Each person is an idiom unto himself, an apparent violation of the syntax of the species. Gordon W. Allport More Quotes by Gordon W. Allport More Quotes From Gordon W. Allport Self-love, it is obvious, remains always positive and active in our natures. Gordon W. Allport self-love always active positive It takes a major unhappiness, a prolonged and bitter experience, to drive us away from loyalties once formed. And sometimes no amount of punishment can make us repudiate our loyalty. Gordon W. Allport drive experience loyalty sometimes Personality is less a finished product than a transitive process. While it has some stable features, it is at the same time continually undergoing change. Gordon W. Allport change personality process time Open-mindedness is considered to be a virtue. But, strictly speaking, it cannot occur. A new experience must be redacted into old categories. We cannot handle each event freshly in its own right. If we did so, of what use would past experience be? Gordon W. Allport new own experience past The primary problem in the psychology of becoming is to account for the transformation by which the unsocialized infant becomes an adult with structured loves, hates, loyalties, and interests, capable of taking his place in a complexly ordered society. Gordon W. Allport place transformation society problem The outlines of the needed psychology of becoming can be discovered by looking within ourselves; for it is knowledge of our own uniqueness that supplies the first, and probably the best, hints for acquiring orderly knowledge of others. Gordon W. Allport looking own best knowledge A prejudice, unlike a simple misconception, is actively resistant to all evidence that would unseat it. Gordon W. Allport would evidence prejudice simple Dogmatism makes for scientific anemia. Gordon W. Allport scientific makes dogmatism So many tangles in life are ultimately hopeless that we have no appropriate sword other than laughter. Gordon W. Allport sword hopeless laughter life Scarcely anyone ever wants to be anybody else. However handicapped or unhappy he feels himself, he would not change places with other more fortunate mortals. Gordon W. Allport places more unhappy change Mature striving is linked to long-range goals. Thus, the process of becoming is largely a matter of organizing transitory impulses into a pattern of striving and interest in which the element of self-awareness plays a large part. Gordon W. Allport goals mature process matter No corner of the world is free from group scorn. Gordon W. Allport corner free group world It is not that we have class prejudice, but only that we find comfort and ease in our own class. And normally there are plenty of people of our own class, or race, or religion to play, live, and eat with, and to marry. Gordon W. Allport live race people religion As partisans of our own way of life, we cannot help thinking in a partisan manner. Gordon W. Allport own life way thinking What is familiar tends to become a value. Gordon W. Allport tends value become familiar To a considerable degree, all minority groups suffer from the same state of marginality with its haunting consequences of insecurity, conflict, and irritation. Gordon W. Allport same consequences insecurity conflict The surest way to lose truth is to pretend that one already wholly possesses it. Gordon W. Allport lose truth-is truth way We cannot know the young child's personality by studying his systems of interest, for his attention is as yet too labile, his reactions impulsive, and interests unformed. From adolescence onward, however, the surest clue to personality is the hierarchy of interests, including the loves and loyalties of adult life. Gordon W. Allport child know personality life
