The generality of mankind is lazy. What distinguishes men of genuine achievement from the rest of us is not so much their intellectual powers and aptitudes as their curiosity, their energy, their fullest use of their potentialities. Nobody really knows… — Sydney J. Harris Copy Share Image
American parents, on the whole, do not want their sons to be artisans or craftsmen, but business or professional people. As a result, millions of youngsters are being prepared for careers they have little aptitude for - and little interest… — Sydney J. Harris Copy Share Image
This is a lesson mankind has not yet learned. We identify, and stratify, and treat persons largely on the basis of their accidental (physical)… — Sydney J. Harris Copy Share
Character is something you forge for yourself; temperament is something you are born with and can only slightly modify. — Sydney J. Harris Copy Share
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 Copy Share
The profound immoralities of our time are cruelty, indifference, injustice and the use of others as means rather than ends in themselves. — Sydney J. Harris Copy Share
Marriages we regard as the happiest are those in which each of the partners believes he or she got the best of it. — Sydney J. Harris Copy Share
“...it calls for deciding things on their own merit, not because you read it or were told it or grew up believing it.” — Sydney J. Harris Copy Share
Patriotism is proud of a country's virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their… — Sydney J. Harris Copy Share
A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past, his is also one who is permanently disappointed in the future. — Sydney J. Harris Copy Share
Time is love, above all else. It is the most precious commodity in the world and should be lavished on those we care most… — Sydney J. Harris Copy Share
“The cynic is goodhearted beneath his facade, whereas the sentimentalist is flint-hearted beneath his.” — Sydney J. Harris Copy Share
“Like all persecuted minority groups, they strike back by forming cabals, by “taking over” certain spheres of activity (in the arts, for instance), and… — Sydney J. Harris Copy Share
Intolerance is the most socially acceptable form of egotism, for it permits us to assume superiority without personal boasting. — Sydney J. Harris Copy Share
