A scholar is committed to building on knowledge that others have gathered, correcting it, confirming it, enlarging it.
Parker J. PalmerI want my inner truth to be the plumb line for the choices I make about my life - about the work that I do and how I do it, about the relationships I enter into and how I conduct them.
Parker J. PalmerRelational trust is built on movements of the human heart such as empathy, commitment, compassion, patience, and the capacity to forgive.
Parker J. PalmerSolitude does not necessarily mean living apart from others; rather, it means never living apart from one's self. It is not about the absence of other people -- it is about being fully present to ourselves, whether or not we are with others. Community does not necessarily mean living face-to-face with others; rather, it means never losing the awareness that we are connected to each other. It is not about the presence of other people -- it is about being fully open to the reality of relationship, whether or not we are alone.
Parker J. PalmerSome journeys are direct, and some are circuitous; some are heroic, and some are fearful and muddled. But every journey, honestly undertaken, stands a chance of taking us toward the place where our deep gladness meets the worldโs deep need
Parker J. PalmerLetโs not forget that American democracy started with โWe the Peopleโ agreeing to work hard to create โa more perfect union.โ Weโve lost the idea that politics begins at home with what happens in families, in neighborhoods, in classrooms, in congregations. We called this democracy into being โ and if we want to call this democracy back to its highest values, itโs got to be the us doing that calling. Thatโs not going to happen if โWe the Peopleโ donโt know how to talk to one another with civility and hold our differences in a creative, life-giving way.
Parker J. Palmer