Vernon Howard Quotes

“A certain number of people seek power over other people in a desperate attempt to find themselves. They fail, for self-discovery is spiritual in nature, not social or political. Authoritatively telling other people what to do is their distraction from an inner emptiness they can never fill.”

“A clear understanding of negative emotions dismisses them.”

“A positive virtue — the real thing — is not something that you do. It is something that you are. A genuinely kindly person and his kindness are a single unit; they are one. A really gentle person cannot help acting with kindness any more than a cruel person can help but act with cruelty.”

“A truly strong person does not need the approval of others any more than a lion needs the approval of sheep.”

“All forms of self-defeating behavior are unseen and unconscious, which is why their existence is denied.”

“Aloneness is a wise teacher. Kierkegaard remarked that one sign of spiritual maturity was the ability to be comfortable when alone.”

“Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn, and you will.”

“Beauty is only skin deep, but it's a valuable asset if you're poor or haven't any sense.”

“By cultivating the beautiful we scatter the seeds of heavenly flowers, as by doing good we cultivate those that belong to humanity.”

“Can you think of anything more permanently elating than to know that you are on the right road at last?”

“Circumstances are conquered simply by having no egotistical need to conquer them.”

“Do not be afraid to face the existence of negative attitudes and emotions within you. Simply see that they are there. Remember, they are not the real you; they are acquired negativities. Once you really see this you will go to work on yourself in a new way.”

“Do not be impatient with your seemingly slow progress. Do not try to run faster than you presently can. If you are studying, reflecting and trying, you are making progress whether you are aware of it or not. A traveler walking the road in the darkness of night is still going forward. Someday, some way, everything will break open, like the natural unfolding of a rosebud.”

“Do not resist a new idea. Be quietly receptive. Go along with it, even unwillingly at first. Sooner or later, it will reveal itself as your ally.”

“Doing good to someone in order to reduce self-guilt will only ruin things for both of you.”

“Don’t think that you must involve yourself with complex intellectual philosophies. Don’t try to be profound or educated. That only wears you out. Just be simple. Let everyday life be your teacher.”

“Don’t try to be spiritual. That is only a word in the dictionary. Make it your goal to become a normally functioning individual. Let these principles shape you according to your real nature of a simple, decent, honest, unafraid human being.”

“Evil is an attack against human spiritual development and enlightenment. All evil, badness, neurosis – it has one motive and one motive only, which is to destroy – to destroy your chance of arising above yourself.”

“Evil wants you to think that its power is absolute, endless. It wants to so make you quake and quiver that all you'll do is fall down and worship it.”

“For every problem or confusion and for every desire or ambition there is an available force waiting for your call.”

“Freedom begins as we become conscious of it.”

“Humanity appreciates truth about as much as a squirrel appreciates silver.”

“Inner guidance is heard like soft music in the night by those who have learned to listen.”

“Inner liberation can be described as a condition in which you no longer take either credit or blame for anything.”

“It is a mistake for anyone to think he has lived too long in his old, unsatisfactory ways to make the great change. If you switch on the light in a dark room, it makes no difference how long it was dark because the light will still shine. Be teachable. That is the whole secret.”

“It is a true miracle when a man finally sees himself as his only opposition.”

“It is not the strong who are dangerous to the world and to themselves. It is the weak and the inadequate who threaten – and sometimes destroy – mankind's peace and prosperity.”

“Just as darkness cannot put out a candle, evil has no real power over goodness.”

“Just be honest with yourself. That opens the door.”

“Learn to see a problem from a higher level of understanding. Then, it dissolves before your eyes.”