David D. Burns

“It would be nice if I could make my wife happy now because she seems upset. I can ask what she's upset…

— David D. Burns

You're not a bad person. But you sometimes do bad things. You know what that makes you? Human.

— David D. Burns

There is no 'ultimate goal of therapy.' Thinking there is some ultimate or universal goal of therapy is one of the most…

— David D. Burns

People who are prone to anxiety are nearly always people-pleasers who fear conflict and negative feelings like anger. When you feel upset,…

— David D. Burns

I always wanted to see people's lives transformed from depression and anxiety to joy and peace.

— David D. Burns

“No one has a moral or legal obligation to credit me for my cleverness or praise my good efforts on their behalf.”

— David D. Burns

One of the most interesting things about the cognitive theory is the idea that anger and interpersonal conflict ultimately result from a…

— David D. Burns

When you change the way you think, you can change the way you feel.

— David D. Burns

Perfectionism becomes a badge of honor with you playing the part of the suffering hero.

— David D. Burns

You're human. You'll screw up. Denying that is crazy. Forgiving yourself has all the benefits of self-esteem without making you a narcissist…

— David D. Burns

I've been interviewed for hundreds of magazine articles, and they come out incredibly goofy about 90 percent of the time.

— David D. Burns

“Should statements based on the premise you are all-powerful assume that, like God, you are omnipotent and have the ability to control…

— David D. Burns

After all, this is how you learned how to walk. You didn't just jump up from your crib one day and waltz…

— David D. Burns

That's one of the peculiar things about bad moods - we often fool ourselves and create misery by telling ourselves things that…

— David D. Burns

Can you predict the future with absolute certainty? Your answer must be no. You have two options: You can either decide to…

— David D. Burns

If you're self-compassionate, you'll tend to have higher self-esteem than if you're endlessly self-critical. And like high self-esteem - self-compassion is associated…

— David D. Burns

It's irrational to assume you can ever truly evaluate yourself as a good or bad human being. You will never have enough…

— David D. Burns

“It can work the other way as well. I have worked with many depressed patients who were still stuck after I had…

— David D. Burns

“Oxygen is a need, but love is a want. I repeat: LOVE IS NOT AN ADULT HUMAN NEED!”

— David D. Burns

Perfection' is man's ultimate illusion. It simply doesn't exist in the universe.... If you are a perfectionist, you are guaranteed to be…

— David D. Burns

“When you are depressed, you may have a tendency to confuse feeling with facts. Your feelings of hopelessness and total despair are…

— David D. Burns

When we're rational about rule-breaking we set a limit. You don't get 30 years in prison for a traffic ticket. But sometimes…

— David D. Burns

Every time you feel depressed about something, try to identify a corresponding negative thought you had just prior to and during the…

— David D. Burns

I have been amazed by the interest in cognitive behavioral therapy that has developed since 'Feeling Good' was first published in 1980.…

— David D. Burns

“In fact, you may even find that there are many times when it was more enjoyable to be alone, and you might…

— David D. Burns