Jon Kabat-Zinn Quotes

I was very much a tough New York street kid. I went to a school where you had to learn how to get along with everybody or fight with everybody, and I did my fair share of both.

Cats know, comin' out of four, they better be standin' on it, else they'll be standin' in it.

I'm from the hood. You put me in a rough neighborhood and believe me, I'm OK.

On my estate, there are older guys and there are dangerous things happening. But I had my ball with me and that made me feel safe. That's where I developed my strength, mentality and ruthlessness.

She might not be as strong as everyone she met, or as fast, or even as smart. But she could bullshit with the best of them. Combine that quality with a license to carry, and a girl could more than get by in this life.

If you can't go back to your mother's womb, you'd better learn to be a good fighter.

America has always fascinated me; it's a country where you can make it from one side to the other with no money, by hook or by crook.

I grew up in a tough neighborhood and we used to say you can get further with a kind word and a gun than just a kind word.

New York is a place that can grind you down and spit you out. A true New Yorker doesn't get ground down - he gets polished.

I was a pretty scrappy, tough kid; I got in all sorts of fights at school. I defended myself - boys didn't mess with me. But as one of seven children, you have to fight for everything anyway.

It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.

I grew up in the East Village, in Alphabet City, when it was a very dangerous neighborhood. To survive there, I had to learn to be a little bit invisible.

It's not impressive to get in a fight, but if one does happen, you've gotta be ready to handle it. Every girl, not just biker chicks, knows what kind of guy can.

I came from the outer suburbs of Melbourne, so you do learn how to survive in that environment.

I'm a survivalist and a survivor.

I ain't got much education, but I got some sense.

Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid.

Yoiu have to fight in order to live in peace.

I didn't put Priest down. He was just trying to get out. His deeds weren't noble ones, but he was making money, and he had intelligence. And he did survive. I mean, all this was reality.

I'm not a good talker, I'm a good fighter.

I learned to deal with the police... to be tough... to survive.

New York City is a very tough place. I'm tough, too. When people give me a punch in the nose, I react by getting even tougher.

Resilience is distinct from mere survival, and more than mere endurance. Resilience is often endurance with direction.

There's something weird about me the way even the biggest punches to the jaw don't wobble me, but if you can avoid being hit too often, so much the better.

I turned out to be a tough, smart kid.