. But every Englishman loves a pedigree.

It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself.

A drunkard would not give money to sober people. He said they would only eat it, and buy clothes and send their children to school with it.

Language is a city to the building of which every human being brought a stone.

Some men do as much begrudge others a good name, as they want one themselves: and perhaps that is the reason of it.

We acquire the strength we have overcome.

I will never do this, says one, yet does it: I am resolved to do this, says another; but flags upon second Thoughts: Or does it, tho’ awkwardly, for his Word’s sake: As if it were worse to break his Word, than to do amiss in keeping it.

If you strike a child, take care that you strike it in anger, even at the risk of maiming it for life. A blow in cold blood neither can nor should be forgiven.

I think I have a good deal of my Uncle Theodore in me, because I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on.

Injustice in the end produces independence.

If you want the time to pass quickly, just give your note for 90 days.

Extended empires are like expanded gold, exchanging solid strength for feeble splendor.

To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war.

The soul’s emphasis is always right.

Often the surest way to convey misinformation is to tell the strict truth.