37 Quotes by Carolyn Hax

I do crosswords when I have time to kill somewhere, and am 100 percent successful on filling in the spots I get stuck on – after I close up, do something else, and then go back to it.

Apparently you have ample proof from experience that you’re not going to stop world evil by debating your in-laws into submission, so it’s okay to choose not to try.

You can’t make someone agree with you, not even when you’re 100 percent sure you’re right.

If you take the time to listen to an upset child’s story with empathy, and guide the child toward figuring out the root of the problem, then the result is often that the child not only calms down, but also in the future is less likely to get so upset.

When people get more frustrated by their indecision than by the situation that prompted it, clarity often follows.

I think we’d all hate to be the one who gets declared undateable by one’s entire grad-school population based on a couple of told and retold stories.

Some people can work amid chaos or conversations, and some can’t – and while there’s no doubt an element of brain wiring to it, there’s also the possibility of acquiring skills that improve your focus.

When you fail to see something, that doesn’t mean I’m hiding it.

Relationships are complicated, but happiness in a relationship isn’t: It’s just wanting exactly what you have. Wanting something else is dispiriting.