Quotes About Behavior

Tis with governments as with individuals, first impressions and early habits give a lasting bias to the temper and character.

Another female observer found Madison entertaining in private but "mute, cold, and repulsive" in company.

On September 3, an especially hostile audience baited Johnson in Cleveland, where his behavior flirted with new lows. When a heckler yelled that Johnson should "hang Jeff Davis," the president rejoined, "Why not hang Thad Stevens and Wendell Phillips?"62 When someone in the crowd hollered, "Is this dignified?" Johnson shot back: "I care not for dignity.

polite with dignity, affable without formality, distant without haughtiness, grave without austerity

While the folks at home embraced him as an improbable hero, Washington was denigrated in England as a reckless young warrior and in France as an outright assassin. He would have been crestfallen to know that, for some high-ranking folks in London, his behavior only confirmed that

perhaps he had so thoroughly rationalized his own behavior that he saw himself in the same glowing, virtuous light as his son did.

Wit not well govern'd rankles into vice / He to his Jest his Friend will sacrifice!

In the end, we can only explain how he rationalized his behavior to himself and others; given the absence of revelatory letters or diaries, we can say little about the unconscious drives that led him to do this or the mental strains it might have caused.

In fact, Washington wasn't nonchalant and could be exacting and quick to take offense.

it used its prestige to stretch the limits of acceptable behavior

The young Washington could be alternately fawning and assertive, appealingly modest and distressingly pushy.

He doesn't act on analysis.

sometimes people use complete honesty as an excuse for sadism.

when good people do good, and evil people do evil, it is not surprising. But when good people do evil, it takes religion to do that.

shapes thinking, creating mental habits, which can

You make me feel uncomfortable. I'm sorry. Not your fault, she said. It's just the way you are. And what way is that? You're like something feral!

Human motivation is very complex. Most people don't really know why they do things.

I know they're true." "Because?" "Human nature," he said. "You know how it is. Whatever your intentions, if you have the ability to do something, then you will do it, sooner or later. The temptation is always there, and it can't be resisted forever. Don't tell me you think any different.

You're a bad-tempered type of guy, Finlay,' I said, 'Bad temper never made a anybody a criminal.

Suppose you're in a meeting and a colleague says something that you know is the sticky brown substance that bulls excrete.

Control yourself, it is not worth it. You will regret your rudeness afterwards, your sensitive nature will be troubled

Some] Americans are generally incapable of perceiving class differences among blacks and are quick to ascribe antisocial underclass behavior to all African Americans.

Americans are generally incapable of perceiving class differences among blacks and are quick to ascribe antisocial underclass behavior to all African Americans.

Act the way you'd like to be and soon you'll be the way you act.