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An idealist believes the short run doesn’t count. A cynic believes the long run doesn’t matter. A realist believes that what is done or left undone in the short run determines the long run.

— Sydney J. Harris

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More quotes by Sydney J. Harris

A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past; he is one who is prematurely disappointed in the future.

On the Contrary (1964)

The principal difference between love and hate is that love is an irradiation, and hate is a concentration.

Strictly Personal (1953)

The core in the mystery of what we call personality resides in the individual mix between character and temperament.

Clearing the Ground (1986)

Character is something you forge for yourself; temperament is something you are born with and can only slightly modify.

Clearing the Ground (1986)

People who think they’re generous to a fault usually think that’s their only fault.

On the Contrary (1964)

All Sydney J. Harris quotes →

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Sydney J. Harris (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.