American - Psychologist | April 15, 1920 - September 8, 2012
Happiness is an imaginary condition, formerly attributed by the living to the dead, now usually attributed by adults to children, and by children to adults.
Thomas Szasz
HappinessChildrenNowLivingDead
The proverb warns that 'You should not bite the hand that feeds you.' But maybe you should, if it prevents you from feeding yourself.
YourselfYouHandFeedingBite
No further evidence is needed to show that 'mental illness' is not the name of a biological condition whose nature awaits to be elucidated, but is the name of a concept whose purpose is to obscure the obvious.
NaturePurposeNameMental Illness
In the past, men created witches: now they create mental patients.
MenPastCreateNowMentalWitches
There is no such thing as mental illness, hence also no such thing as psychotherapy.
Mental IllnessIllnessMentalThing
Doubt is to certainty as neurosis is to psychosis. The neurotic is in doubt and has fears about persons and things; the psychotic has convictions and makes claims about them. In short, the neurotic has problems, the psychotic has solutions.
ProblemsShortDoubtCertaintyFears
There is no psychology; there is only biography and autobiography.
PsychologyBiographyAutobiography
Formerly, when religion was strong and science weak, men mistook magic for medicine; now, when science is strong and religion weak, men mistake medicine for magic.
ScienceMenReligionMistakeSociety
A child becomes an adult when he realizes that he has a right not only to be right but also to be wrong.
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It is easier to do one's duty to others than to one's self. If you do your duty to others, you are considered reliable. If you do your duty to yourself, you are considered selfish.
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If the dead talk to you, you are a spiritualist; if God talks to you, you are a schizophrenic.
GodYouTalkDeadSchizophrenic
When a person can no longer laugh at himself, it is time for others to laugh at him.
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