Who said “I recommend you to take care of the minutes: for hours will take care of themselves.”?

Verified

Lord Chesterfield. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceLetters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman (1774), 1747

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Letters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman (1774), 1747.

APA

Chesterfield, L. (n.d.). I recommend you to take care of the minutes: for hours will take care of themselves. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/40116-i-recommend-you-to-take-care-of-the/

MLA

Chesterfield, Lord. “I recommend you to take care of the minutes: for hours will take care of themselves.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/40116-i-recommend-you-to-take-care-of-the/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Chesterfield, Lord. “I recommend you to take care of the minutes: for hours will take care of themselves.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/40116-i-recommend-you-to-take-care-of-the/.

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“Manners must adorn knowledge, and smooth its way through the world.”
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