When a man's position in life depends upon his having a certain opinion, that's the opinion he will have. - Sydney J. Harris

One of the most frequent mistakes we make lies in assuming that personality is a collection of traits, or that a personality is merely the sum of its parts. Personality is a way of organizing these parts...If we look at persons dynamically, and not simply as a static set of traits, we can see that certain defects are the price they pay for their virtues...This is why “pointing out” a bad trait to a colleague or a subordinate - even in a kindly and a well-meaning way - usually does no good, and may even do some harm. It makes him feel worse, and does not enable him to act any better.

Don't take life seriously, nobody gets out alive anyway

The cynic is goodhearted beneath his facade, whereas the sentimentalist is flint-hearted beneath his.