Thank you… but I’d rather die behind the chemical sheds. — V For Vendetta

You have to keep your honor and self-respect.  Doing the right thing is sometimes the hardest thing you can imagine, but the easy wrong can destroy you.  Hopefully it’s not an everyday experience for you, but there will be times when you will have to make decisions that will have huge consequences, either for you or for someone you love.  The trick is to be able to look yourself in the mirror afterward.

I have a simple test for these situations:  If I can’t imagine telling my children about my decision and why I made it, then I know it’s not the right thing to do.

You know, Rick, I have many a friend in Casablanca, but somehow, just because you despise me, you are the only one I trust.  — Casablanca

I don’t need friends who will tell me what I want to hear.  I need people who aren’t afraid to tell me the truth, even if they are people I don’t care for.  I have a better working relationship with people who cannot stand me, but we both know that the other is going to do the right thing, and will call the other one out when they start to do something stupid, than I do with people who want everyone to be their friend and are afraid to be brutally honest.

Jane, since I’ve met you, I’ve noticed things that I never knew were there before… birds singing, dew glistening on a newly formed leaf, stoplights. — The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

Being around Irish Woman helps me to see the world in ways that I never have before.  Her aspect on life is very different from mine, and every so often, I see things through her eyes.  She notices things about people and how they interact that I would never have considered.

In other words, letting others show you how they see the world can lead you to broadening and enriching your outlook.

It’s a fine line between standing behind a principle and hiding behind one. You can tolerate a little compromise, if you’re actually managing to get something accomplished. — Independence Day

We have our core values, which we should never compromise.  For me, they include not harming others needlessly and the  protection of civil rights, including those to privacy, arms, and speech.  But when we are trying to find a solution to a problem, so long as we don’t violate those values, we should at least consider the opinions and proposals of those who disagree with us.  We must look for the things we share rather than emphasize the areas in which we differ.

That being said, it is quite easy and depressingly common for core values to be forgotten in exchange for temporary leverage or a payoff.  Additionally, every time we compromise on the basic things we believe in, the harder it becomes to defend them later.  Be willing to compromise on some things, but never forget who you really are.

All day long, I listen to people give me excuses why they can’t work… ‘My back hurts,’ ‘my legs ache,’ ‘I’m only four!’ The sooner he learns life isn’t handed to him on a silver platter, the better!  — Scrooged

This may be a little extreme, but I kind of agree with this line. All of my kids have had chores from as early as it was appropriate. Now, I didn’t expect the four year old to go out and earn a living, but I did expect him to pick up his toys. I’ve never understood parents who don’t make their kids work for the extras. Food, shelter, love, and safety are a given for a child, but everything else should be a reward for good conduct or hard work. Once they leave the nest, nothing will be a given, and it’s better to learn how to work for something when you’re a child than it is to crash and burn as an adult.

That’s like pouring perfume on a pig. — They Live!

Eventually, in any process, you have to evaluate and decide if what you’re doing is right, if the manner in which you’re doing it is right, and if you’re the right person for the job. No amount of diligence, brilliance, or personality is going to make you successful if you can’t answer “Yes!” to at least two out of those three questions.

Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to.  — Gladiator

One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn as a person, and now to teach to my children, is “Business before pleasure”. You have to take care of what must be done before you can do what you want to do. When Irish Woman and I discuss projects around the house, it is not unusual for the ‘discussion’ to come down to “Do we need to do this, or is it just something you want”, and we both spend time on both sides of the argument.. There’s nothing wrong with doing the things that bring you joy, but you have to take care of essentials first.

As I expected. “Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way.” — Mary Poppins

Every now and then, I have the pleasure of doing a self evaluation and being able to say “I’m doing OK.” It doesn’t happen very often, and I never trust my own judgment too much when it comes to myself, but I can’t go through life without, every so often, giving myself a bit of credit.

It’s true, you are a good woman. Then again, you may be the antichrist. — Tombstone

My beloved Irish Woman is the most important person in my life. She has been with me through good times and horrid times. She keeps me on the straight and narrow path, and never fails to help me when I need it, especially if I don’t realize I need it. But there are times, usually when I’ve done something less than brilliant, that I would swear she can kill with her mind. Yes, her name has become a killing word.

Come on, Profile. You can make it. Don’t give the prick the satisfaction. — Heartbreak Ridge

Pride and stubbornness are sometimes all you have when you know you’re right, but know you aren’t winning. Having the ability to keep your head up and say “I never quit.” is worth more than anything that submission and surrender could give you.