26. Don’t marry someone with intolerable characteristics in the hopes of changing him or her. If you can’t live with someone who drinks or someone who isn’t a Christian or someone who isn’t clean, then don’t marry that kind of person. The chances for miraculous improvements or changes in behavior are slim. What you see is what you get!

— James C. Dobson

Academic failure contributes to poverty and poor health and undermines workforce productivity in ways that harm the entire society.

— Anthony Biglan

Achievements take leaders' name everywhere. Character keeps those names wherever they reach. A leader with no trust soon fades no matter how far he goes.

— Israelmore Ayivor

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.

— Kelly Bartlett

A clear purpose will unite you as you move forward, values will guide your behavior, and goals will focus your energy.

— Kenneth H. Blanchard

A culture of vultures steeped and born of violence shall choke on the blood of its offspring.

— T.F. Hodge

Adam says I isolate. He is addicted to telling me that I spend too much time in my head. It’s an unhealthy behavior. Look, I don’t see how not bothering other people with your screwed-up vision of the world constitutes unhealthy behavior.

— Benjamin Alire Sáenz

A good character is not only about the good person people know you to be. Your ability to tell the truth about how bad you had been is also a good character.

— Israelmore Ayivor

All of us share conscious recognition of our individual self. Each of us is more than a product of our conscious thoughts. The dictation of our unconscious mind also affects our behavior. The unconsciousness cogitates upon problems that are too harsh to submit to conscious resolution. The unconscious mind frequently directs us to take action that a rational, conscious mind would eschew. Resembling a two-sided coin, both our conscious and unconscious minds contribute to our thought processes. Collaborative thoughts lead to action, and repeated actions result in the development of behavior patterns, and ingrained behavior patterns lead to a sense of identity.

— Kilroy J. Oldster

Allow yourself to think only those thoughts that match your principles and can bear the bright light of day. Day by day, your choices, your thoughts, your actions fashion the person you become. Your integrity determines your destiny.

— Heraclitus