Quotes About Understanding

he had learned in his years of tracking Indians that things which seemed impossible often weren't.

If you want to be part of a human community you have to suffer fools—patiently, if not gladly—and you must practice civility as best you can.

If he didn't like the way she did things, he was free to do them different—but he never did them different. He just fussed at her.

In the whole two years of their marriage she had never said anything similar, anything to indicate that she felt their being together was something less than a part of natural law.

I don't guess I've watched you punish yourself for thirty years to be totally wrong about you.

don't care if they're horses or women or Indians or what. I learned long ago there's much to be said for dumbness.

Mrs. Popper smiled, but neither of them spoke again, all the way to Olney.

I figured out something, Lorie," he said. "I figured out why you and me get along so well. You know more than you say and I say more than I know.

We play your part in order to understand you, but you each seem to play a thousand parts. It makes things difficult for an honest, hard-working bug-eyed monster.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Matthew 7:3

What have they said to us? I could translate, but it would be meaningless. They have welcomed us in the name of their Emperor, who appears to be an over-Master. The short, round one is Mediator to this Emperor. Ah. We have at last found one who can communicate. Speak to her. But he has said nothing! Say nothing in return.

Van der Stel, the thin Afrikaner who spoke of "Kaffirs" and expected blacks to call him "Baas" —but who also had genuine respect for the Zulu scouts, and always listened to their advice.

How do you tell an antagonized kzin from an unantagonized one?

He had learned to embrace insanity. The full measure of his madness was that he had even come to like humans

I can help your world, Louis. Your people know little about sex. Which statement Louis prudently let slide.

Softly Louis asked, When did you figure this out? Some time ago. It did not seem important to our survival.

Alas, he understood too well Sigmund's concept of interesting.

They might spend years tracing some mental formation back to its source.

I'm the fine print; read closely. -Kristina Grish

The odd thing about understanding was how often time alone seemed seemed to bring it about.

Om det var något som Dick verkligen avskydde, var det detta som brukade kallas psykologi. Hela det fåniga och inte så litet aggressiva anspråket att förstå de andra. På ett särskilt, finare sätt. Ta kontroll över dem, genom att säga sig ha en större kunskap om människor än de själva hade.

Medlidenhet er bare en fornem form for forakt

Just listen. Just be. Just witness. Just care. You don't have to fix it.

Always remember, said Petra, a friend is someone who understands your past, believes in you future, and accepts you just the way you are.... And a friend stands by you, Suzanne thought to herself,...No matter what it cost her.