A winner rebukes and forgives; a loser is too timid to rebuke and too petty to forgive.
Sydney J. Harris

Almost no one is foolish enough to imagine that he automatically deserves great success in any field of activity; yet almost everyone believes that he automatically deserves success in marriage.
Sydney J. Harris

An idealist believes the short run doesn't count. A cynic believes the long run doesn't matter. A realist believes that what is done or left undone in the short run determines the long run.
Sydney J. Harris

Any philosophy that can be put in a nutshell belongs there.
Sydney J. Harris

Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be.
Sydney J. Harris

Enemies, as well as lovers, come to resemble each other over a period of time.
Sydney J. Harris

Happiness is a direction, not a place.
Sydney J. Harris

If a small thing has the power to make you angry, does that not indicate something about your size?
Sydney J. Harris

Ignorance per se is not nearly as dangerous as ignorance of ignorance.
Sydney J. Harris

Intolerance is the most socially acceptable form of egotism, for it permits us to assume superiority without personal boasting.
Sydney J. Harris


It's surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you're not comfortable within yourself, you can't be comfortable with others.
Sydney J. Harris

Knowledge fills a large brain; it merely inflates a small one.
Sydney J. Harris

Many a secret that cannot be pried out by curiosity can be drawn out by indifference.
Sydney J. Harris

Men make counterfeit money; in many more cases, money makes counterfeit men.
Sydney J. Harris

Middle Age is that perplexing time of life when we hear two voices calling us, one saying, "Why not?" and the other, "Why bother?"
Sydney J. Harris

Ninety per cent of the world's woe comes from people not knowing themselves, their abilities, their frailties, and even their real virtues. Most of us go almost all the way through life as complete strangers to ourselves - so how can we know anyone else?
Sydney J. Harris

Nobody can be so amusingly arrogant as a young man who has just discovered an old idea and thinks it is his own.
Sydney J. Harris

Nothing is as easy to make as a promise this winter to do something next summer; this is how commencement speakers are caught.
Sydney J. Harris

Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.
Sydney J. Harris

People who think they're generous to a fault usually think that's their only fault.
Sydney J. Harris