We must not allow other people's limited perceptions to define us. Virginia Satir More Quotes by Virginia Satir More Quotes From Virginia Satir As a therapist, I am a companion. I try to help people tune into their own wisdom. Virginia Satir tunestryingpeople Parents teach in the toughest school in the world - The School for Making People. You are the board of education, the principal, the classroom teacher, and the janitor. Virginia Satir teacherpeopleschool It is O. K. for me to feel angry and to express it in responsible ways. Virginia Satir responsiblefeelsway What lingers from the parent's individual past, unresolved or incomplete, often becomes part of her or his irrational parenting. Virginia Satir parenthoodparentingpast We need to see ourselves as basic miracles. Virginia Satir miracleessenceneeds Rearing a family is probably the most difficult job in the world. It resembles two business firms merging their respective resources to make a single product. All the potential headaches of that operation are present when an adult male and an adult female join to steer a child from infancy to adulthood. Virginia Satir jobstwochildren Taste everything, but swallow only what fits. Virginia Satir fitbalancetaste I feel that adolescence has served its purpose when a person arrives at adulthood with a strong sense of self-esteem, the ability to relate intimately, to communicate congruently, to take responsibility, and to take risks. The end of adolescence is the beginning of adulthood. What hasn't been finished then will have to be finished later. Virginia Satir strongself-esteemresponsibility In the nurturing family...parents see themselves as empowering leaders not as authoritative bosses. They see their job primarily as one of teaching their children how to be truly human in all situations. They readily acknowledge to the child their poor judgment as well as their good judgment; their hurt, anger, or disappointment as well as their joy. The behavior of these parents matches what they say. Virginia Satir hurtjobschildren Many people are living in an emotional jail without realizing it. Virginia Satir jailemotionalpeople I own me, and therefore, I can engineer me. I am me, and I am Okay. Virginia Satir okayengineersi-can Our biggest problem as human beings is not knowing that we don't know. Virginia Satir problemhumansknowing I want to appreciate you without judging. Join you without invading. Invite you without demanding. Leave you without guilt. Virginia Satir appreciatejudgementjudging I have talked about choosing rather than acting from compulsion. When you feel that you have to live according to someone else's direction or live so that you never disappoint or hurt anybody, then your life is a continual assessment of whether or not you please other people. Virginia Satir assessmenthurtpeople Adolescents are not monsters. They are just people trying to learn how to make it among the adults in the world, who are probably not so sure themselves. Virginia Satir teenageinspirationalpeople Problems are not the problem; coping is the problem. Virginia Satir copingproblem The full life is filled with vulnerability, not defense. You face whatever feeling there is. Virginia Satir defensefacesfeelings Parents teach in the toughest school in the word: The School for Making People. You are the board of education, the principal, theclassroom teacher, and the janitor, all rolled into two. . . . There are few schools to train you for your job, and there is no general agreement on the curriculum. . . . You are on duty, or at least on call, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for at least 18 years for each child you have. Besides that, you have to contend with an administration that has two leaders or bosses, whichever the case may be. Virginia Satir teacherjobschildren We can learn something new anytime we believe we can. Virginia Satir learning-something-newlearningbelieve Once a human being has arrived on this earth, communication is the largest single factor determining what kinds of relationships he makes with others and what happens to him in the world about him. Virginia Satir communicationmotivationworld
