{"quotes":[{"text":"The ego with its protective defense mechanisms is the biggest impediment to attaining spiritual growth.","author":"Kilroy J. Oldster","tags":["defense-mechanism","defensiveness","ego","enlightenment","enlightenment-and-attitude","enlightenment-principles","enlightenment","personal-development","personal-growth"],"id":2152,"author_id":"Kilroy+J.+Oldster"},{"text":"I stopped hating and started just being. My whole life, I had been the most defensive person you'd meet, unable to tolerate any criticism. But now I started listening and being.","author":"Anthony Kiedis","tags":["being","defensiveness","listening"],"id":4088,"author_id":"Anthony+Kiedis"},{"text":"The writer as boxer says he develops by, 'learning from everyone who'll spar with me.","author":"Davis Miller","tags":["bitterness","curiosity","defensiveness","flexibility","maturation","openness"],"id":22403,"author_id":"Davis+Miller"},{"text":"Often, vegan advocates assume that a person's defensiveness is the result of selfishness or apathy, when in fact it is much more likely the result of systematic and intensive social conditioning.","author":"Melanie Joy","tags":["advocates","animal-advocates","animals","apathy","defensiveness","social-condition","vegans"],"id":57129,"author_id":"Melanie+Joy"},{"text":"A person lives a false life whenever they are afraid to make contact with his or her authentic self. A sensitive ego – one that protects a person from pain – can also prevent a person from maturing mentally and emotionally by causing a person to distort truths and refuse to admit unpleasant facts.","author":"Kilroy J. Oldster","tags":["authentic-self","defensiveness","denial","ego","egotism"],"id":57592,"author_id":"Kilroy+J.+Oldster"},{"text":"You don't need to play every ball but every ball needs your judgement.","author":"Amit Ray","tags":["ball","batting","cricket","cricket-ball","cricket","cricket-strokes","cricketer","defensiveness","extend-the-limit","life-and-living","life-lessons","life-philosophy","players","playing","sports"],"id":81637,"author_id":"Amit+Ray"},{"text":"Love' is the only weapon I have, I will defend with love, I will attack with love.","author":"Amit Kalantri","tags":["attack","defend","defense","defensiveness","human","humans","inspiration","inspirational","inspirational","love","love","motivation","motivational","motivational","philosophy","respect","war","weapon","wisdom","wisdom"],"id":96729,"author_id":"Amit+Kalantri"},{"text":"In the name of 'force protection,' the military often rolls up windows, builds walls, and points rifles at the outside world. The best force protection, however, is to be surrounded by friends and allies.","author":"Eric Greitens","tags":["defensiveness","humility","networking","pride"],"id":102350,"author_id":"Eric+Greitens"},{"text":"Nixon under pressure turned only to reporters from publications already favorable to him; Kennedy, in trouble, turned to those most critical and dubious of him, and if anything tended to take those already for him a bit for granted.","author":"David Halberstam","tags":["defensiveness","humility","leadership","media","openness"],"id":122554,"author_id":"David+Halberstam"},{"text":"All defensiveness stems from the need to be right and frustration over not being able to control others.","author":"Bryant McGill","tags":["control","defensiveness","frustration"],"id":165606,"author_id":"Bryant+McGill"}],"pagination":{"page":1,"page_size":10,"total":27,"pages":3,"next":"?page=2\u0026page_size=10"}}