Sydney J. Harris

Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought read more

Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be.

Almost no one is foolish enough to imagine that he automatically deserves great success in any field of activity; yet read more

Almost no one is foolish enough to imagine that he automatically deserves great success in any field of activity; yet almost everyone believes that he automatically deserves success in marriage.

The primary purpose of a liberal education is to make one's mind a pleasant place in which to spend one's read more

The primary purpose of a liberal education is to make one's mind a pleasant place in which to spend one's leisure.

The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.

The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.

Ninety percent of the world's woe comes from people not knowing themselves, their abilities, their frailties, and even their real read more

Ninety percent of the world's woe comes from people not knowing themselves, their abilities, their frailties, and even their real virtues. Most of us go almost all the way through life as complete strangers to ourselves.