30 quotes by Carl Rogers, the humanist psychologist

Like Maslow, Rogers was a psychologist who placed great importance on personal development.

Carl Ransom Rogers was an influential American psychologist, known as one of the leading exponents of the humanistic approach to psychology.known for being one of the leading exponents of the humanistic approach to psychology. His contributions to psychotherapy are numerous and his ideas are still alive today, as his vision of therapeutic practice was truly innovative.

If you still do not know his theory, you can read this article: "The Theory of Personality proposed by Carl Rogers", although to better understand his way of thinking you may also find it useful to read some of his phrases and reflections on psychology and the human mind in general.

The best phrases and reflections of Carl Rogers

Throughout his life, this psychologist left great reflections to remember. In this article we have compiled some of the best phrases of Carl Rogers so that you can enjoy his thoughts.

1. The man who educates himself is the one who learns to learn.

For Rogers self-knowledge is the key to well-being and self-fulfillment.. The human being, many times, has difficulties when it comes to finding himself.

2. The very essence of creativity is its novelty, and therefore we have no standard by which to judge it.

According to the author, when a person feels free and responsible he connects with nature. This can be done through the creative process of the arts or sciences or through social concern or love.

3. We cannot change, we cannot move away from what we are until we accept what we are. Then change seems to come almost unnoticed.

It is useless to hide reality, because if we do not accept ourselves, problems will appear again and again.

4. True happiness lies in accepting oneself and getting in touch with oneself.

One of the three fundamental attitudes of the human being with respect to well-being is "unconditional acceptance", in which a person must totally accept himself and his behaviors. Self-respect is key to good mental health.

5. I feel moved and fulfilled when I glimpse the fact, or allow myself the feeling, that someone cares about me, accepts me, admires me or praises me.

We are still social beings and, therefore, when we receive love and respect that also makes us feel good.

6. It is not that this approach empowers the person, it is that it never disempowers the person.

In this sentence, Rogers clearly defends the humanistic methodof which he, along with Abraham Maslow, is one of the greatest exponents.

7. All I know is that anyone who wants to can improve his or her well-being.

For Rogers, people are masters of our destiny and our emotional state and, therefore, we can work to improve it.

8. When I look at the world I am pessimistic, but when I look at people I am optimistic.

The world is not a perfect place and we can often experience difficult situations. However, people are active beings and we can strive to be better despite adversity thanks to resilience processes.

9. A person, upon discovering that he/she is loved for who he/she is, not for what he/she pretends to be, will feel that he/she deserves respect and love.

When one is true to oneself, one is able to feel self-realized and is able to enjoy authentic well-being.

10. It is not often that such a deep and mutual personal encounter takes place, but I am convinced that if it does not happen from time to time, we are not living as human beings.

Deep self-reflection can have a great effect on our a great effect on our emotional and mental well-being.. It helps us connect with ourselves.

11. To be empathic is to see the world through the eyes of another and not to see our world reflected in their eyes.

Empathy is a great quality that we human beings can possess, but we can also do the same with ourselves, with our own inner experience.

12. The degree to which I can create relationships that facilitate the growth of others as separate persons is a measure of the growth I have achieved in myself.

A profound reflection of this renowned psychologist. His thought has influenced many psychology professionals because of his emphasis on private and subjective mental phenomena.

13. In my relationships with people I have found that it does not help, in the long run, to act as if I am something I am not.

To be at ease with oneself and happy, the first step is to find oneself and connect with one's inner experience.

14. Neither the bible, nor the prophets, nor the revelations of god or men, nothing has priority over my direct experience.

For Rogers, there is no better way to learn than through one's own experience, that which leads to self-reflection.

15. People are as beautiful as sunsets, if they are allowed to be. In fact, maybe the reason we truly appreciate a sunset is because we cannot control it.

As a good humanist, self-realization and personal development are two of the main ideas of his theory.

16. I have observed that I am most effective when I open up to myself, accepting myself.

Again, a quote that deals with his concept of intentional acceptance. Key to his therapeutic model.

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

The concept of intentional acceptance is the basis of any change. If we do not accept ourselves, we resist change.

18. Love, both in painful anxiety and in happiness, is present in everything.

Love for oneself is indispensable to cope with any event that happens around us.

19. What is most personal is the most universal

One of those quotes that invite us to deep reflection. With these words he makes clear his existentialist base.

20. I realize that if I were stable, prudent and static I would live in death. Therefore, I accept confusion, uncertainty, fear and emotional ups and downs, because that is the price I am willing to pay for a fluid, perplexing and exciting life.

A concept that was developed later, but which is influenced by Rogers' thinking, is the "comfort zone". You can learn about it in this article: "How to get out of your comfort zone? 7 keys to achieve it".

21. Everything looks different when you look at your heart.

When you accept yourself, life seems to have a different color. A much lighter color.

22. The only well-educated person is the one who has learned to learn and change.

When one looks inward and learns from experience, one achieves a much more powerful learning.

23. In my early professional years I used to ask myself this question: how can I treat, heal or change this person? Now I would phrase the question this way: how can I provide a relationship that this person can use for his or her own personal growth?

According to Rogers' theory, the relationship with the therapist is essential for the proper recovery of the patient, whom the therapist calls the client.

24. You can't be afraid of death, in fact, you can only be afraid of life.

A quote with a certain touch of irony, but which leaves a very clear message.

25. Experience is for me the supreme authority.

Through experience, we can learn valuable things for our mental health and personal development.

26. For meaningful learning, that which brings about profound changes in the individual, one must be strong, and not limit oneself to an increase of knowledge, but embrace all parts of existence.

It is necessary that all the senses be alert during experiential learning.

27. It seems to me that anything that can be taught to another is relatively unimportant, and has little or no significant influence on behavior.

A quote about the importance of supporting each other in learning.

28. The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination

Wellness is a place we all want to be, but we have to work to be there. It is not static, but dynamic..

29. Self-acceptance is the first step to genuine acceptance of others.

In order to be able to relate to other individuals in a healthy way, it is necessary that we first relate to ourselves in the best possible way.

30. There is direction but no destination

The importance of goals is not to get where we want to go, but to live the process in the best way. When we reach a goal, we unconsciously look for a new one.