Rollo May

"Courage is not the absence of despair; it is, rather, the capacity to move ahead in spite of despair."

"Depression is the inability to construct a future."

"It requires greater courage to preserve inner freedom, to move on in one's inward journey into new realms, than to stand defiantly for outer freedom. It is often easier to play the martyr, as it is to be rash in battle."

"Joy, rather than happiness, is the goal of life, for joy is the emotion which accompanies our fulfilling our natures as human beings. It is based on the experience of one's identity as a being of worth and dignity."

"Loneliness is such an omnipotent and painful threat to many persons that they have little conception of the positive values of solitude and even, at times, are frightened at the prospect of being alone."

"Social acceptance, 'being liked,' has so much power because it holds the feelings of loneliness at bay."

"The human dilemma is that which arises out of a man's capacity to experience himself as both subject and object at the same time."

"The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity."

"The relationship between commitment and doubt is by no means an antagonistic one. Commitment is healthiest when it's not without doubt but in spite of doubt."