Laurence J. Peter

You can tell a real friend: when you’ve made a fool of yourself he doesn’t feel as though you’ve done a permanent job.

Democracy is a process by which the people are free to choose the man who will get the blame.

Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.

Heredity is what sets the parents of a teenager wondering about each other.

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn.

You don’t need to take a person’s advice to make him feel good—just ask for it.

A bore is a fellow talker who can change the subject to his topic of conversation faster than you can change it back to yours.

It is wise to remember that you are one of those who can be fooled some of the time.

Education is a method whereby one acquires a higher grade of prejudices.

Real, constructive mental power lies in the creative thought that shapes your destiny, and your hour by hour mental conduct produces power for change in your life. Develop a train of thought on which to ride. The nobility of your life as well as your happiness depends upon the direction in which that train of thought is going.

Everyone rises to their level of incompetence.

In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.