Walter Riso is a well-known writer famous for his numerous publications in the field of self-help and personal growth. A psychologist specializing in cognitive-behavioral therapy and bioethics with a background in theater and philosophy, this author aims to promote physical and mental health through self-reflection and realistic coping.

In this article you will find the 75 best sentences of Walter Riso .

75 quotes from Walter Riso

In this selection of phrases by Walter Riso you will find reflections on themes such as love, emotional dependence, optimism and pessimism and the struggle to overcome situations and oneself.

1. If you don’t burn for something or someone, if nothing shakes you to your soul, if you barely get excited; you go wrong, something stops you. You live half-heartedly

This phrase reflects the need to be able to be passionate, as something that leads us to live with intensity and to set ourselves goals that really motivate us.

2. Let it hurt, cry as much as you can, but don’t let the sadness last any longer than it has to

It’s normal to feel pain when bad things happen or when we can’t reach our dreams. But we must not let the pain become chronic and limit us to continue living.

3. Illusory optimism can be as bad as chronic pessimism

Pessimism can make us see things in a negative light that limits us, but being excessively optimistic can also blind us to reality and not allow us to act efficiently.

4. You will know that you are truly loved when you can show yourself as you are without fear of being hurt

When you love and are loved, you are able to be who and how you are without any fear.

5. If you are wrong you grow, if you are not wrong you stagnate

We should not fear error, for it helps us to learn and develop. Mistakes are good.

6. Giving power to someone or something to dominate you and take over your mind is a subtle form of psychological suicide

This phrase warns us of the futility of giving someone complete power over your life. Not thinking, not doing anything without the approval of the other. It is nothing more than a form of emotional dependence and of leaving aside your own responsibility for yourself.

7. Words are never always, all or nothing dangerous because they leave you no choice

Absolutes are not good, since they do not allow room for manoeuvre or the existence of other possible variables. They are limiting extremist positions.

8. Listen to people who think differently from you

Our position is not the only one that exists. We must accept and take into account opinions different from our own in order to learn and observe things from different perspectives.

9. Happiness does not come at the door, you have to look for it and fight for it

Maintaining a passive attitude to life leads to nothing. If we want to be happy, we have to live in an active way .

10. The social stereotype that shows the ethical person as a boring, spoiled or prudish being is absurd and unfounded

That to behave ethically is to be uptight is nothing more than a stereotype. Ethics does not mean not having fun or not acting, but taking into account the rights of others and one’s own responsibility.

11. When love knocks on the door, it will come in like a whirlwind: you cannot leave out the bad and receive only the good. If you think that love equals happiness, you are on the wrong track

Love is a wonderful thing, but it’s not a walk in the park. Loving involves good things, but also responsibilities and even aspects that can cause us great pain.

12. The mind is a restless monkey, jumping from branch to branch in search of fruit through an endless jungle of conditioned events

In this sentence the author reflects the need of our mind to observe and live different things, moved by curiosity, motivation and energy

13. The person I love is an important part of my life, but not the only one

This sentence reflects that the person loved should not be the only thing that gives meaning to one’s life , since instead of love we would be talking about dependence. We are autonomous beings and we must self-realize ourselves whether or not we have someone to share our life with.

14. The false paradox: happy idiot or unhappy sage is resolved. There is a third, better option: happy wise, even if it is redundant, because there is no wisdom without joy

It has always been assimilated that the ignorant are happy in their ignorance and the wise know enough not to be. However, a truly wise person should be able to recognize what is important and know how to enjoy the good things in life.

15. Love has two main enemies: indifference that slowly kills it or disill it at once

Someone to whom we are indifferent ends up gradually not awakening the love he generated for us at the beginning. And the fact that someone fails us or betrays us breaks the trust that united us all at once.

16. Sitting down to cry at the first setback and wanting life to be rewarding around the clock is definitely childish

The world is neither fair nor an easy path in which there is only happiness, but we are going to find numerous moments of pain and numerous difficulties that we must be able to face without limiting ourselves to complaining about how hard it is.

17. I’m not crazy about you, I’m passionate about you. I don’t need you, but I choose you

In this sentence the author reflects that love is not depending on someone or leaving everything aside for him, but a union of two independent beings who feel a strong connection between them.

18. To love oneself, despising or ignoring others, is presumption and exclusion; to love others, despising oneself, is lack of self-love

The author reflects that we must be able to love ourselves but without ceasing to value the rest of the world, while at the same time we must love others without putting ourselves below them.

19. Do not idealise the loved one; look at him as he is, raw and without anaesthetic

Idealizing someone prevents us from seeing reality objectively. It is normal to admire someone you love, but we should not stop seeing that they are people with their defects. This often leads to disappointment and disillusionment over time. Moreover, idealizing a person is unfair to them, since we do not accept the whole person but only the good parts.

20. We praise someone’s furniture and clothes more easily than their intelligence or goodness

We are used to observe and praise superficial aspects of our fellow men, but nevertheless there is a kind of embarrassment or shame in appreciating deeper and more internal aspects such as kindness, affection, capacity or personality.

21. You must not make the same mistake twice. The second time you do it is no longer your mistake, it is your choice

We can miss once for any reason. However, if we persist in doing the same thing we will get the same result because we have decided to do the same actions again.

22. Avoidance is not always cowardice, sometimes it is prudence and sometimes intelligence

Although generally avoiding something is harmful, sometimes it is necessary and adaptive.

23. Love when you are ready, not when you are alone

This sentence by Walter Riso reflects that many people look for a partner just because they feel lonely , not because they really love the other person. But that is not love, it is dependence.

24. Let today be your day. Kidnap him for you. Let everything you do be to feel good: forbidden to suffer for stupid things

This phrase pushes us to live and to fight to be happy, avoiding those things that make us suffer without reason.

25. There are times when fear opens your eyes, but almost always closes them

Living always in fear of something makes us focus on that something and ignore other elements and possibilities, limiting our lives.

26. Submitting to what they will say is a socially accepted form of slavery

We have to live our lives in a way that is consistent with what we think and feel, regardless of what the rest of the world thinks.

27. The truth is neither proclaimed nor decreed; rather it is discovered, sought

Saying something’s true doesn’t make it so. The truth is what we pursue, and what we occasionally find. In fact, truth can vary from person to person, over time and depending on the situation.

28. Always opt for freedom of conscience: think, feel and express your opinion on what means something to you

We must be authentic and faithful to ourselves: let us think and get involved in what really matters to us, in what is meaningful to us.

29. To love is not to lose one’s individuality nor to twist one’s vision of the world, it is to reaffirm oneself with the other, to grow as two, being different and unique

Love does not make us the same being , but by being each one an independent person can grow and develop together with the other.

30. The best things in life usually happen when we don’t expect anything

Sometimes we look for something over and over again in desperation, without getting it. It’s usually when we don’t look for something that we find it most easily.

31. Seeing the world in black and white takes us away from moderation and inner peace because life, wherever we look, is made up of shades

Things are not one way or another. It’s always going to depend on the point of view we take about things.

32. The brave one is not the one who does not feel fear, but the one who faces it with dignity, even if his knees and brain are shaking

It’s not bad to be afraid, but it is bad to be paralyzed by it. Overcoming fear does not mean not being afraid, but that it does not limit you.

33. I want you to accept me and not “approve” me. Love me without entrance exams: to love is not to judge

People who love each other love both the good and the bad of the other without judging them. It is not a question of saying whether you have enough qualities to love him or not, you simply love each other.

34. Novelty produces two conflicting emotions: fear and curiosity. While fear of the unknown acts as a brake, curiosity acts as an incentive (sometimes uncontrollable) that leads us to explore the world and to be amazed

The unknown can be frightening, but if we explore it we can discover new things that we are passionate about and fill our lives with experiences and new perspectives.

35. You cannot go through life asking for permission to live or feel

What we feel or think is something that belongs to us and that no one else but us should decide. No one should judge it, nor should it depend on what others think about it.

36. The mind of stone does not permit itself to doubt and abhors self-criticism. Its foundations are immutable and unquestionable

Inflexibility leads us to a mentality that is restricted to a limited perspective that does not allow us to appreciate other points of view or to learn.

37. It’s no use having your ears sweetened if they make your life bitter

While praise and words may be nice, it is the actions and what people make us feel that should determine our attitude toward them.

38. You are what you do and what you think. Both. And if they are not compatible, you are not credible

A person who does not act as he thinks is not credible, because he either does not dare to carry out his thoughts or pretends to think something for some purpose (whether he is interested or simply to give a concrete image).

39. Fidelity to your partner is not an absence of desire for others. When you see someone you like, it is a matter of self-control and avoidance in time. I recommend not playing with fire or playing the fool, because you can get burned

Being faithful does not mean not desiring or feeling attracted to other people s , but controlling that attraction in favour of not losing the person we love and what we have with him/her.

40. Infidelity is not a decision you make, but if you want to be unfaithful you decide to face the costs of the consequences

He who is unfaithful must be willing to accept the consequences of his action.

41. When heart and mind march together, you will have the strength of an oak and the delicacy of a gazelle

The fact that emotions and thoughts are in agreement causes a great force to be born with regard to the subject on which they coincide. It is what makes us passionate about something, motivates us and makes us develop fully.

42. Happiness is not a station to arrive at, but a way to travel through life

Happiness is not something that should be sought by itself. It is not a goal in itself, but the product of walking the path we wish to take in our life.

43. One nail doesn’t always get another nail out, sometimes both stay in

Jumping from one relationship to another will not automatically make us forget the previous one, despite popular belief.

44. You have the right to change your mind

We must be flexible and bear in mind that it is not bad if our opinion about something can change.

45. To grow we must unlearn; remove those things that are either useless, or dangerous or inconsistent with our ultimate goal of fulfillment

Learning helps us to acquire knowledge, but also we must know how to forget those things that are not useful to us in order to make room and focus on what is useful.

46. Do not seek to resolve what you can no longer: if the lack of love knocked at your door and you opened it, there is nothing to be done. Go in peace

This phrase reflects that if love is lost forever, it is lost. If there is no more love, the relationship has come to an end.

47. Wisdom is not in the titles you have

Having a degree does not imply wisdom, ability or knowledge.

48. From the current knowledge we have about the mind, it is possible to affirm that there are two paths to open the doors of the good life: philosophy and psychology

This sentence reflects that for the author, self-knowledge and reflection on the world and on ourselves allows us to successfully manage and enjoy life.

49. Well-directed anger, without hurting anyone, helps you to assert yourself, to defend your living space, to set limits: use it peacefully

Feeling anger or rage is healthy and can be helpful to us as long as we don’t turn it into harm.

50. Would you pay for what you are doing for a living? Would you pay to go to your job? Ask yourself what you would pay to do, that is your vocation!

Our vocation is something for which we would be able to sacrifice our time, money and effort, since it is something we are passionate about doing.

51. You can admire without loving, but not the opposite

We always admire the one we love , although the opposite is not necessarily true. Although attention, to admire does not mean to idealize but to appreciate the good things the other person has and even the bad ones.

52. Refuse to suffer for love, find your place in solitude

and do not let the desire to love be above everything

Loving is important, but not the only thing that is part of our lives. We are complete beings with different areas of life and projects.

53. It doesn’t matter how much they love you, but how they do it

What is important is how we are loved, not the intensity with which we are loved.

54. You’re imperfect, so what? Let those who think they are perfect go to the Olympus of arrogance. Let them not bother us and let us live in peace

Nobody’s perfect. We all have faults and virtues alike, and that is precisely what makes us unique. Those who think they are perfect are often arrogant people who cannot see or accept their own.

55. Rest under a tree and let the breeze blow in. This is not second-rate sentimentality, but a desire to live intensely the sounds of silence

This phrase pushes us to enjoy the little things, which we sometimes ignore and despise.

56. Love without giving up your identity. I do not exist for you, but with you. Unlike a love that merges, I propose a healthy love with personal identity

We are independent beings. Merging our identity with that of the other person is unhealthy and makes us stop being who we really are. This would be a relationship of dependence. We are together but we are not the same.

57. No one is worth so much as to have two “loves”; no one is worth so little as to be the second choice

We’re all worth the same. No one should be the runner-up or the consolation prize, but should look for someone who truly values you as you are. And no one should believe themselves enough to pretend to have someone as a plan B.

58. At the moment of truth you are just a human being who sometimes likes to be alone

Everyone has moments when they need to be alone with themselves. We are not more (nor less) than people with their moments of peace, joy, sadness or weakness , just like everyone else.

59. Forgiveness takes time, easy forgiveness is suspect

When someone hurts us, forgiving them is not something that happens right away. It requires processing the act and intentions of others both in the past and in the present. It is a wound that must be healed. If someone forgives easily and at the same time, they probably haven’t yet forgiven the fact..

60. The important thing is to understand that life does not wait for us, it will not stop and therefore, neither will we

Time keeps going by no matter what. We must keep this in mind and make the most of the time we have.

61. Desiring, longing, and being interested in something or someone is normal, as long as you don’t become obsessed and are ready for loss

Our concern for others and for things is a good and healthy thing, as long as it does not become sickly.

62. If you love yourself healthily, you can give love wherever you go

To love someone in a healthy way you must first be able to love yourself.

63. The worst garbage that the mind stores is self-destructive thoughts. If you think you are not lovable, no one will love you

If someone thinks they can’t be loved, they will end up engaging in behaviors that enhance any interpersonal difficulties they may have.

64. You have the right to fall out of love, don’t feel guilty when you stop loving. Sometimes eros goes quietly out the back door

Sometimes love goes out. It’s not something voluntary or something we should feel bad about.

65. If the love of your partner is not seen or felt, if it does not reach you, then it does not exist or is not convenient for you. Then, find someone who loves you to rage

If your partner is not able to make you feel loved , it is better to stop the relationship and look for someone who really knows how to make you feel loved.

66. To overcome anxiety, fear of the future, of uncertainty, as a wise man said, one must give oneself unconditionally to the inevitable

Not censoring ourselves, doing what we want and accepting the possibility that it won’t work out without obsessing about that idea is fundamental to get out of fear.

67. The problem is in the attitude, not in what you are

Whatever you are, that shouldn’t limit you. The attitude you take towards life is what will really mark your success or failure.

68. It is in the silence that we make contact with what we truly are

Connecting with yourself is something that can be more complex than it seems. Stopping thinking, judging, and even acting or interacting with the environment allows us to focus on who we are and what we want.

69. To love is for the courageous, it is to overcome the fear of loss and abandonment, to finish them off like someone who kills a poisonous animal, without compassion

Daring to love means overcoming the possibility that it will not work, that we will be left or that we will be hurt. Loving is an act of courage.

70. When we are in situations that take us to the limit, we are neither from Mars nor from Venus; we are earthlings. Women and men suffer equally. Especially when it comes to love

Sex and gender have nothing to do with the level of suffering we can have for what matters to us. The cultural expression of that suffering, imposed by gender roles, may vary, but the level of pain will be the same whether we are male or female.

71. Be proud and happy of your physical attributes. It doesn’t matter if they are many or few, you are lucky because you have them

Many people do not feel good about themselves because their physique does not fit what they would like. However, no matter how we are, we should be proud of ourselves.

72. For a rational, not unhealthy Self, a balanced mixture of ambition and realism is needed

We must try to be realistic. Being ambitious is good, but we must take into account our real possibilities and the path we can take to achieve our goals.

73. We believe too much in beliefs, because it is more comfortable not to question ourselves

Self-questioning can be hard for many people, who instead choose to retreat into their beliefs about their choices, their experiences, or the world.

74. If you only focus on your mistakes you won’t see your achievements. If you only see what you lack, you will not enjoy the moment, the here and now

This phrase indicates that we must be able to see the positive side of every moment and not live thinking only about what we lack and the mistakes we make. The latter will only make us unable to perceive the positive and the objectives we do fulfill.

75. Fall in love with yourself, with life, with what surrounds you, with what you do, with who you are

Walter Riso points out the need to love ourselves as we are, what we live and the little things. This is what will push us to be happy and enjoy life.