110 phrases from great psychologists to reflect on life

Throughout the history of psychology, characters who have passed down to the posterity of humanity have stood out. They have done it because of their ideas, their contributions in the field and their genius regarding the context of their works. Today we bring together the best phrases from great psychologists so that you can navigate through the thoughts of the most brilliant minds in this science.

The phrases we have chosen refer to both his theory and life in general. You will navigate through his ideas regarding life, death or success. We hope that they serve to renew your interest in them and that you come to scrutinize the theses of their works.

The best phrases from psychologists

In this list we have mainly taken into account the thinkers of the 20th century, those compiled by the American Psychological Association (APA) as the most important in terms of the significance of his works. Let’s see what they thought about life in general.

1. «We can’t change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses” (Carl Jung)

Acceptance is the first step to operate any phenomenon of change.

2. «The good life is a process, not a state of being. “It is a direction, not a destination” (Carl Rogers)

And it is not something that comes by magic, but something that It requires effort, discipline and a lot of dedication. Good things can only come when these ingredients converge. Discover more in the best quotes from Carl Rogers.

3. “The only normal people are the ones you don’t know very well” (Alfred Adler)

We should all redefine our concept of normality, since it is built on ideas foreign to reality.

4. “It is easier to act with a new way of feeling than to feel yourself with a new way of acting” (Harry Stack Sullivan)

Sullivan was an American psychiatrist who continued Freud’s ideas from a more empirical perspective. In contrast to other psychoanalysts he wrote little, although some of his leading works are The interpersonal theory of psychiatry (1953) and Schizophrenia as a human process (1962).

5. “People’s beliefs in their abilities have a profound effect on those abilities” (Albert Bandura)

More than anyone could imagine.

6. «Immature love says: I love you because I need you. Mature love says: I need you because I love you» (Erich Fromm)

The conception of love is idealized in most people.

7. “It seems that what is necessary is not to fear mistakes, to dive in, to do the best one can, in the hope of learning enough from the mistakes to eventually correct them” (Abraham Maslow)

Error and failure are two limitations that will stop you on your path to success. They will be to the extent that you believe they are..

8. “Nothing in life is as important as you think it is when you think about it” (Daniel Kahneman)

Often, we dive into problems that we create ourselves. Deep down, many of them are actually less serious than we think.

9. “Action may not always attract happiness, but there is no happiness without action” (William James)

Happiness is, along with success and love, one of the great ambitions of a man’s life. In these words the secret to achieving it can be found.

10. “People see violence as moral, not immoral: around the world and throughout history, more people have been murdered more to dispense justice than to satisfy greed” (Steven Pinker)

Because war at its core is a moral problem, at least most of the time.

11. «A man with conviction is a difficult man to change. Tell him you don’t agree and he leaves” (Leon Festinger)

Leon Festinger is one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century. We couldn’t leave it out of our phrases from great psychologists.

12. “The more you know yourself, the more patience you have for what you see in others” (Erik Erikson)

A man who does not know himself is a man who has half a lost battle in life.

13. “No important relationship survives if trust is completely lost” (Paul Ekman)

So trust is one of the pillars of a successful relationship. We invite you to investigate the ways to detect deception according to Paul Ekman.

14. “Intelligence is what you use when you don’t know what to do” (Jean Piaget)

In practice there is a clear difference between information, intelligence and wisdom. Given that Jean Piaget was one of the most prodigious minds of the 20th century, we could not omit him from our selection of phrases by great psychologists.

15. “You are more likely to act on feelings than to feel yourself in action” (Jerome Bruner)

Jerome Bruner is one of the most important psychologists in the study of cognitive. Books like The study of thought (1956) are a reference classic.

16. «Self-control is crucial to the successful achievement of long-term goals. It is equally essential to develop the self-control and empathy necessary to build emotional relationships of mutual support” (Walter Mischel)

Without self-control of behavior and emotions, it is very difficult for you to lead a stable and well-being life.

17. “True happiness comes from raising the bar for yourself, not from evaluating yourself against others” (Martin Seligman)

Often people focus on doing the latter rather than focusing on the former. Don’t miss Seligman’s Circuit of Hope.

18. “Ervent conviction is a dangerous substitute for an open mind” (Elizabeth Loftus)

Elizabeth Loftus is a cognitive psychologist who has investigated the category of memory. She is one of the leading authors in this field today.

19. “Being completely honest with yourself is a good exercise” (Sigmund Freud)

Of course, our quotes from great psychologists would be incomplete without collecting words from Sigmund Freud. Without a doubt one of the thinkers whose ideas overflowed the field of psychology.

20. “While experimenting, do not settle for the surface of things” (Iván Pavlov)

Another of the most important psychologists of the 19th-20th century who could not be missing from our selection. Pavlov suggests going deep into experiences and not staying on the mere surface.

21. “Through others we become ourselves” (Lev Vygotsky)

We often don’t think about the influence that others and the context where we grew up have on who we are. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory explores all of these categories.

22. “The way positive reinforcement is carried out is more important than the amount” (Skinner)

We could not make a list of phrases from great psychologists without alluding to the father with behaviorism.

23. “Nowhere more truly than in his mental capacities is man a part of nature” (Edward Thorndike)

Edward Thorndike’s contributions helped consolidate what we know today as educational psychology. According to researchers, Thorndike is the ninth most cited psychologist of the 20th century.

24. “For the man who only has a hammer, everything he finds begins to look like a nail” (Abraham Maslow)

All you will do then is try to hit him. He will do it in a monotonous and repetitive way until the end.

25. “Love received and love given constitute the best form of therapy” (Gordon W. Allport)

Or at least they are a solid alternative to social or complete isolation. Explore about Allport’s personality traits.

26. “Understanding human motivation should be a good thing. “It should help us discover what we really want to avoid chasing rainbows that are not for us” (David McClelland)

Especially nowadays, when advertising and social standards invite us to chase more rainbows than ever before in history. Read about McClelland’s theory of needs.

27. “If the truth contradicts deeply held beliefs it is a shame” (Hans Eysenck)

This can be an obstacle to reaching the truth, especially when the subject does not give an inch due to prejudices.

28. “Men are built, not born” (John B. Watson)

One of the best phrases from great psychologists that you should always keep in mind. If you want to explore more about behavioral thinking, we invite you to read John Watson’s biography.

29. “A successful individual usually sets his next goal a little, but not too much, above his last achievement” (Kurt Lewin)

This is the key to continuing to rise and achieve what you consider prosperity or well-being.

30. “I believe that one of the greatest sources of international conflict and human misery ultimately lies in our prevailing subjectivity” (Clark Hull)

Especially in our current era, one in which subjectivity has reached its maximum splendor. Don’t miss all about Clark Hull’s deductive behaviorism.

31. «Joy and serenity are not slavishly linked to our physiology. We are collaborators in the generation of our thoughts and emotions” (Jerome Kagan)

Direct collaborators, if you allow us the appreciation. Kagan is a leading author in developmental psychology.

32. «The ultimate solutions to problems are rational; the process of finding them is not” (JP Guilford)

Because each solution must be rational or it simply isn’t. Reason is the maximum expression of the subject, although many times to find it we have to travel along paths that lead us away from it.

33. “Intelligence can be taken as a necessary, but not sufficient, cause of moral advancement” (Lawrence Kohlberg)

Since morality demands a series of variables to be implemented, almost always regardless of the religious aspect. Find out more about it in our entry on Kohlberg’s moral development.

34. “Solutions require thinking about a series of interrelated steps or stages, analyzing a series of rules at each point and always taking into account the conclusions reached in previous points” (Harold Kelley)

We finish our selection of phrases from great psychologists with these words from Harold Kelley. They give you clues on how to find the solution to your problems.

35. “The mind is like an iceberg, it floats with a seventh of its volume under water” (Sigmund Freud)

With this phrase, the father of psychoanalysis refers to the structure of the mind, where the majority of our thoughts and desires (the unconscious) remains hidden, while only a small part is visible and conscious.

36. «We think we think, but we rarely do it with real understanding and empathy. However, true listening is one of the most powerful forces for change I know.” (Carl Rogers)

People believe that we understand others, however, we rarely do so with authentic empathy. Knowing how to listen is vital to empathize and promote lasting change.

37. “To live is to be born at every moment” (Erich Fromm)

Living is renewing yourself every day, every moment. Time gives us the opportunity to start over every second. Every day and moment is…