209 Quotes by Michael Josephson

Don’t ask whether it is going to be easy. Ask whether it is worth it.

Ethics doesn’t require us to ignore our self-interests or demand a life of self-sacrifice. It requires that we know the difference between what we want and what we should do.

Don’t confuse fun with fulfillment, or pleasure with happiness.

Our expectation of the gratitude of others for what we’ve done for them is sometimes exaggerated because of our deep desire for appreciation and approval. When our good work or good deeds go unrewarded by hoped for praise, we feel like failures so we treat those who denied us our due as betrayers.

Character – We describe the character of a person in reference to moral judgments about the worthiness of a person. Thus, to have a strong, great or honorable character is to be a person of merit, worthy of admiration and honor.

Ordinary people, even weak people, can do extraordinary things through temporary courage generated by a situation. But the person of character does not need the situation to generate his courage. It is a part of his being and a standard approach to all life’s challenges.

It isn’t the absence of conscience or values that prevents us from being all we should be, it is simply the lack of moral courage.

Success comes in cans. Failures comes in can’ts.

There is no objective criteria for either success or failure. People who achieve their goals are successful, those who don’t are not.