Positive Psychology quotes

60 Best Positive Psychology quotes, with an Explanation

inspirational and motivational quotes

A compilation of best positive and famous Psychology quotes of great psychologists, with a complete interpretation to understand them perfectly.

 Positive Psychology quotes

Psychology is a science that affects us all since it deals with subjects as universal as human behavior or the human mind.

Throughout its history, great psychologists have been appearing who, either by their way of being or thinking, have left their mark in this discipline with important discoveries and books that allow us to better understand the world of thoughts and emotions.

60 best Positive Psychology quotes, with explanation and interpretation

But, in addition to influencing the development of this science and those who work in it, these important figures of research have left us many sentences about psychology that serve to understand us better.

In this article, you can find a selection of famous quotes from great psychologists of history such as Sigmund Freud, William James or Abraham Maslow. These positive quotes of psychology help to understand this science better, and serve to inspire us and allow us to reflect on the subjects related to the mind.

Also Read: Bertrand Russell quotes

1. When inspiration does not find me, I make a half way to find it

Sigmund Freud emphasizes that inspiration must be found by each in its own way, proactively.

2. We can ignore these differences and assume that all our minds are equal. Or we can take the differences between them

A famous quote by Howard Gardner on the Theory of Multiple Intelligences proposed by himself.

3. Hope is the most indispensable virtue inherent in the condition of being alive

One of the positive psychology quotes that explore the subject of expectations. In this case, Erik Erikson, stressing the importance of having hope and not always expecting the worst.

4. To live is to be born at every moment

You have to live in the present and not believe yourself tied to the past. A psychology quote by Erich Fromm.

5. I guess it’s tempting to treat everything as if it were a nail, if the only tool you have is a hammer

A reflection of Abraham Maslow; according to which the context influences decisively in our way of thinking.

6. Trusting yourself does not guarantee success, but failure to do so guarantees failure

Albert Bandura highlights the importance of self-esteem as an indispensable condition but not enough to reach our goals.

7. When we must make a choice and we do not make it, this is already a choice

Deciding not to do so is part of the decision, said the philosopher and psychologist William James.

8. If two individuals always agree on everything, I can assure that one of the two thinks for both

In this positive quotes of psychology, Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, talks about the improbability that two people always think the same.

9. Truth has a structure of fiction

A famous quote by Jacques Lacan on the analytical experience he developed in his sessions.

10. When I look at the world I am pessimistic, but when I look at people I am an optimist

Carl Rogers reminds us that life is not easy but we are not the only ones with problems and that, in any case, the company of others offers hope.

11. Through others we become ourselves

According to Lev Vygotsky, experience and identity are acquired through social relations.

12. Giving produces more happiness than receiving, not because it is a deprivation, but because in the act of giving is the expression of my vitality

Erich Fromm emphasizes that you have to be supportive of other people to express a dimension of your own mind. One of the quotes of psychology that touch on the subject of morality.

13. Education is what survives when you have forgotten what you have learned

Although we forget what we have learned in a regulated way, the education received always remains in the mind in a subtle way, according to BF Skinner.

14. Success requires persistence, the ability not to surrender in the face of failure. I think the optimistic style is the key to persistence

A quote of positive psychology of Martin Seligman, encouraging to be optimistic to face life.

15. The encounter between two personalities is like the contact between two chemical substances. If there is any reaction, both will be transformed

Carl Gustav Jung pointed out that human relationships influence the individual, whether he likes it or not, and that this happens in both directions.

16. A mind can not be understood without culture

Lev Vygotsky clarifies that the mind is not independent of the culture that surrounds it.

17. Intelligence is what you use when you do not know what to do

Intellect and ingenuity are tools used to solve problems, according to Jean Piaget.

18. Most people do not want freedom, because freedom implies responsibility, and most people are afraid of responsibility

A famous quote by Sigmund Freud about freedom and the challenges it poses to us.

19. The satisfaction of the need for self-esteem leads to feelings of self-confidence, courage, strength, ability and sufficiency, of being useful and necessary in the world

Abraham Maslow stressed the importance of self-esteem for the individual.

20. The disappearance of the sense of responsibility is the greatest consequence of submission to the authority

Stanley Milgram considered that submission nullifies responsibility in people and that, consequently, they become capable of doing anything.

21. Psychology, unlike chemistry, algebra or literature, is a manual for your own mind. It is a guide for life

A quote of cognitive psychology by Daniel Goldstein, according to which this discipline affects us all directly in the way in which we experience life.

22. The mind does not dominate the body, but it becomes a body. Body and mind are one thing

The body and the mind are not two independent elements, they can not be understood separately. This was stated by the neuroscientist Candace Pert.

23. The curious paradox is that when I accept myself as I am, then I can change

Knowing oneself allows you to see mistakes that we can correct. This is one of the most inspiring psychology quotes from Carl Rogers

24. It seems proven that life triumphs thanks to three factors: health, intelligence and character, we add a fourth factor; a bit of luck

Alfred Binet remembered that in life we ​​also depend on factors that we do not control.

25. They never taught you how to talk with your gestures, but you were taught to speak with words

Paul Ekman criticizes that education focuses on verbal language and leaves aside nonverbal communication.

26. It is not normal to know what we want. It is a strange and difficult psychological achievement

A statement by Abraham Maslow about how difficult it is to understand ourselves.

27. Learn to contact your inner silence and know that everyone has a reason. There are no errors or matches. All events are blessings for us to learn

The psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross reflected on the importance of understanding others and getting to understand their motivations.

28. The ability to pause and not act on the first impulse has become crucial learning in daily life

Psychologist Daniel Goleman stresses today’s importance of thinking about decisions before acting hastily.


Noam Chomsky highlights how difficult it is to accept the opinion of people who are not to our liking and how easy it is to betray certain ethical principles.

30. One can defend against attacks; against praise he is helpless

Another famous quote by Sigmund Freud about the way in which compliments can show us in an unexpected way who we are.

31. The task we must set for ourselves is not to be safe, but to be able to tolerate insecurity

Self-confidence can be difficult but it should not be an impediment to not making decisions, according to Erich Fromm.

32. To use psychology to meet our spiritual needs is to ask psychology to take charge of what science does not know and does not handle

A criticism from the therapist Jorge Bucay of the misuse that is sometimes made of psychology.

33. The real problem is not whether they think the machines, but if the man does

A sentence about psychology formulated by BF Skinner. In it, he expresses his skeptical attitude towards the study of mental processes that can not be measured directly.

34. Knowing your own darkness is the best method to deal with the darkness of other people

A quote of analytical psychology of Carl Gustav Jung, that remarked that to help others, the first one has to help himself.

35. Humanity progresses. Today only burn my books; centuries ago they would have burned me

Sigmund Freud satirized the controversy of his research.

36. The great discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their mental attitudes

William James already said that the attitude that you have makes the difference in the result.

37. Psychology can not tell people how they should live their lives. However, it can provide meaning for effective personal and social change

Psychology is a science that offers research, and not a guide on how to act. This was clarified by the psychologist Albert Bandura.

38. Most social events should be understood in their context, since they lose meaning if they are isolated

An appointment of social psychology by Solomon Asch, which highlighted the importance of culture and context to understand social behavior.

39. A person’s mental health can be measured by their orgasmic potential

The psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich commented that a healthy person psychically enjoys the sexual act fully.

40. If an individual is intellectually passive, he will not be free morally

Jean Piaget said that if you do not have intellectual determination and courage, it is impossible to form an ethic of your own.

41. The first virtue of knowledge is the ability to face what is not evident

The possibility of logic has allowed to discover and investigate subjects that in the past were totally unknown, according to the French Jacques Lacan.

42. You are what you do, not what you say you will do

It is our actions that determine how we are. This was highlighted by Carl G. Jung in one of his psychology positive quotes with a more moral touch.

43. Even when it is not fully attainable, we become better at pursuing a higher goal

Having desires to pursue is good, in addition to giving meaning to existence. A psychology quote by Viktor Frankl.

44. It is regrettable that the vast majority of human beings are born as an original being and die as a copy

When we are born we can be anything, but as we grow we are taking a path that many have taken before. A reflection by Carl G. Jung.

45. The great use of life is to spend it on something that will last longer than it

It is a fact that leaving a mark on history is something that can motivate anyone, just like William James, author of this quote did.

46. ​​Weak wills are translated into discourses; the strong, in acts

G. Le Bon, known for his work in the field of social psychology, commented that strong wills stand out above the weak ones because they go beyond words.

47. Unexpressed emotions never die. They are buried alive and come out later in worse ways

Sigmund Freud wanted to convey the importance of managing our emotions well, because if it is not done, then they can affect our well-being in unexpected ways.

48. The best years of your life occur when you decide to take responsibility for your problems. Do not blame them for your mother, the ecology or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny

A psychology quote by Albert Ellis about the potential to direct our own lives.

49. The world is in a deep crisis because we do not have an education for conscience

The psychiatrist Claudio Naranjo criticizes the lack of teaching about the conscience of people. One of the positive quotes of psychology with greater social content.

50. Never think you know everything. As high as you value, always have the courage to tell yourself: I am an ignorant

The physiologist Ivan Pavlov was clear that the mind can always learn new things and that there is no need to refuse to continue learning.

51. People who believe they have the power to exercise some degree of control over their lives are healthier, more effective and more successful than those who do not have faith in their ability to make changes in their lives

Albert Bandura believed that people who have better self-esteem are better able to get where they want to be.

52. Geniuses are admired, men with health are envied, men with power are feared; but only men with character are trusted

A quote from Alfred Adler’s psychology about how personality marks how we will be seen by others and the degree to which assertiveness and our own criteria are valued.

53. There is nothing more terrible than ignorance in action. Believing a thing on the basis of insufficient evidence is always a mistake, everywhere be concerned. People who believe in absurdities will commit atrocities

The psychologist Hans Eysenck claimed that ignorance has very negative practical consequences.

54. We can not assume that our judgments are a good set of solidly structured blocks, on which to base our decisions, because the judgments themselves may be defective

Our decisions can be made on bases that are easily erroneous. One of the positive quotes on the psychology of the renowned researcher Daniel Kahneman.

55. All people speak of the mind without hesitation, but are perplexed when asked to define it

BF Skinner knew that the mind is a very complicated and complex concept that often generates more questions than answers.

56. I try to broaden the scope of positive psychology beyond the happy face. Happiness is only one fifth of what humans choose to do

This quote of positive psychology of Martin Seligman describes that happiness is not everything, there are also other elements that make up our spectrum of emotions that should be valued.

57. Enthusiasm is a sign of spiritual health

The doctor Gregorio Marañón said that people with good psychological health expressed through enthusiasm and initiative.

58. Creative people who can not stop exploring other mental territories are at greater risk; just like someone climbing a mountain will be more at risk than someone who simply walks along a lane in the village

Ronald Laing thought that creative people are more at risk of suffering from mental disorders.

59. I am what survives from me

Each person is what they learn from their interactions with the environment, as it is embodied in this quote of Erik Erikson’s psychology.

60. Follow your heart but take your brain with you

This appointment of individual psychology by Alfred Adler expresses in a simple way the need to preserve a duality between emotions and rationality.

These are 60 best positive Psychology quotes with a wonderful explanation. Tell us in the comment section that you like or not.

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