James Forman Jr. Quotes

I like to think I'm a very mature person.

My aim in life is not to judge.

In the past, I used to argue with those who didn't share my views. I felt this incredible need to 'make my point.' Now I live my life and do my best to be an example of what seems right to me.

Be gentle and kind with every one, and severe with yourself.

To date, my biggest lesson may be that judgment of others is never a good thing.

Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.

When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.

In the matter of learning, the difference between the earnest and the careless student stands out clearly. The same holds true in the mastering of passion and the weaknesses to which our nature is subject, as in the acquiring of virtue.

We benefit, intellectually and personally, from the interplay between different selves, from the balance between long-term contemplation and short-term impulse. We should be wary about tipping the scales too far. The community of selves shouldn't be a democracy, but it shouldn't be a dictatorship, either.

As a kid, I often figured it was good to be patient to a fault.

I can't judge the way other people behave. I can only look at myself.

I have learned to watch myself and give myself constructive criticism. Although I have to cover my face and peek sometimes!

It is much easier to find fault with others, than to be faultless ourselves.

The preacher's sharpest and strongest preaching should be to himself. His most difficult, delicate, laborious, and thorough work must be with himself.

You can't please everybody all the time, but I think for the most part we tend to maintain a healthy level of self-reference to kind of make sure we continue to push things forward.

Patience is a virtue, and I'm learning patience. It's a tough lesson.

You can never control other people. You can only control yourself. I have definitely learned that.

I think that's good that I have to watch how I act and what I say. I think that's a part of growing up.

No one can occupy your generosity except you. Who can occupy your patience when impatience roars through you? Who except you can choose not to act with judgment when all of your thoughts are judgmental? Your life is yours to live, no matter how you choose to live it. When you do not think about how you intend to live it, it lives you.

People need to be edited; life needs to be edited. I need to be edited.

Most of the successful people I've known are the ones who do more listening than talking.

Be gentle to all and stern with yourself.

My ego every day is more and more polite. I tame it.

I couldn't make sense of things. But then I began the process of civilising myself and trying to become a decent human being. I'm still working on it.

I am really looking forward as I get older and older, to being less and less nice.