Maturity begins when we're content to feel we're right about something without feeling the necessity to prove someone else wrong. Sydney J. Harris More Quotes by Sydney J. Harris More Quotes From Sydney J. Harris The primary purpose of a liberal education is to make one's mind a pleasant place in which to spend one's leisure. Sydney J. Harris collegemindeducation At it's highest level, the purpose of teaching is not to teach—it is to inspire the desire for learning. Once a student's mind is set on fire, it will find a way to provide its own fuel. Sydney J. Harris teachingfireinspire Take away grievances from some people and you remove their reasons for living; most of us are nourished by hope, but a considerable minority get psychic nutrition from their resentments, and would waste away purposelessly without them. Sydney J. Harris psychicsminoritiespeople When I hear somebody sigh, 'Life is hard,' I am always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?' Sydney J. Harris inspirationallifefunny "Terrorism" is what we call the violence of the weak, and we condemn it; "war" is what we call the violence of the strong, and we glorify it. Sydney J. Harris violencestrongwar Most people are mirrors, reflecting the moods and emotions of the times; few are windows, bringing light to bear on the dark corners where troubles fester. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. Sydney J. Harris mirrorsdarkeducation The greatest enemy of progress is not stagnation, but false progress. Sydney J. Harris enemy-of-progressprogressenemy Why are we willing to accept a new mathematical formula we don't understand as the product of a brilliant mind, while rejecting a new art form we don't understand as the product of a deranged mind? Sydney J. Harris brilliantmindart The best thing you can give children, next to good habits, are good memories. Sydney J. Harris mommemorieschildren As we grow older, we should learn that these are two quite different things. Character is something you forge for yourself; temperament is something you are born with and can only slightly modify. Some people have easy temperaments and weak characters; others have difficult temperaments and strong characters. We are all prone to confuse the two in assessing people we associate with. Those with easy temperaments and weak characters are more likable than admirable; those with difficult temperaments and strong characters are more admirable than likable. Sydney J. Harris strongcharactertwo It's surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you're not comfortable within yourself, you can't be comfortable with others. Sydney J. Harris confidenceself-esteemrelationship The time to relax is when you don't have time for it. Sydney J. Harris timewittyfunny The pessimist sees only the tunnel; the optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel; the realist sees the tunnel and the light - and the next tunnel. Sydney J. Harris nexttunnelslight Agnosticism is a perfectly respectable and tenable philosophical position; it is not dogmatic and makes no pronouncements about the ultimate truths of the universe. It remains open to evidence and persuasion; lacking faith, it nevertheless does not deride faith. Atheism, on the other hand, is as unyielding and dogmatic about religious belief as true believers are about heathens. It tries to use reason to demolish a structure that is not built upon reason. Sydney J. Harris philosophicalreligioushands Self-discipline without talent can often achieve astounding results, whereas talent without self-discipline inevitably dooms itself to failure. Sydney J. Harris talentdisciplineself The acceptance of ambiguity implies more than the commonplace understanding that some good things and some bad things happen to us. It means that we know that good and evil are inextricably intermixed in human affairs; that they contain, and sometimes embrace, their opposites; that success may involve failure of a different kind, and failure may be a kind of triumph. Sydney J. Harris failureacceptancemean When we inform, we lead from strength; when we communicate, we lead from weakness—and it is precisely this confession of mortality that engages the ears, heads and hearts of those we want to enlist as allies in a common cause. Sydney J. Harris alliesweaknessheart As WArden Lawes once said of convicts, no man can be called a failure until he has tried something he really likes, and fails at it. Sydney J. Harris failinglikesmen There's no point in burying a hatchet if you're going to put up a marker on the site. Sydney J. Harris siteheartbrokenforgiveness Enemies, as well as lovers, come to resemble each other over a period of time. Sydney J. Harris time-loveloversenemy
