A. Bartlett Giamatti Quotes

“There are many who lust for the simple answers of doctrine or decree. They are on the left and right. They are not confined to a single part of the society. They are terrorists of the mind.”

“A liberal education is at the heart of a civil society, and at the heart of a liberal education is the act of teaching.”

“We get a lot of raps as Americans for being small-minded, but in fact, when you really drill down to the core of the culture, there's an enormous amount of compassion and forgiveness and support.”

“Teachers believe they have a gift for giving it drives them with the same irrepressible drive that drives others to create a work of art or a market or a building. ”

“I have gathered a posy of other men's flowers and nothing but the thread that binds them is mine own.”

“The greatest challenge of parenting is in the inner work it requires: the strength and confidence in believing that we are not in control of, but the answer for our children.”

“Replace a goal of obedience with one of connection and trust instead. Children are drawn to follow those to whom they are emotionally connected. By parenting not for obedience but for relationship, kids are naturally inclined to follow your lead.”

“Sometimes... the first step to forgiveness is realizing that the other person... is batshit crazy.”

“Those of us who believe in princesses are often laughed at. But I believe the world needs princesses and dukes and queens and kings. We need people who glitter and shine and make a room silent with their entrance. We need them the same way we need ice cream and soccer and music and stories. Oh, how we need stories.”

“A child's behavior we see on the surface is the reflection of the feelings that are rooted underneath. We can use topical treatments to try to shape what the behavior looks like, but if we really want things to change, we need to address the roots. Nourish the roots, see the growth.”