American author (1866-1942)
To speak to an audience day after day for a long period is to find out something about oneself. So often we don't know just what we think or feel about this subject or that till we have occasion to marshall our views and to put them into words.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
preface, Reactions and Other Essays
For as we all know, real love is altruism. It is finding oneself through giving up oneself.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Love", Reactions and Other Essays Discussing Those States of Feeling and Attitude of Mind That Find Expression In Our Individual Qualities
To get away from self is really the secret of all striving. And yet, most of us fail woefully. The more many of us try the more tightly we seem to be bound.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Self,", Reactions and Other Essays
Society makes. Then society rewards and punishes her handiwork.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Prisoners of Prejudice,", Reactions and Other Essays
There is no doubt of course that poverty develops much that is precious in life, not talent or genius alone, but valuable qualities of character. But it does vastly more harm than good. Whenever a man succeeds in spite of poverty we recognize the wonder and eagerly give it acclaim. But the failures resulting from poverty we pass over. Indeed, they are so common as to be almost uninteresting. We speak of them by the bulk.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"God's Poor", Reactions and Other Essays
We occasionally hear of "righteous anger." We mean anger that is justified by circumstances. But, in a sense, all anger is righteous. That is, all anger justifies itself in the mind of the person who feels the anger. In another sense, there is no such thing as righteous anger. For no anger can really justify itself.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Anger"
Fine as justice is, as an every day quality, it is not winning. It is lacking in warmth. We need something better. We need sympathy with the other fellow and kindness.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Getting On With People,", Reactions and Other Essays
All life is a preparation for love.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Love", Reactions and Other Essays
Where lovers frequently change the object of their affections one may be reasonably sure to find that they are inspired by a false kind of love.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Love", Reactions and Other Essays
It is when love takes on responsibilities that it most frequently wanders from the path.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Love", Reactions and Other Essays
The people who keep back change are often exasperating. But they have their work to perform, highly important work, too. Their very opposition, besides helping to weed out the weak ideas, gives the true ideas greater strength. For an idea is not worth much unless it can sturdily make its way through opposition and display toughness of fiber.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Change,", Reactions and Other Essays
Good ideas do not need to be shouted. They can take care of themselves.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Self,", Reactions and Other Essays
If we think we have found truth for ourselves, above all things, let us not impose it on one another. Let us lock upon it all the doors of consciousness. For however inspiring it may be to us, however ennobling, when once we try to impose it on another it becomes a poison.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Truth,", Intimations
Often silence is a powerful weapon. If we only knew how valiantly it could serve us in defense we should use it more. Under abuse or attack it may be the sign of guilt; but it may also be a proof of innocence and an unmistakable evidence of nobility.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Silence,", Reactions and Other Essays
The success of today may be the disaster of tomorrow and of other days to be. The failure of today may be an everlasting success.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"The Dead,", Reactions and Other Essays
We can't go far in morality before realizing that right is a relative thing and that those who disagree with us may be striving for it as earnestly as we are ourselves. It is the spirit that counts.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Reformers,", Intimations
Society is the mother of us all.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"The Perfect Mother,", Reactions and Other Essays
Most sins ... are only perverted virtues.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Perquisites of Sin,", Intimations
Suspicion is creative in its nature. It can bring out and develop the very evils it conceives.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Being Suspicious,", Reactions and Other Essays
Those who object to what is new are controlled by the love of what is old.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Change,", Reactions and Other Essays