Fred Rogers was a television host, a writer and, perhaps most importantly, a neighbor.
In the early 1960s, he used his talents as a minister, a songwriter and an educator to create a children’s show that he truly believed would benefit all. Mister Rogers debuted on local Pittsburgh public broadcast channel WQED and expanded nationwide as Mister Rogers Neighborhood in 1966. More than 800 episodes aired over 40 years.
Most people who were alive between 1970 and 2000 were in some way influenced by the gentle words and helpful teachings of Mister Rogers.
To honor the memory of the kind-hearted man who welcomed viewers into the living room of his television home, here are 12 inspiring quotes from Mister Rogers that everyone should be living by:
- “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.”
- “If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”
- “Some days, doing ‘the best we can’ may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do, but life isn’t perfect on any front-and doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else.”
- “We need to help people to discover the true meaning of love. Love is generally confused with dependence. Those of us who have grown in true love know that we can love only in proportion to our capacity for independence.”
- “The thing I remember best about successful people I’ve met all through the years is their obvious delight in what they’re doing and it seems to have very little to do with worldly success. They just love what they’re doing, and they love it in front of others.”
- “In the external scheme of things, shining moments are as brief as the twinkling of an eye, yet such twinklings are what eternity is made of — moments when we human beings can say ‘I love you,’ ‘I’m proud of you,’ ‘I forgive you,’ ‘I’m grateful for you.’ That’s what eternity is made of: invisible imperishable good stuff.”
- “When we treat children’s play as seriously as it deserves, we are helping them feel the joy that’s to be found in the creative spirit. It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.”
- “There are three ways to ultimate success:
The first way is to be kind.
The second way is to be kind.
The third way is to be kind.” - “There is no normal life that is free of pain. It’s the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth.”
- “There’s no ‘should’ or ‘should not’ when it comes to having feelings. They’re part of who we are and their origins are beyond our control. When we can believe that, we may find it easier to make constructive choices about what to do with those feelings.”
- “Most of us, I believe, admire strength. It’s something we tend to respect in others, desire for ourselves, and wish for our children. Sometimes, though, I wonder if we confuse strength with other words—like ‘aggression’ and even ‘violence’. Real strength is neither male nor female; but it is, quite simply, one of the finest characteristics that a human being can possess.”
- “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”