Top 77 Quotes & Sayings by Amy Dickinson

Life is weird. And guess what makes it weird? People.

The ability to break a loved one's heart is the essential contradiction in human relationships.

Your job in life is to look after yourself and to find ways to get what you need - emotionally and otherwise - so that you live your best possible life, without being mired in anger and hurt over the past.

If people thought more, we'd all have less to amuse us.

When you are wondering whether to say something negative about someone - even if it is true - the best rule to follow is, "I'll think about doing this tomorrow."

We are not our best intentions. We are what we do.

"Nags" nag because they feel they aren't being heard.

All promises are empty - until they are fulfilled.

Life is easier when you are comfortable in your own skin.

I think that, on some level, everybody lives vicariously through couples who are getting married.

[from a reader] I hope she learns to look for the joy in life instead of picking out negatives - it will change her life for the better.

Bullies often act out by marshaling aggression to cover up for insecurity.

You cannot tie your fiance to the railroad track of self-reflection and personal improvement.

When you're a single parent, you're often lonely, yet seldom alone. There is no backup ... It is mothering without a net.

Life is both short and complicated. People sometimes make baffling choices.

Boredom has an important function, because pushing through it can unleash creativity.

[from a reader] Whenever I feel myself resenting someone, I reach out. I have made good friends that way.

I believe that everyone deserves love, and sometimes looking outside your own culture is a good way to find it.

Mature people must find their own ways to cope with their own temptations.

Unsolicited advice is always self-serving.

We human beings are definitely capable of loving more than one person, but it seems to go more smoothly if we don't love more than one person at a time.

Being alone is almost always preferable to being with the wrong person.

Sometimes the way through someone's tough outer shell is to do something obvious, thoughtful and sweet.

When you are criticizing someone, you should speak only to your own experience - not others'.

In the name of friendship you should make sure your door is always open to listen. Don't feel you need to provide unsolicited possible solutions, answers or even ideas. Listening without judgment and offering assistance when asked should be enough. That's friendship's high calling.

You cannot beat the clock. My advice is to grab your moments of grace and enjoy them while they last.

You should not be hovering in the background, inflating the drama. Simply envelop him in love and affection and let him know that you will support his efforts, whatever they are.

There is nothing more painful than being rejected simply for being who you are.

"Don't be stupid!" is excellent advice.

People who are combative in one relationship tend to be combative in other relationships.

Attraction happens when you feel important, valued, appreciated and wanted.

Friends tell each other the truth, and then friends stick around for the aftermath.

If nothing changes, you will have to put your disappointment in perspective.

If you feel guilty about not "playing nice," then you could easily alleviate your guilt by playing nice.

Friends tell the truth to one another. Friends don't slam the door to correction or reflection when it is offered with affection.

Absence really can make the heart grow fonder, even when the [man's] feet wander.

Climb aboard life's elevator, hit the "up" button, and see where it takes you.

As an advice columnist, I spend a lot of time reading through psychology journals to ensure that I give the most up-to-date advice.

The fullness of life is incubated in its messy places.

There is true freedom in letting go.

You should do what you want, but I think you should also consider wanting something different.

Being inclusive sometimes means being kind toward people whose views are repugnant. But you should only do so if it is physically and emotionally safe for you.

You must give and receive love only when doing so doesn't hurt others. That's the ethical path, and you should gain strength from walking it.

One downside of being an optimist is that optimistic people tend to forget yesterday's trauma in the belief that everything will turn out well. This can keep people in bad relationships because they genuinely believe that things will always improve.

This is a tough situation. But it is what it is, and time has an amazing way of knitting together solutions as long as everybody stays calm and resolves to be as gentle and patient as possible.

Do not make your current partner pay for the crimes and misdemeanors of your previous partners.

Marriage is an intimate relationship between two people. It is a bad idea to involve a third party.

Healthy boundaries are important, but you may be building a brick wall when a picket fence would do.

Weddings and funerals are when you figure out who your real friends are.

When someone repeatedly insists that something isn't true, it increases the likelihood that it is.

Single parenthood is hard, but it's simple too. You just do everything yourself.

If you miss one moment of enjoying your own life and relationships because you're trying to punish someone else, the bad guy wins.

Individuals who are uncomfortable with themselves sometimes emit vibes that make others uncomfortable.

Love is an irrational force, making humans do all sorts of strange and wonderful things like write poetry and take up the ukulele.

You need to start behaving like the person you want to attract.

People don't change when they don't acknowledge their actions.

Bullies never want to acknowledge their own actions. They want to move through life without reflection or apology.

When the choice is between a demanding relationship and a vintage pickup truck, I'll choose the truck every time.

Friendships can survive after massive disappointment, but only if both parties are honest with one another.

You should not propose marriage until you have resolved your feelings about your ex.