Top 54 Quotes & Sayings by Mardy Grothe

Adolescence is a kind of slavery cleverly disguised as freedom.

In all human affairs, the wisest course is to be passionate about the role of reason and reasonable about the role of passion.

Sometimes I wonder which is worse - confrontational people who are afraid of caring or caring people who are afraid of confrontation.

We can never truly understand the people we hate; we can never truly hate the people we understand.

Even though it runs counter to popular belief, Life's critical decisions are usually made in the heart and only later ratified by the brain.

Never confuse looking your best with doing your best.

It is one of history's greatest ironies that, over the centuries, the pursuit of pleasure has resulted in more pain than enjoyment.

The most important dreams occur while people are fully awake.

If you don't love your work, it's hard to love your life.

There is one message children can never hear enough as they grow up, and adults should never forget as long as they live: To accomplish big things, you must first dream big dreams.

If life were like a competitive race, some people would be given a flying start and others would line up with weights tied to their ankles.

Most of us recognize how important it is to listen respectfully when our loved ones are talking; but we often forget that it is equally important to talk respectfully when they are listening.

If life is a blank canvas and all people are artists, the big challenge we all face may be expressed this way: Will we ultimately produce something approaching a masterpiece, an acceptable but not particularly memorable work of art, or a creation that wouldn't even be purchased at a yard sale?

If you are completely comfortable with your life, and feeling absolutely no anxiety, then you are probably coasting, and not really growing.

If only people fought undeserved praise as much as they do unfair criticism.

We tend to see our character flaws as simple defects, and the simple defects of others as character flaws.

A life without purpose is like a novel without a plot. It wanders all over the place, is hard to follow, and in the end, doesn't get particularly good reviews.

Why is it that the most important stuff to listen to is almost always the stuff we don't want to hear?

We all know that working out reduces stress, but it's equally true that stressing out reduces work.

Never rely on your friends for money, or on your money for friends.

If you want to understand a difficult or trying person, begin by asking the question: 'What is the wound they are trying to heal?'

The music of lovers is not generally appreciated by lovers of music.

The fastest way to lose an argument is to lose your temper.

Throughout history, one of the biggest problems is that the correct course of action is not always obvious, and the obvious course of action is not always correct.

Some people have a perverse talent; they're capable of shooting themselves in the foot and stabbing themselves in the back at the exact same time.

Turning seventy is like beginning the eighth inning of a baseball game. The contest is nearing completion, but there's likely to be some action, and even a few exciting plays, before the game draws to an end.

People sometimes forget when you remember, but they always remember when you forget.

The young think about how they'll change the world, the old think about how the world has changed.

People who parade their holiness are operating dangerously close to the sin of pride.

The best thing about the battle between the sexes is often the sex between the battles.

The secret of a successful relationship is avoiding the unforgivable and forgiving the unavoidable.

Never let the worst of you get the best of you.

When we successfully deceive others, they are not aware of it; the same is true with self-deception.

The best thing about fear is that it provides a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate courage.

You'll never stand out if your goal in life is to fit in.

Men are like microwave ovens; they heat up immediately, but things start to boil over after about three minutes. Women are like conventional ovens; they take twenty minutes to heat up, but can go on cooking for hours.

When all things are considered, happiness is a better indicator of success than success has ever been of happiness.

By trying to make things easier for their children, parents can make things much harder for them.

Music doesn't have to be your livelihood to make your 'hood lively.

The best time to give feedback to strong people is when they're feeling weak, and to weak people when they're feeling strong.

Throughout history, most of the wrongs of the world have resulted from people absolutely sure they were in the right.

People who are most interested in telling the truth about others are generally the least interested in having the truth told about themselves.

Instead of talking in the hope that people will listen, try listening in the hope that people will talk.

Be helpful to all who need your assistance, but don't overdo it. Over-helpfulness too often results in under-performance.

Two of the biggest conversational blunders you can make are saying something when you should stay silent, and staying silent when you should say something.

Never confuse the importance of things with things of importance.

When we're young, everything is possible; when we're old, possibilities are everything.

The voice of reason is inaudible to irrational people.

The best teachers aren't those who answer our questions, but those who question our answers.

Words have incredible power. They can make people's hearts soar, or they can make people's hearts sore.

Excessive wealth is a great problem masquerading as a great good.

To have meaning, our lives require both passion and purpose. A life without passion is like a furnace without fuel, and without purpose, like a ship without a rudder.

The world will never discover a person who is hiding in the crowd.

The high cost of living is a minor problem when compared to the cost of high living.