Colin Powell Quotes

Being nice doesn't necessarily mean you're weak. You can be nice and be strong at the same time. That's a character trait that we need more in Washington.

Those who are compassionate when they should be tough will be tough when they should be compassionate.

So many of the high ranking about me have discarded mercy as a weakness.

I'm so tough and so bad, I can be humble and lift another guy up.

My strength is my humility. When you are humble, people like you.

We must not mistake kindness for weakness. Kindness isn't weak. Kindness is a certain type of strength.

If you are a strong man, very good! But do not curse others who are not strong enough for you. ...Everyone says, "Woe unto you people!!" Who says, "Woe unto me that I cannot help you?" The people are doing all right to the best of their ability and means and knowledge. Woe unto me that I cannot lift them to where I am!

I must admit that I am not generous with weak people. It's not in my nature or in my personality. My parents were not generous with weak people, see?

When strong, be merciful, if you would have the respect, not the fear of your neighbors.

You can believe that he was taught to love and respect all mankind - but to fear no man.

I'm not mean.

Practice Golden-Rule 1 of Management in everything you do. Manage others the way you would like to be managed.

I don't worry about people misinterpreting my kindness for weakness.

It requires more strength to be gentle, so it's the everyday encounters of life that I think we've prepared children for and prepared them to be good to other people and to consider other people.

People confuse goodness with weakness. It is weak people, not good people (goodness demands strength), who are taken advantage of.

I'm tough, but I have a heart.

At the end of the day, the Golden Rule is called the Golden Rule for a reason - do unto others as you would have done to you. In terms of commandments you could probably just do that one and you would be well off. If everybody could adhere to that one, we'd be OK, as long as a masochist wasn't in charge of people.

The superior man is the providence of the inferior. He is eyes for the blind, strength for the weak, and a shield for the defenseless. He stands erect by bending above the fallen. He rises by lifting others.

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.

Goodwill can be indicated in various ways. I raised that particular example because at that time I was in charge. Today, I'm not in a position to present other possibilities.

I think the associations people have with kindness are often things like meekness and sweetness and maybe sickly sweetness; whereas I do think of kindness as a force, as a power.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

There are major C.E.O.'s who do not know how to hold a knife and fork properly, but I don't worry about that as much as the lack of kindness.

Many men fail because they do not see the importance of being kind and courteous to the men under them. Kindness to everybody always pays for itself. And, besides, it is a pleasure to be kind.

Sometimes people don't trust the force of kindness. They think love or compassion or kindness will make you weak and kind of stupid and people will take advantage of you; you won't stand up for other people.