“Society is indeed a contract – becomes a partnership not only between those who are living, but between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born.”
“There is no such thing as being non-political. Just by making a decision to stay out of politics you are making the decision to allow others to shape politics and exert power over you. And if you are alienated from the current political system, then just by staying out of it you do nothing to change it, you simply entrench it.”
“I urge you to: Trudge not through life leaving ugly gashes, Tiptoe not through life leaving half-formed impressions, But tread gently, lovingly and purposefully Leaving graceful heart-prints.”
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
“Being human is difficult. Becoming human is a lifelong process. To be truly human is a gift.”
“The foundations of a person are not in matter but in spirit.”
“Leadership is about capacity – the capacity of leaders to listen and observe, to use their expertise as a starting point to encourage dialogue between all levels of decision-making, to establish processes and transparency in decision-making, to articulate their own values and visions clearly but not impose them. Leadership is about setting and not just reacting to agendas, identifying problems, and initiating change that makes for substantial improvement rather than managing change.”
“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”
“Man can find meaning in life, short and perilous as it is, only through devoting himself to society.”
“Trainers use humor to point out negative behaviors in ways that teach rather than preach. Mediators tell us that the right joke, or the right moment of levity, can reduce tensions to the point that two adversaries can sit down at the table to consider the possibility of agreement. So why does humor work? Because it shatters preconceptions at the moment when people are forming new perceptions—about their work, their spouse, or life itself. Laughter is a release; it is a moment of sheer pleasure. And in our world of tension and turmoil, the belly laugh is a physical escape valve. Choosing the humor is another matter. We live an era of the put-down, the snide aside, the searing retort. These comments do have their place, but all too often they make us laugh at someone else’s expense. Good humor, nourishing humor for example, enables us to laugh at ourselves for being human. It serves as a window into our souls.”