“Happy people learn that happiness, like sweat, is a by-product of activity.” PeopleProductsActivitySweatHappy People Author:Frank Pittman
“We never really are the adults we pretend to be. We wear the mask and perhaps the clothes and posture of grown-ups, but inside ourskin we are never as wise or as sure or as strong as we want to convince ourselves and others we are. We may fool all the rest of the people all of the time, but we never fool our parents. They can see behind the mask of adulthood. To her mommy and daddy, the empress never has on any clothes--and knows it.” PeopleKnowsWantMayStrongParentBehindsGrowing UpWiseFoolClothesAdultsConvinceMaskAdulthoodDaddyPostureEmpressesMommy And Daddy Author:Frank Pittman
“The problem is simply this: no one can feel like CEO of his or her life in the presence of the people who toilet trained her and spanked him when he was naughty. We may have become Masters of the Universe, accustomed to giving life and taking it away, casually ordering people into battle or out of their jobs . . . and yet we may still dirty our diapers at the sound of our mommy's whimper or our daddy's growl.” PeopleGivingFeelsMayStillsProblemJobsUniverseSoundMastersBattleDirtyCeoDaddyAccustomedToiletsNaughtyDiapers Author:Frank Pittman
“Parents can fail to cheer your successes as wildly as you expected, pointing out that you are sharing your Nobel Prize with a couple of other people, or that your Oscar was for supporting actress, not really for a starring role. More subtly, they can cheer your successes too wildly, forcing you into the awkward realization that your achievement of merely graduating or getting the promotion did not warrant the fireworks and brass band.” PeopleParentRolesFailingCoupleBandAchievementActressesExpectedRealizationPrizeCheerGraduatesAwkwardOscarsPointingPromotionNobelNobel PrizeWarrantsBrassFireworksBrass Bands Author:Frank Pittman
“Some parents were awful back then and are awful still. The process of raising you didn't turn them into grown-ups. Parents who were clearly imperfect can be helpful to you. As you were trying to grow up despite their fumbling efforts, you had to develop skills and tolerances other kids missed out on. Some of the strongest people I know grew up taking care of inept, invalid, or psychotic parents--but they know the parents weren't normal, healthy, or whole.” PeopleKnowsTryingStillsWholeCareKidsTurnsGrowsProcessParentEffortGrowing UpGrewHealthySkillsNormalGrew UpToleranceDespiteAwfulHelpfulStrongestImperfectPsychotic Author:Frank Pittman
“Mothers who are strong people, who can pursue a life of their own when it is time to let their children go, empower their childrenof either gender to feel free and whole. But weak women, women who feel and act like victims of something or other, may make their children feel responsible for taking care of them, and they can carry their children down with them.” PeopleFeelsMayChildrenWholeCareMotherStrongWeakResponsibleVictimGenderPursueEmpoweringMen WomenStrong PeopleWeak Women Author:Frank Pittman
“For most people, a life lived alone, with passing strangers or passing lovers, is incoherent and ultimately unbearable. Someone must be there to know what we have done for those we love.” PeopleKnowsDoneMarriageLoversStrangerPassingPassingsUnbearableThose We Love Author:Frank Pittman
“Love is not something people feel, but something people try to express no matter how they feel.” PeopleFeelsTryingMatterLove IsMarriage Author:Frank Pittman
“Common courtesy plays a big role in happy marriages. People who are permanently married are polite to one another. They don't want to hurt one another's feelings, and they don't try to make the other one feel humiliated. People who are married for life are extremely kind to one another.” PeopleWantFeelsTryingKindPlayFeelingsBigsHurtCommonRolesRelationshipMarriedPoliteCourtesyHumiliatedHappy MarriagePositive MarriageCommon Courtesy Author:Frank Pittman
