Sydney J. Harris Quotes

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• The difference between patriotism and nationalism is that the patriot is proud of his country for what it does, and the nationalist is proud of his country no matter what it does; the first attitude creates a feeling of responsibility, but the second a feeling of blind arrogance that leads to war.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Country, Attitude, War

  Sydney J. Harris (1953). “Strictly personal”

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• The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Graduation, Education, Wall

  Sydney J. Harris (1985). “Pieces of Eight Pa”, Mariner Books

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• History repeats itself, but in such cunning disguise that we never detect the resemblance until the damage is done.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Damage Is Done, History Repeats Itself, Cunning

  Sydney J. Harris (1986). “Clearing the ground”, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• The three hardest tasks in the world are neither physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts: to return love for hate, to include the excluded, and to say, 'I was wrong'.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Love, Inspirational, Life

  Sydney J. Harris (1985). “Pieces of Eight Pa”, Mariner Books

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• A university is not, primarily, a place in which to learn how to make a living; it is a place in which to learn how to be more fully a human being, how to draw upon one's resources, how to discipline the mind and expand the imagination; how to make some sense out of the big world we will shortly be thrown into.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Life, Learning, Imagination

  Sydney J. Harris (1964). “ON THE CONTRARY”

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• Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Love, Funny, Change

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• There are always too many Democratic congressmen, too many Republican congressmen, and never enough U.S. congressmen.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Voting, Democracy, Republican

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• 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

  Teaching, Fire, Inspire

  Sydney J. Harris (1976). “Best of Sydney J. Harris”

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• A winner knows how much he still has to learn, even when he is considered an expert by others; a loser wants to be considered an expert by others before he has learned enough to know how little he knows.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Growth, Want, Littles

  Sydney J. Harris (1964). “Leaving the Surface”

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• Happiness is a direction, not a place.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Happiness, Happy

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• A famously wise old man in a village was once asked how he came by his wisdom. "I got it from my good judgment," he answered. And where did his good judgment come from? "I got it from my bad judgment."

  Sydney J. Harris

  Wise, Wisdom, Men

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• The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Communication, Two, Giving

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• The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Real, Math, Men

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• Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Love, Inspirational, Motivational

  Sydney J. Harris (1953). “Strictly personal”

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• "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

  Strong, War, Violence

  Sydney J. Harris (1986). “Clearing the ground”, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• The profound immoralities of our time are cruelty, indifference, injustice and the use of others as means rather than ends in themselves.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Mean, Profound, Use

  Sydney J. Harris (1976). “Best of Sydney J. Harris”

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• When I hear somebody sigh, 'Life is hard,' I am always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?'

  Sydney J. Harris

  Inspirational, Funny, Life

  Sydney J. Harris (1953). “Strictly personal”

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• 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

  Education, Dark, Mirrors

  Sydney J. Harris (1985). “Pieces of Eight Pa”, Mariner Books

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• 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

  Strong, Character, Two

  Sydney J. Harris (1986). “Clearing the ground”, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• Good teaching must be slow enough so that it is not confusing, and fast enough so that it is not boring.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Teacher, Teaching, Confusing

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• 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

  Relationship, Confidence, Self Esteem

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• There's no point in burying a hatchet if you're going to put up a marker on the site.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Forgiveness, Heartbroken, Burying

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• The paradox of friendship is that it is both the strongest thing in the world and the most fragile. Wild horses cannot separate friends, but whining words can. A man will lay down his life for his friend but will not sacrifice his eardrums.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Friendship, Horse, Sacrifice

  Sydney J. Harris (1953). “Strictly personal”

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• A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past, his is also one who is permanently disappointed in the future.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Fear, Past, Lessons

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• No one should pay attention to a man delivering a lecture or a sermon on his "philosophy of life" until we know exactly how he treats his wife, his children, his neighbors, his friends, his subordinates and his enemies.

  Sydney J. Harris

  Children, Philosophy, Men

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