Criss Jami Quotes

People will seek the ends of the galaxy to avoid that which they need most.

~ Criss Jami

Every job from the heart is, ultimately, of equal value. The nurse injects the syringe; the writer slides the pen; the farmer plows the dirt; the comedian draws the laughter. Monetary income is the perfect deceiver of a man's true worth.

~ Criss Jami

What is hard work? It takes strength, energy, and stress to truly care about others enough to place oneself last, but it is easy to wrap oneself up and selfishly scramble on the heads of others.

~ Criss Jami

God is not some lesser employee, as many try to make Him out to be: rather He is the ultimate Treasure. He works in a man; He works on a man; He works through a man; He works around a man. Know that He does far more than simply work for a man. And yet, even as He Himself needs no one else, everyone else is ever in need of Him.

~ Criss Jami

Man is not, by nature, deserving of all that he wants. When we think that we are automatically entitled to something, that is when we start walking all over others to get it.

~ Criss Jami

God writes love and speaks poetry.

~ Criss Jami

Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on.

~ Criss Jami

If I were to envy any persons on this planet, it would be mountain hermits. You often hear old platitudes such as, 'Speak out. Be heard.' On the contrary, a breath of fresh air would be something like: 'Silence, think for at least 15 minutes, and then maybe speak out.

~ Criss Jami

It turns out that the men who ultimately, who unpretentiously value peace are willing to sacrifice their own peace of mind in order to render it. The question is, 'Who, between opposing forces, would do such a thing?' It seems only theoretical albeit true that men who accept an objective rather than subjective moral standard are, in a general sense, more capable of making such sacrifices for the sake of peace.

~ Criss Jami

Peace is more of an internal settlement rather than what is visible on the external.

~ Criss Jami

But the Egotist is stuck somewhere between his hidden triad of pride, fear, and insecurity; he is forever fighting to prove himself, instigating battles the Humbleman has unwittingly conquered, already sealed some time ago. Yes, the day he finally accepts face-to-face such an irony as humility - the irony that humility is indeed the mother of giants, that great men, having life so large, as needed, can afford to appear small - the world will then know peace.

~ Criss Jami

Any coward can be a peacekeeper! In fact, that comes to one naturally. But they are blessed, the peacemakers...and all those who know the difference.

~ Criss Jami

If you want to know how negative you are, pay attention to how much you hate negativity in other people. Fragile, artificial positivity needs always to be surrounded by more positivity in order to stay positive, but the ability to be positive, happy, and even, at times, appreciative around 'negative people' is the mark of real positivity.

~ Criss Jami

You might be an introvert if you were ready to go home before you left the house.

~ Criss Jami

There are 2 kinds of fighters: those who fight because they hate, and those who fight because they love.

~ Criss Jami

No matter how kind you are, always expect a few imbeciles.

~ Criss Jami

Work was intended not to give a man a reason to live, but rather to give him a means to live.

~ Criss Jami

The problem is politics is made a sport, almost as much a sport as football or baseball. When it comes to politics, adults and politicians do more finger-pointing and play more games than children ever do. Too often are we rooting for the pride of a team rather than the good of the nation.

~ Criss Jami

Speaking a painful truth should be done only in love - like wielding a sword with no hilt - it should pain oneself in direct proportion to the amount of force exerted.

~ Criss Jami

If truth is like the terrain, are we the generation who sees it as one who has worn shoes all his life or one who has never worn shoes? Yet still, even if the walk starts out as painful, the experience may be well worth it.

~ Criss Jami

You speak rather poorly of God when praising Him, or when wanting to praise Him, only during that which you perceive to be your highest of moments. That is many a reason behind unbelief altogether: the failed attempt to control God, to lower His standards to one's own level of understanding in doubt of His foresight and omniscience, His goodness and power. He wants to know if you are faithful enough to praise Him even when, to you, all seems lost.

~ Criss Jami

One's suffering, one's melancholy is, in itself, really only looked upon as failure or as punishment, as detestable or sinful or socially unacceptable in the eyes of man; but this is not so in the eyes of God: for He is close to the broken-hearted.

~ Criss Jami

It is in the nature of man to want what he does not have. This modern concern for happiness seems a real testimony of its absence.

~ Criss Jami

From attraction and affectionCover of perfectionFailure beyond texture to a painful lessonEverything that was from the start wasn't from the heart

~ Criss Jami

Jealousy from a love affair is something even God can admit.

~ Criss Jami

What's simple is that everything good comes from God, and everything bad comes from man. Where it gets complicated is that everything seemingly good but ultimately bad comes from man, and everything seemingly bad but ultimately good comes from God.

~ Criss Jami

One may suffer the long-term in order to grow in appreciation for the small things. For in short-term suffering, one only notices the large.

~ Criss Jami

Some days you feel like you're the worst of sinners, others like you're the most righteous person on earth. I am convinced that the former is when you're closest to God.

~ Criss Jami

The purest regret, no matter what, is thinking you didn't love enough.

~ Criss Jami

Stretched and skewedTap of the 8-ball and the cueScratches fall throughThey are the scars of you

~ Criss Jami

To be happy to be sad and sad to be happy is to sing an echo in that beautiful language called Sorrow.

~ Criss Jami

It's not the end if you're too shy to say 'I love you.' It's only the beginning, because you're first meant to show it anyway.

~ Criss Jami

To the loyal and to the blood-lovers, in the good families and in the fiery dynasties, life is family and family is life. It is the same people who give advice and their vices to live well who turn out to be the ones who give resource and reason to live long.

~ Criss Jami

Every category has its snobs: music, books, movies. There are so many things a man is only pressured into liking or disliking.

~ Criss Jami

Man's delight in the Lord is the absolute peak of human triumph. He praises God when full of joy, and when not, he praises God to become full of joy. For to know and to live as though God is worthy of all praise, in all one's circumstances, whether seemingly good or seemingly bad, is the primary definition of joy and the richest triumph for man under God.

~ Criss Jami

There are 2 kinds of artists, essentially: those who want to make something popular, and those who want to make something dignified. But then there is still that rare hybrid case, and perhaps by that unintentional stroke of genius, in which one's work uncontrollably becomes both popular and dignified yet beyond its time.

~ Criss Jami

Controversy is a last resort for the talentless.

~ Criss Jami

When there's music in your soul, there's soul in your music.

~ Criss Jami

In the fashion industry, everything goes retro except the prices.

~ Criss Jami

The Bible does not say money is the root of all evil; it says the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. A poor man who, in his heart, worships the idea of being rich is more vulnerable to its evils than a rich man who has a heart to use it all for the Lord.

~ Criss Jami