Fred Rogers

Just because somebody wants to be alone sometimes, it doesn't mean they don't love you.

Human beings need to feel that they are lovable and capable of loving.

I believe that those of us who are the producers and purveyors of television, I believe that we are the servants of this nation.

In my own life, as the nearer I get to the end of life on this earth, the simpler I want to become.

I don't think that the basics that kids need have changed in 10,000 years.

I like to compare the holiday season with the way a child listens to a favorite story. The pleasure is in the familiar way the story begins, the anticipation of familiar turns it takes, the familiar moments of suspense, and the familiar climax and ending.

The whole idea is to look at the television camera and present as much love as you possibly could to a person who might feel that he or she needs it.

The underlying message of the Neighborhood is that if somebody cares about you, it's possible that you'll care about others. 'You are special, and so is your neighbor' - that part is essential: that you're not the only special person in the world. The person you happen to be with at the moment is loved, too.

I do think that young children can spot a phony a mile away.

The space between the television set and the viewer is holy ground.

Children aren't responsible for wars.

When I first saw children's television, I thought it was perfectly horrible. And I thought there was some way of using this fabulous medium to be of nurture to those who would watch and listen.

I think of discipline as the continual everyday process of helping a child learn self-discipline.

Love isn't a perfect state of caring. It's an active noun, like 'struggle.'

It's not the honors and not the titles and not the power that is of ultimate importance. It's what resides inside.

You know, you don't have to look like everybody else to be acceptable and to feel acceptable.

One of the most important gifts a parent can give a child is the gift of accepting that child's uniqueness.

I saw this new thing called television, and I saw people throwing pies in each other's faces, and I thought, 'This could be a wonderful tool for education! Why is it being used this way?' So I said to my parents, 'You know, I don't think I'll go into seminary right away. I think I'll go into television.'

The world is not always a kind place. That's something all children learn for themselves, whether we want them to or not, but it's something they really need our help to understand.

The number 143 means 'I love you.' It takes one letter to say 'I' and four letters to say 'love' and three letters to say 'you.' One hundred and forty-three. 'I love you.' Isn't that wonderful?