“ Most people do not erode their self-esteem over big issues but over small ones, little acts of betrayal and hypocrisy forgotten (repressed) very quickly. But the computer in your subconscious mind for… Nathaniel Branden
“ It is a mistake to look at someone who is self assertive and say, "It's easy for her, she has good self-esteem." One of the ways you build self-esteem is by being self-assertive when it is not easy to… Nathaniel Branden
“ The opposite of self-assertiveness is self-abnegation--abandoning or submerging your personal values, judgment, and interests. Some people tell themselves this is a virtue. It is a "virtue" that corro… Nathaniel Branden
“ Integrity is congruence between what you know, what you profess, and what you do. Nathaniel Branden
“ Anyone who engages in the practice of psychotherapy confronts every day the devastation wrought by the teachings of religion. Nathaniel Branden
“ All positive interactions with other human beings involve, to some degree, the experience of visibility-- that is, the experience of being seen and understood. Nathaniel Branden
“ In a world in which the total of human knowledge is doubling about every ten years, our security can rest only on our ability to learn. Nathaniel Branden
“ We are parts of one universe, true enough. We stand within an almost infinite network of relationships. Yet each of us is a single point of consciousness, a unique event, a private, unrepeatable world… Nathaniel Branden
“ Self-discipline is the ability to organize your behavior over time in the service of specific goals. Nathaniel Branden
“ It is humiliating to realize that when you drive yourself underground, when you fake who you are, often you do so for people you do not even like or respect. Nathaniel Branden
“ The challenge for people today--and it is not and easy one--is to maintain high personal standards even while feeling that one is living in a moral sewer. Nathaniel Branden
“ Suffering is just about the easiest of all human activities; being happy is just about the hardest. And happiness requires, not surrender to guilt, but emancipation from guilt. Nathaniel Branden
“ Out of fear, out of the desire for approval, out of misguided notions of duty, people surrender themselves--their convictions and their aspirations--every day. There is nothing noble about it. It take… Nathaniel Branden
“ In any culture, subculture, or family in which belief is valued above thought, and self-surrender is valued above self-expression, and conformity is valued above integrity, those who preserve their se… Nathaniel Branden
“ It is naive to think that self-assertiveness is easy. To live self-assertively--which means to live authentically--is an act of high courage. That is why so many people spend the better part of their… Nathaniel Branden
“ There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness, and generosity. Nathaniel Branden
“ The idea of original sin--of guilt with no possibility of innocence, no freedom of choice, no alternatives--inherently militates against self-esteem. The very notion of guilt without volition or respo… Nathaniel Branden
“ Live with integrity, respect the rights of other people, and follow your own bliss. Nathaniel Branden
