“Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel.”

“The majority of people are ready to throw their aims and purposes overboard, and give up at the first sign of opposition or misfortune. A few carry on DESPITE all opposition, until they attain their goal. These few are the Fords, Carnegies, Rockefellers, and Edisons. There may be no heroic connotation to the word persistence, but the quality is to the character of man what carbon is to steel.”

“A man far oftener appears to have a decided character from persistently following his temperament than from persistently following his principles.”

“The small meannesses bred by the law of competition corrode men's character as rust spoils steel.”

“...then we went skinny dippin' and did things that frighten the fish...Character, Shelby Eatonton, from the movie, Steel Magnolias.”

“A particular train of thought persisted in, be it good or bad, cannot fail to produce its results on the character and circumstances. A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.”