Top S. I. Hayakawa Quotes - Quotesmemo.com

S. I. Hayakawa Biography

Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa (July 18, 1906 – February 27, 1992) was a Canadian-born American academic and politician of Japanese ancestry. A professor of English, he served as president of San Francisco State University, and then as U.S. Senator from California from 1977 to 1983.

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S. I. Hayakawa Quotes

Notice the difference between what happens when a man says to himself, I have failed three times, and what happens when he says, I am a failure.

Differences, Failed, Failure, Men, Notice, Says

The great thing about the United States is our ability to absorb foreign people and make them a part of us.

Ability, Absorb, People, States, United States

If I spoke no English, my world would be limited to the Japanese-speaking community, and no matter how talented I was, I could never do business, seek employment or take part in public affairs outside that community.

Business, Community, Employment, Limited, Talented, Would Be

The English Language Amendment says above all, 'Let's see to it that our children, our young people, learn English. Let us not deny them the opportunity to participate in American life, so that they can go as far as their dreams and talents can take them.

Children, Dream, Learn, Opportunity, Participate

We should keep [the Panama Canal]. After all, we stole it fair and square.

Peace, War, Squares, Canal, Fair, Panama

The United States is enriched by many cultures, and united by a single common language.

Common, Culture, Language, Single, States, United States

If everybody is rewarded just for being alive, you get the same sort of effect as you do when you reward every student just for being enrolled. You destroy not only education, you destroy society by giving A's to everyone. This is a philosophical consideration that bothers me very much as I sit in the United States Senate and see the great budget allocations going through.

Philosophical, Giving, Society, Destroy, Consideration

The United States, a land of immigrants from every corner of the world, has been strengthened and unified because its newcomers have historically chosen ultimately to forgo their native language for the English language. We have all benefited from the sharing of ideas, of cultures and beliefs, made possible by a common language. We have all enriched each other.

Common, English, Enriched, Ideas, Land, Native Language

English is the key to full participation in the opportunities of American life.

American, Full, Keys, Opportunity, Participation

I'm going to speak my mind because I have nothing to lose.

Funny, Inspirational, Lose, Mind, Speak, Truth

Learning to write is learning to think. You don't know anything clearly unless you can state it in writing.

Clearly, Inspirational, Learning, Think, Thinking, Writing

Good teachers never say anything. What they do is create the conditions under which learning takes place.

Education, Teacher, Teaching, Takes, Learning, Under

I believe we are being dishonest with language minority groups if we tell them they can take full part in American life without learning the English language.

Believe, Groups, Minorities, Part, Dishonest, Language

Agreement is brought about by changing people's minds - other people's.

Agreement, Brought, Changing, Mind, People

The meanings of words are not in the words, they are in us.

Meanings Of Words, Words, Meanings

We live in a highly competitive society, each of us trying to outdo the other in wealth, in popularity or social prestige, in dress, in scholastic grades or golf scores. One is often tempted to say that conflict, rather than cooperation, is the great governing principle of human life.

Competitive, Golf, Principles, Society, Trying

You guys are both saying the same thing. The only reason you're arguing is because you're using different words.

Guy, Different, Arguing, Thing, Reason

How anybody dresses is indicative of his self-concept. If students are dirty and ragged, it indicates they are not interested in tidying up their intellects either.

Death, Dirty, Dresses, Indicates, Self

English, our common language, binds our diverse people.

Common, Diverse, English, Language, People

In a very real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read.

Book, Good, Reading, Real, Sense

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