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Out of fear, out of the desire for approval, out of the misguided notions of duty, people surrender themselves-their convictions and their aspirations-every day. There is nothing noble about it. It takes far more courage to fight for your values than to relinquish them.

Nathaniel Branden

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Nathaniel Branden
Age: 84 †
Born: 1930
Born: April 9
Died: 2014
Died: December 3
Academic
Non-Fiction Writer
Psychologist
Psychotherapist
Values
Conviction
Relinquish
Desire
Noble
Misguided
Fear
Notion
Notions
Nothing
Courage
Convictions
Every
Duty
Aspirations
People
Fight
Aspiration
Takes
Approval
Fighting
Surrender

More quotes by Nathaniel Branden

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You have a right to your feelings. Your feelings are there to tell you something, but they are not infallible guides to behavior.
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As you grow in self-esteem, your face, manner, way of talking and moving will tend naturally to project the pleasure you take in being alive.
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I have to respect other's opinions even if I don't agree with them.
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The stability we cannot find in the world, we must create within our own persons.
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Set goals that don't feel all that easy, that challenge you, stimulate you, and give you a chance to stretch and push yourself. That is where the power of growth lies.
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A bully hides his fears with fake bravado. That is the opposite of self-assertiveness.
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Moved by a passion they do not understand for a goal they seldom reach, men and women are haunted by the vision of a distant possibility that refuses to be extinguished.
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Anyone who really loves you wants you to be authentic. And anyone who doesn't want you to be authentic doesn't really love you.
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Taking on responsibilities that properly belong to someone else means behaving irresponsibly toward yourself. You need to know where you end and someone else begins. You need to understand boundaries. You need to know what is and is not up to you, what is and is not in your control, what is and is not your responsibility.
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Integrity means congruence. Words and behavior match.
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Most of the time, I regard the judgment of people as a waste of time. I regard the judgment of behavior as imperative.
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What is guilt? It is moral self-reproach-I did wrong when it was possible to have done otherwise.
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If you face life without confidence in your own powers, you succumb too easily to setbacks and adversity you lack the will to persevere.
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It's not that achievements prove our worth but rather that the process of achieving is the means by which we develop our effectiveness, our competence at living.
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A productive purpose to which you give yourself fully and joyfully is one of the great adventures of life. It is a uniquely human source of happiness.
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Integrity is congruence between what you know, what you profess, and what you do.
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Our motive is not to prove our self-worth, but to live up to our possibilities.
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The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.
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In any culture, subculture, or family in which belief is valued above thought, and self-surrender is valued above self-expression, and conformity is valued above integrity, those who preserve their self-esteem are likely to be heroic exceptions.
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If you feel inadequate to face challenges, unworthy of love or respect, untitled to happiness, and fear assertive thought, wants, or needs- if you lack basic self trust, self-respect, and self-confidence- your self-esteem deficiency will limit you, no matter what other assets you possess.
Nathaniel Branden