J. Irwin Miller Born : May 26, 1909 Died : August 19, 2004 Browse All Authors Top 12 quotes by J. Irwin Miller Nothing is more expensive than mediocrity. J. Irwin Miller mediocrity expensive In the search for character and commitment, we must rid ourselves of our inherited, even cherished biases and prejudices. Character, ability and intelligence are not concentrated in one sex over the other, nor in persons with certain accents or in certain races or in persons holding degrees from some universities over others. When we indulge ourselves in such irrational prejudices, we damage ourselves most of all and ultimately assure ourselves of failure in competition with those more open and less biased. J. Irwin Miller character sex commitment It is ridiculous ever to forget that you and your business are each implanted in the society of the moment. We cannot ignore the world of our time. We had better understand it. J. Irwin Miller ridiculous forget world The most important service to others is service to those who are not like yourself. J. Irwin Miller service-to-others like-you important I would be a poorer person if the only things I knew were what I had found out for myself. J. Irwin Miller persons would-be found In our home we have a rule: You can disagree with a man's position as much as you want - after you have been able to state it to his satisfaction. J. Irwin Miller want home men The calling of the humanities is to make us truly human in the best sense of the word. J. Irwin Miller arts-and-humanities humanity calling I think most of us sense that it is a responsibility of the humanities to try to help better the conduct of human beings in their lives and manifold professional activities. J. Irwin Miller responsibility humanity thinking The decline of manners, the cynical pursuit without shame or restraint of personal advantage and of money characterizes our times, not without exceptions, of course, but more than we ought to be comfortable with. J. Irwin Miller shame cynical aggravation Business chief executive officers and their boards succumb to the pressures of the financial markets and their fears of takeovers and pour out their energies to produce quarterly earnings - at the expense of building their companies for the long term. J. Irwin Miller pressure earning long We are afraid to face the hard questions. We are willing to tackle drugs, crime, and public education only if it doesn't cost us any new taxes. J. Irwin Miller cost drug faces Television preachers extract money from the poor to live in a style and to indulge in shameful acts which equal or outdo the worst of the Renaissance Popes. J. Irwin Miller indulge-in style television
