15 Brian J. Mistler Quotes

Brian J. Mistler quotes

1. The problem with all bivalent notions is that they collapse without their polar opposite. When we define our 'self' against the 'other', we come to need the other. And, when, in the absence of a true opposite, one is contrived, our conception of ourselves becomes as distorted as our concept of the other. Ultimately this process of defining ourselves against the 'other' only serves to strengthen the other's position.

2. I suggest the importance of developing common identity in overcoming the negative consequences of polarization.

3. Like a dance, conflict escalation generally requires the participation of both parties.

4. Philosophers often get a degree in getting confused by language; psychologists apply that confusion to help others.

5. Yogi Berra affected me more than anyone else who didn't influence my thinking.

6. Philosophy is talking about the confusion of language while psychology is helping others get confused.

7. Therapy is normally most healing when we focus on helping people heal rather than helping them be normal.

8. I must help myself before I can finish this sentence.

9. Measurement is normative. I know this because, on a scale of 1 to 10, I think most of what I say is an 8 or 9, and all the people I like agree.

10. Temperature and love are different -- the scientist tells my grandmother what temperature is and how to measure it. If he tries to tell her what love is, he's nuts. But, that doesn't seem to stop him from fabricating measures.

11. Temperature and poetry are different -- the scientist may tell Shakespeare what temperature is and how to measure it. If he tries to tell Shakespeare what poetry is, he's nuts. But, that doesn't seem to stop him from fabricating measures.

12. I was in a fraternity as an undergraduate. Those boys could never have imagined such a sophistic hazing ritual as the doctoral qualifying exam.

13. Adding sugar to corn, doesn't make it magically delicious. Adding numbers to qualitative statements doesn't make them magically objective.

14. If scientists were simply required to list all of their unprovable assumptions at the beginning of each journal article, the field [of psychology] would either make great progress or disappear. Both seem better than what we have.

15. I refuse to cooperate with people's patterns of unhappiness.