Quotes about Realism

Cynical realism is the intelligent man's best excuse for doing nothing in an intolerable situation.

Positive characterizations are complex characterizations. That's all we need to know. They shouldn't be saccharine. They shouldn't feel like medicine.

All you earnest young men out to save the world please, have a laugh.

Absolutism, in both religious and political realism, is a splendid incentive to heroic action, but a dangerous guide in immediate and concrete situations.

Genuine humility is based on a realistic self-appraisal and a healthy feeling of self-worth.

I am convinced that love is the most durable power in the world. It is not an expression of impractical idealism, but of practical realism.

What is kinder--to believe the best of people and burden them with a nobility beyond their endurance--or to see them as they are, and accept it because it makes them comfortable?

Since we all have blind spots, you may need to ask a third party to help you evaluate your own actions before meeting with the person with whom you have a conflict. Also ask God to show you how much of the problem is your fault. Ask, "Am I the problem? Am I being unrealistic, insensitive, or too sensitive?" The Bible says, "If we claim that we're free of sin, we're only fooling ourselves." 19

He might as well plant an oak in a flowerpot, and expect it to thrive, as imagine he can restore her to vigour in the soil of his shallow cares!

I am not blind to the shortcomings of our own people.

Christianity is not some ideal toward which we ought always to strive even though the ideal is out of reach. Christianity is not a series of slogans that sum up our beliefs.

The true Christian must be both an idealist and a realist. We must have dreams and visions for better things in the future because that is what faith demands. However at the same time, we cannot ignore the reality of what is taking place right now. The key is not to let what you see now steal what you believe for the future.