--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Look at a stone cutter hammering away at…" description: "\"Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/jacob-august-riis-63064_blow_look-at-a-stone-cutter-hammering-away-at_1575795.jpg" --- # Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps… ![“Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.” quote by Jacob August Riis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/jacob-august-riis-63064_blow_look-at-a-stone-cutter-hammering-away-at_1575795.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/jacob-august-riis-63064_blow_look-at-a-stone-cutter-hammering-away-at_1575795.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/jacob-august-riis-63064_blow_look-at-a-stone-cutter-hammering-away-at_1575795.jpg) > “Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.” [Jacob August Riis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-august-riis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Persistent effort, even without visible results, builds the conditions for eventual breakthrough. **In simple terms:** Small, repeated actions create success. Key Takeaway Keep working, even when progress isn’t obvious. Themes perseverance effort breakthrough Mood determined hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - craftsmanship - personal goals - long‑term projects - skill development Key Concepts cumulative impact resilience Questions to Reflect On - What unseen work are you doing that will enable future success? - How do you stay motivated without immediate results? A Different Perspective Success may still require a final decisive action beyond the buildup. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blow/) [Blow Split](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blow-split-2024329/) [Cutter Hammering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutter-hammering-5941816/) [Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gone/) [Hammering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hammering-1728898/) [Hammering Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hammering-away-1534714/) [Hundred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hundred/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stone/) [Stone Cutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stone-cutter-5941815/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I'd look at one of my stonecutters hammering away at the rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-d-look-at-one-of-my-stonecutters-hammering-away-at-the-rock-perhaps/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-a-riis/when-nothing-seems-to-help-i-go-and-look-at-a-stonecutter-hammering/) [Jacob A. Riis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-a-riis/) > [When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-nothing-seems-to-help-i-go-look-at-a-stonecutter-hammering-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think that in the sexual act, as delightful as it can be, the very physical part of it is, yes, a hammering away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-berliawsky-nevelson/i-think-that-in-the-sexual-act-as-delightful-as-it-can-be-the-very/) [Louise Berliawsky Nevelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-berliawsky-nevelson/) > [At times, we, as coaches, try to shove guys as square pegs into round holes and keep hammering away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calipari/at-times-we-as-coaches-try-to-shove-guys-as-square-pegs-into-round/) [John Calipari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calipari/) > [If you really want to go after something, you have to keep hammering at the stone whether or not the first hit or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-dinwiddie/if-you-really-want-to-go-after-something-you-have-to-keep-hammering/) [Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/) > [Maybe the day will come when I can sit back and be content…But until that day comes, I intend to stay in the batter's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-aaron/maybe-the-day-will-come-when-i-can-sit-back-and-be-content-but-until/) [Hank Aaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-aaron/) > [Instead of just hammering away at a song, I'll approach it from a million other angles. Sometimes I'll leave all my equipment set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-satriani/instead-of-just-hammering-away-at-a-song-i-ll-approach-it-from-a/) [Joe Satriani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-satriani/) > [ \[Donald\] Trump is most comfortable when he is hammering something. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/donald-trump-is-most-comfortable-when-he-is-hammering-something/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [“You bend the nail But keep hammering because Hammering makes the world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-young/you-bend-the-nail-but-keep-hammering-because-hammering-makes-the-world/) [Dean Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-young/) > [I don't want to lose too much of the mystery by hammering every detail to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-aveyard/i-don-t-want-to-lose-too-much-of-the-mystery-by-hammering-every/) [Victoria Aveyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-aveyard/) > [“But now he stops hammering, his back still to me when he yells, "Would you stop staring at me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/but-now-he-stops-hammering-his-back-still-to-me-when-he-yells-would/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [I was used to football supporters hammering me and I thought my name was Graham Potter-Boo at one point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-potter/i-was-used-to-football-supporters-hammering-me-and-i-thought-my-name/) [Graham Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-potter/) > [No wonder men got impervious to superficial pain, I thought. It came from this habit of hammering each other incessantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/no-wonder-men-got-impervious-to-superficial-pain-i-thought-it-came/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“Autists are the ultimate square pegs, and the problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole is not that the hammering is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-collins/autists-are-the-ultimate-square-pegs-and-the-problem-with-pounding-a/) [Paul Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-collins/) ## More by Jacob August Riis > [ I do not want \[photography\] explained to me in terms of... formulas, learned, but so hopelessly unsatisfying. I do not want my butterfly stuck… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-august-riis/i-do-not-want-photography-explained-to-me-in-terms-of-formulas/) [Jacob August Riis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-august-riis/) > [Long ago it was said that 'one half of the world does not know how the other half lives.' That was true then. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-august-riis/long-ago-it-was-said-that-one-half-of-the-world-does-not-know-how-the/) [Jacob August Riis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-august-riis/) > [The more I live, the more I think that humor is the saving sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-august-riis/the-more-i-live-the-more-i-think-that-humor-is-the-saving-sense/) [Jacob August Riis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-august-riis/) > [Men have a trick of coming up to what is expected of them, good or bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-august-riis/men-have-a-trick-of-coming-up-to-what-is-expected-of-them-good-or-bad/) [Jacob August Riis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-august-riis/) [Explore all 5 Jacob August Riis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-august-riis/) ## More Blow quotes > [The wind always seems to blow against catchers when they are running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/the-wind-always-seems-to-blow-against-catchers-when-they-are-running/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) > [Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drenched our teeples, drowned the cocks! You sulphurour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/blow-winds-and-crack-your-cheeks-rage-blow-you-cataracts-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If he wants to blow his head off, let him. I don't give a damn about Jim Bakker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hahn/if-he-wants-to-blow-his-head-off-let-him-i-don-t-give-a-damn-about/) [Jessica Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hahn/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Not I, not I, but the wind that blows through me! A fine wind is blowing the new direction of Time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/not-i-not-i-but-the-wind-that-blows-through-me-a-fine-wind-is-blowing/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [The only two good words that can be said for a hurricane are that it gives sufficient warning of its approach, and that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/the-only-two-good-words-that-can-be-said-for-a-hurricane-are-that-it/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) > [Music is a wind that blows away the years, memories, and fear, that crouching animal I carry inside me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/music-is-a-wind-that-blows-away-the-years-memories-and-fear-that/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [The supposedly immaterial soul, we now know, can be bisected with a knife, altered by chemicals, started or stopped by electricity, and extinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-supposedly-immaterial-soul-we-now-know-can-be-bisected-with-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [One of the wonderful things about Portlandia - and I'm not just blowing smoke, although I can blow smoke, but I'm not - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-raab/one-of-the-wonderful-things-about-portlandia-and-i-m-not-just-blowing/) [Scott Raab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-raab/) > [I would always find a way to blow the deal and I'm not sure why. I think there was part of me that wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/i-would-always-find-a-way-to-blow-the-deal-and-i-m-not-sure-why-i/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [Letters crossing in the post, unfamiliar tunes heard three times in one day, the way that blows of fate descend upon the same bowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/letters-crossing-in-the-post-unfamiliar-tunes-heard-three-times-in/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [Truth is, right now two bombs could drop out of the sky and blow up this house and whatever building you're in and just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/truth-is-right-now-two-bombs-could-drop-out-of-the-sky-and-blow-up/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [The old saying is true: If you have only the Word, you dry up. If you have only the Spirit, you blow up. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-old-saying-is-true-if-you-have-only-the-word-you-dry-up-if-you/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [I can turn an idea into a business before you know it's going to be important. My first step will blow by you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/i-can-turn-an-idea-into-a-business-before-you-know-it-s-going-to-be/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [The Brick House was one of the toughest joints I ever played in ... Guys would drink and fight one another like circle saws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-armstrong/the-brick-house-was-one-of-the-toughest-joints-i-ever-played-in-guys/) [Louis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-armstrong/) [Browse all 2,324 Blow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blow/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. 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