Freedom is the crux of self-respect. It is difficult to feel good about ourselves when we are unnaturally dependent on someone or something.

Whenever you are dealing with someone or something of unknown value the first one who places a value on it establishes its worth.

We can find reasons to dislike anyone. But it's what you focus on and appreciate in a person that cultivates a positive relationship.

The guilty are uncomfortable with silence.

The reason why we often get poor advice is that it's hard to find a person who always has our best interest at heart, isn't envious in any way, and at no level thinks he knows what's best for you.

Studies show that when we vocalize an opinion, whether or not we believe it to be true, in time we usually come to support it.

How people see the world is often a reflection of how they see themselves. If they think that the world is just a cesspool of lies and deceit, then they themselves may be full of lies and deceit. Watch out for those people who are always telling you just how corrupt the rest of the world is. As the saying goes, 'It takes one to know one.'

Sometimes people who adamantly assert an opinion or view don't even hold it themselves.

At the root of fear is low self-esteem. This explains why angry people have low self-esteem, are argumentative, stubborn, and quick to flare up yet slow to forgive. Those behaviors are defenses against the underlying fear.

True freedom is not about being able to do whatever we feel like doing rather, it is about being able to do what we truly want to do, in spite of what we feel like doing at the moment.

Jealousy of other people's success is a sure sign that you feel unfulfilled in your own life. Seeing them enjoy the fruits of their labors is a painful reminder that you do not have what you want nor have you been actively seeking it.

When we rise above our temptations and resist them, we exercise self-control. And that's when we experience true freedom and emotional health.

Never ask advice from someone who has something at stake or something to lose from your decision. The more objective the person is the greater value you should place on the input.