Home / Authors / M. Scott Peck

M. Scott Peck

M. Scott Peck Quotes

Psychiatrist

M. Scott Peck was an American psychiatrist and writer, best known for his book 'The Road Less Traveled', which delves into themes of personal growth, psychotherapy, and the human mind. His writing style has been widely appreciated, and his works have had a profound impact on the fields of psychology and philosophy.

Filter quotes by topic

All Growth Spiritual Problem Discipline Love Is People Self Suffering Community Humans Ifs Pain Spiritual Growth Evil Love Road Less Travelled Thinking Way Facts Individual

Famous M. Scott Peck Quotes

“What does a life of total dedication to truth mean? It means, first of all, a life of continuous and never-ending stringent self-examination. We know the world only through our relationship to it. Therefore, to know the world, we must not only examine it but we must simultaneously examine the examiner.”

Knows World Firsts Mean Doe Self Dedication Our Relationship Examination Never Ending Self-examination

Book:The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth

Source: The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth

“Since true listening involves a setting aside of the self, it also temporarily involves a total acceptance of the others. Sensing this acceptance, the speaker will feel less and less vulnerable, and more and more inclined to open up the inner recesses of his or her mind to the listener. As this happens, speaker and listener begin to appreciate each other more and more, and the dance of love is begun again.”

Feels Mind Self Happens Love Is Acceptance Listening Appreciate Setting Settings Vulnerable Speakers Listeners Recess Listening To Others Sensing Speak Less

Book:The Road Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth

Source: The Road Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth

“Real love is a permanently self-enlarging experience.”

Love Real Self Love Is Relationship Experience Real Love Soulmate Life And Love

Book:The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth

Source: The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth

“Life is complex. Each one of us must make his own path through life. There are no self-help manuals, no formulas, no easy answers. The right road for one is the wrong road for another...The journey of life is not paved in blacktop; it is not brightly lit, and it has no road signs. It is a rocky path through the wilderness.”

Self Helping Life Is Easy Answers Path Journey Self Help Complexes Wilderness Formulas Lit Manuals Life Journey Right Road Easy Answers Wrong Road Road Sign

Author:M. Scott Peck

“Love is the will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth... Love is as love does. Love is an act of will -- namely, both an intention and an action. Will also implies choice. We do not have to love. We choose to love.”

Doe Self Action Spiritual Purpose Choices Growth Love Is Intention Spiritual Growth Insightful Nurturing Road Less Travelled

Author:M. Scott Peck

“I define love thus: The will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth.”

Love Self Wisdom Spiritual Spirit Purpose Spirituality Growth Relationship Spiritual Growth Nurturing Road Less Traveled Road Less Travelled Define Love

Book:The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth

Source: The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth

“The feeling of being valuable is a cornerstone of self-discipline because when you consider yourself valuable you will take care of yourself- including things like using your time well. In this way, self-discipline is self-caring.”

Way Wells Self Feelings Care Love You Discipline Including Valuable Caring Take Care Love Yourself Self Discipline Cornerstones Take Care Of Yourself

Author:M. Scott Peck

“The symptoms and the illness are not the same thing. The illness exists long before the symptoms. Rather than being the illness, the symptoms are the beginning of its cure. The fact that they are unwanted makes them all the more a phenomenon of grace — a gift of God, a message from the unconscious.”

Ifs Long Self Facts Spiritual Grace Messages Illness Cures Unconscious Phenomenon Symptoms Examination Gift From God Unwanted Initiate Self-examination

Author:M. Scott Peck

“Evil people hate the light because it reveals themselves to themselves. ... They will destroy the light, the goodness, the love in order to avoid the pain of self-awareness. ... [E]vil is laziness carried to its ultimate, extraordinary extreme.”

People Self Light Truth Pain Hate Order Evil Awareness Goodness Ultimate Self Awareness Extraordinary Extremes Laziness Evil People

Author:M. Scott Peck

“The feeling of being valuable - 'I am a valuable person'- is essential to mental health and is a cornerstone of self-discipline.”

Persons Self Feelings Discipline Essentials Mental Health Valuable Self Discipline Cornerstones Valuable Person

Book:The Road Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth

Source: The Road Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth

“Not only do self-love and love of others go hand in hand but ultimately they are indistinguishable.”

Self Hands Self Love And Love Hand In Hand

Book:The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth

Source: The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth

“The act of loving is an act of self-evolution even when the purpose of the act is someone else's growth.”

Self Purpose Growth Evolution

Book:The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth

Source: The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth

“Self examination is the key to insight, which is the key to wisdom”

Self Healing Keys Insight Examination Self-examination

Book:The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace

Source: The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace

“Discipline, it has been suggested, is the means of human spiritual evolution. What provides the motive, the energy for discipline? This force I believe to be love. I define love thus: The will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth.”

Source: The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth