---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was one who liked to work with my hands…"
description: "\"I was one who liked to work with my hands as well as my brain.\" — William Standish Knowles"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/william-standish-knowles-33956_brain_i-was-one-who-liked-to-work-with-my-hand_3179272.png"
---

#  I was one who liked to work with my hands as well as my…

![“I was one who liked to work with my hands as well as my brain.” quote by William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/william-standish-knowles-33956_brain_i-was-one-who-liked-to-work-with-my-hand_3179272.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/william-standish-knowles-33956_brain_i-was-one-who-liked-to-work-with-my-hand_3179272.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/william-standish-knowles-33956_brain_i-was-one-who-liked-to-work-with-my-hand_3179272.png)

> “I was one who liked to work with my hands as well as my brain.”

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker values both manual and intellectual work, seeing them as complementary aspects of personal fulfillment.

**In simple terms:** Hands‑on and mental work together enrich life.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate both practical skills and critical thinking.

Themes

work creativity skill development balance

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

career personal development

When to use this quote

- career planning
- education
- hobby projects
- entrepreneurship

Key Concepts

hand‑on work intellectual effort personal growth career development

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we encourage appreciation for manual labor in modern economies?
- What benefits arise from integrating physical and mental tasks?

A Different Perspective

Practical tasks can be undervalued compared to purely intellectual pursuits.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hands Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-brain-1153963/) [Liked Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liked-work-595588/) [Work Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-hands-254800/)

## Related quotes

> [To work with the hands or brain, according to our requirements and our capacities, to do that which lies before us to do, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pike/to-work-with-the-hands-or-brain-according-to-our-requirements-and-our/)

[Albert Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-pike/)

> [Asana and complementary services are bringing the evolved team brain to the entire world. In great companies like Twitter, Uber, Airbnb, Foursquare, and LinkedIn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-rosenstein/asana-and-complementary-services-are-bringing-the-evolved-team-brain/)

[Justin Rosenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-rosenstein/)

> [“It doesn’t matter how smart you are – you can only accomplish finite with two hands and one brain. To scale heights, you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jag-randhawa/it-doesn-t-matter-how-smart-you-are-you-can-only-accomplish-finite/)

[Jag Randhawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jag-randhawa/)

> [Now we have hands-free phones, so you can focus on the thing you're really supposed to be doing. Chances are, if you need both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/now-we-have-hands-free-phones-so-you-can-focus-on-the-thing-you-re/)

[Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/)

> [It is natural that a man should consider the work of his hands or his brain to be useful and important. Therefore nobody will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-born/it-is-natural-that-a-man-should-consider-the-work-of-his-hands-or-his/)

[Max Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-born/)

> [“for they are all the work of his hands?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zondervan/for-they-are-all-the-work-of-his-hands/)

[Zondervan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zondervan/)

> [Only your work is your hands, and I focus on that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shruti-haasan/only-your-work-is-your-hands-and-i-focus-on-that/)

[Shruti Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shruti-haasan/)

> [“Smart people don't work with their hands. If you have a brain, being outside and performing physical labor are the things you do on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-preston/smart-people-don-t-work-with-their-hands-if-you-have-a-brain-being/)

[Brent Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-preston/)

> [“You must judge a man by the work of his hands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigal-muchecheti/you-must-judge-a-man-by-the-work-of-his-hands/)

[Abigal Muchecheti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigal-muchecheti/)

> [I have too much work on my hands and I would not be a dutiful husband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-rhodes/i-have-too-much-work-on-my-hands-and-i-would-not-be-a-dutiful-husband/)

[Cecil Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-rhodes/)

> [Whenever I show support, I do it with the work of my hands and not just with posts on Facebook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mast/whenever-i-show-support-i-do-it-with-the-work-of-my-hands-and-not/)

[Brian Mast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mast/)

> [I love being around people who work with their hands, who do the hard things to keep our country going. They're just my kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/i-love-being-around-people-who-work-with-their-hands-who-do-the-hard/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [The land belongs to those who work it with their hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emiliano-zapata/the-land-belongs-to-those-who-work-it-with-their-hands/)

[Emiliano Zapata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emiliano-zapata/)

> [I have always regarded manual labour as creative and looked with respect-and, yes, wonder-at people who work with their hands. It seems to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-casals/i-have-always-regarded-manual-labour-as-creative-and-looked-with/)

[Pablo Casals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-casals/)

> [“I feel like there are more possibilities when I work with my hands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oded-ezer/i-feel-like-there-are-more-possibilities-when-i-work-with-my-hands/)

[Oded Ezer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oded-ezer/)

## More by William Standish Knowles

> [I was born in Taunton, Massachusetts on June 1, 1917, but I actually grew up in nearby New Bedford.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/i-was-born-in-taunton-massachusetts-on-june-1-1917-but-i-actually/)

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

> [I'll never forget the fall colors on the Berkshires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/i-ll-never-forget-the-fall-colors-on-the-berkshires/)

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

> [I was particularly good at math and science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/i-was-particularly-good-at-math-and-science/)

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

> [At the time my dog had a fungus on her chest that wouldn't heal and resisted treatment. I made an ointment with our product…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/at-the-time-my-dog-had-a-fungus-on-her-chest-that-wouldn-t-heal-and/)

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

> [My family background was heavily slanted toward business and seafaring matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/my-family-background-was-heavily-slanted-toward-business-and/)

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

> [At this point I was strongly advised that I was too young socially to go to college so I took a second senior year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/at-this-point-i-was-strongly-advised-that-i-was-too-young-socially-to/)

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

> [In those days industry would hire any chemist that could breathe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/in-those-days-industry-would-hire-any-chemist-that-could-breathe/)

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

> [Later in the fifties I got involved in kinetic studies using my long forgotten math background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/later-in-the-fifties-i-got-involved-in-kinetic-studies-using-my-long/)

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

> [At Harvard I majored in chemistry with a strong inclination toward math.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/at-harvard-i-majored-in-chemistry-with-a-strong-inclination-toward/)

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

> [My family gave me the best in education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/my-family-gave-me-the-best-in-education/)

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

> [In those days I was terrible at athletics and never made a team, but quite easily led my class in academics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/in-those-days-i-was-terrible-at-athletics-and-never-made-a-team-but/)

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

> [To my father, business was the highest calling, but to my mother, medicine was the top profession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/to-my-father-business-was-the-highest-calling-but-to-my-mother/)

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

> [I can't think of any relatives that ever went into science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/i-can-t-think-of-any-relatives-that-ever-went-into-science/)

[William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

[Explore all 14 William Standish Knowles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/)

## More Brain quotes

> [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/)

[Vilayanur S. Ramachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/)

> [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/)

[Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [down with ought with because with every brain that thinks it thinks nor dares to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/down-with-ought-with-because-with-every-brain-that-thinks-it-thinks/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/)

[Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/)

> [I prefer the word 'musician.' I'm a musician and a composer. I have a problem with the word 'artist.' I don't know if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-prefer-the-word-musician-i-m-a-musician-and-a-composer-i-have-a/)

[Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/)

> [Thinking of sex provides enough mental stimulation to reduce risk of diseases that damage the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thinking-of-sex-provides-enough-mental-stimulation-to-reduce-risk-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/)

[Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/)

> [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/)

[Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/)

> [Without illusions. I love you because you are fallible and because your poor misguided testosterone-corrupted brain has you doing cartwheels trying not to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/without-illusions-i-love-you-because-you-are-fallible-and-because/)

[Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/)

> [being asked to decide between your passion for work and your passion for children was like being asked by your doctor whether you preferred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-bevington/being-asked-to-decide-between-your-passion-for-work-and-your-passion/)

[Helen Bevington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-bevington/)

> [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/)

[Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/)

> [The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-act-of-learning-to-read-added-an-entirely-new-circuit-to-our/)

[Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/)

> [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/)

[Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/)

> [I am the way I am. If you like me because I'm glamorous, so be it. If you like me, because I speak well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaika-arora-khan/i-am-the-way-i-am-if-you-like-me-because-i-m-glamorous-so-be-it-if/)

[Malaika Arora Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaika-arora-khan/)

[Browse all 8,465 Brain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I was one who liked to work with my hands as well as my brain.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Standish Knowles"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/i-was-one-who-liked-to-work-with-my-hands-as-well-as-my-brain/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Brain"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/i-was-one-who-liked-to-work-with-my-hands-as-well-as-my-brain/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/william-standish-knowles-33956_brain_i-was-one-who-liked-to-work-with-my-hand_3179272.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/william-standish-knowles-33956_brain_i-was-one-who-liked-to-work-with-my-hand_3179272.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/william-standish-knowles-33956_brain_i-was-one-who-liked-to-work-with-my-hand_3179272.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was one who liked to work with my hands as well as my brain.” — William Standish Knowles",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "William Standish Knowles",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I was one who liked to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/i-was-one-who-liked-to-work-with-my-hands-as-well-as-my-brain/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/i-was-one-who-liked-to-work-with-my-hands-as-well-as-my-brain/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
