Sydney J. Harris Quotes

I'll never be immune to criticism, and that's okay, and I'm very comfortable with that.

I had to let my ego go a long time ago.

I'm a lot more grounded now, a lot more settled in my skin.

A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and all things, and who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is all-knowing and therefore all of us need both love and charity.

To be okay with not knowing is a sign of a mature person and a mature society.

I know what I can know, and am not troubled about what I cannot know.

You become more and more charged with your life and with a life that you're observing. When I was younger, I was actually looking forward to getting older, to have more insight, more understanding. I'm much more tolerant with others and with myself. I'm not in rebellion all the time, I'm not angry so much. But all those feelings are really useful [when you're young] because they fire us, as long as they don't get out of control.

Maturity: the confidence to have no opinions on many things.

As you get older you learn some balance and mediation in your life - that's where I am right now. I feel pretty comfortable about things.

The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the embarrassment he can tolerate.

I do not have the angst and the anxiety of my youth. I've gotten to a place where I'm very comfortable with who I am.

My habit would have been to veer towards the dark - to prove I was something; edgy, or maybe to prove that I was cognisant of the dark side. Now, with age and confidence, I can say, yeah, that's true, but I am cognisant of the fact that people can do things well. And can be more loving than you expect.

One thing that I am proud of: I am really capable of laughing at myself.

Confidence comes with maturity, being more accepting of yourself.

You know, once you have been through a certain amount of things in life, you definitely grow more comfortable with yourself.

As you get older, you're not afraid of doubt. Doubt isn't running the show. You take out all the self-agonizing.

I think it's nice to age gracefully. OK, you lose the youth, a certain stamina and dewy glow, but what you gain on the inside as a human being is wonderful: the wisdom, the acceptance and the peace of mind. It's a fair exchange.

At this point in my life I'm not bent on proving anything, really.

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

The ability to reflect is associated with critical thinking and reasoning ability. And the capacity to be alone is one of the highest levels of development. It's important to know how to self-soothe and be confident of other people's love even when they're not there in front of you.

I think that as you get older, you learn to live in yourself more securely.

Expecting to be wrong about most things most of the time brings, finally, the kind of humility that leads to peace. I think.

When you mature, you also get more secure about yourself. You see things differently.

As I get older, the more I stay focused on the acceptance of myself and others, and choose compassion over judgment and curiosity over fear.

I was a young, new, hot star, and I had this unbelievable arrogance. As time went on, the strident narcissism and arrogance slowly diminished. But I was definitely there. I'm older now. And a big crybaby.