There is an abundance of techniques and manuals for doing a good job.
It has become a world where you can get results and get paid just by doing what is set in place without having to think about why you are working or how you are working.
So there is no need to wonder why you work or what you work for.
We spend most of our waking hours working, but we rarely think deeply about the fundamental reasons why we work.

--- p.26, from “Prologue, To Live a Truly Valuable Life”

In Western society, there was a widespread perception that 'work is hard work'.
(…) Adam and Eve, the progenitors of mankind, were banished from the Garden of Eden, a paradise, for eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that God had forbidden.
When we lived in paradise, we didn't have to work, but after we were banished, we had to work hard to earn our keep.
(…) Westerners consider work to be full of suffering and therefore an activity to be avoided.
It can be thought that this is where the labor philosophy of 'getting work done in the shortest possible time and getting paid as much as possible' originated.
Unlike the West, the East did not have this kind of labor philosophy.
Work certainly involves hardship, but I consider it a dignified act that brings joy, pride, and a sense of fulfillment in life that outweighs the hardship.

--- p.48, from “Chapter 1, The Meaning of What I Learned in New Britain”

So, love what you are doing now more than anything else.
Immerse yourself in it.
Then, even going home after work will feel like a waste.
Even if others don't recognize you, you won't find it difficult to work on it all night.
I feel like I am the thing and the thing becomes me.
Anyone would jump for joy like a child in front of the results achieved through such a process.

--- p.96~97, from “Chapter 2, Affection Enough to Want to Embrace the Product”

Materials include flammable materials that burn when brought near fire, non-flammable materials that do not burn when brought near fire, and natural materials that burn easily on their own.
The same goes for people.
A combustible person acts only when influenced by those around him, while a non-combustible person not only rarely burns, but also extinguishes the sparks of others.
In contrast, natural human beings are spontaneous and take action.

--- p.109, from “Chapter 2, Become a Person Who Burns Yourself”

There is not a single plant that does not live with all its might.
A plant that doesn't work hard won't survive.
The same goes for animals.
Whether carnivore or herbivore, if you don't work hard and desperately to eat and preserve your species, you won't be able to survive.
That is the law of nature.
However, we humans alone think of things like ‘making an effort that is not inferior to anyone else’ or ‘living diligently’ as special things that are far removed from us.
You don't have to work hard just to be successful.
Life itself is a series of fierce efforts.
Because that is the providence of nature and the providence by which humans become human.

--- p.148, from “Chapter 3, With the momentum of weeds sprouting even in the crevices of rocks”

No one can accurately predict what will happen three or five years from now.
But if it happens a year later, you can read it in advance without much error.
(…) ‘Let’s do our best today.
If you work hard today, you will see tomorrow.' 'Let's do our best this month.
If you work hard this month, you will see next month.' 'Let's work hard this year.
If you live this year faithfully, you will see the next year.' (...) Isn't what you're doing now the very thing you doubted a few years ago, asking, "Can I really do this?" But aren't you doing it now with flying colors? God designed humans to be capable of progress in every way.

--- p.167~170, from “Chapter 4, Kyocera Does Not Look 10 Years Ahead”

“Of course, it may have met the requirements in terms of performance.
But this is not a finished product.
(…) Ceramics should originally be pure white.
The appearance should also be beautiful enough to make you afraid that your hand might get cut if you touch it.
“If the appearance is that great, then the performance must be top-notch as well.” So I appealed once again to create a ‘product that would cut your hand.’
I really wanted to convey the idea that we should pursue a product that is so perfect and so excellent that it feels like it could be cut if you touch it.
(…) Spare no effort until you create a product that you can be sure is better than this one.
That's the spirit of perfectionism.
Moreover, this spirit is the mindset absolutely necessary for those who aim to reach the summit of the high mountain of creation.

--- p.217~218, from “Chapter 5, If you are going to do something, do it perfectly enough to cut your hand”

'A good idea came to me.
It may be lacking now, but if you try desperately, you will definitely succeed.
So, let's start again.' People with this kind of optimistic mindset can take big strides toward success.
(…) But it is dangerous to leave everything to the optimists.
When you get to the stage of planning your idea concretely, you need the help of a pessimist.
Optimists are driven by strong impulses, but sometimes they run wild and go down the wrong path.
So, it's better to have the pessimist, who takes things seriously and calmly, anticipate the risks that may arise, and then carefully and carefully develop a practical plan of action.
(…) And when it comes time to put that plan into action, we leave it to the optimists again.
It opens the way for you to boldly pursue your dreams.
“Conceive optimistically, plan pessimistically, and execute optimistically again.” This is the most ideal system for taking on new challenges, and it is the principle that has allowed Kyocera to successfully develop new products without a single failure.

--- p.250~252, from “Chapter 6, Think Brightly, Plan Meticulously”