Beloved children’s television host Fred McFeely Rogers was also a musician, puppeteer, writer, producer, and Presbyterian minister.
And, if you happen to have been living under a rock, you might not know that he was also the creator, showrunner and host of the preschool television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 to 2001 – though you can still see reruns today.
Known to his fans as simply “Mr. Rogers,” he was an incredibly selfless man. He showed time and time again that he truly cared for children.
Mr. Rogers’ passion for teaching kids the right message was extraordinary, and it showed why he was so important to all of the many people who watched him. He touched the hearts of millions of people in this world. Did he touch your heart?
While Mr. Rogers died in 2003, he will always live on for his many wonderful words and actions. Even today, they still have relevance to everyone.
Not just for kids, but even adults who watched him when they were kids. His many wise words still inspire us to this day. Not only are his words important to you, but they are important to the world around you as well.
5 Quotes from Mr. Rogers That Will Inspire You
These quotes from this wonderful man will hopefully inspire you in the same way they inspired the hearts of millions of children!
“Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like “struggle.” To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.” – Mr. Rogers
Love is a subject that almost anyone can relate to. It is often known to not be understood very well. Mr. Rogers explains it perfectly here, helping you understand what a relationship actually is. Mr. Rogers shows that it comes down to accepting who your loved one truly is, all the time. Instead of doing everything perfectly all the time and expecting the same in return, you and your loved one should both accept each other for who they are, and love that about each other. That is what Mr. Rogers is saying love truly is, and he sets a good example for everyone. This isn’t just relevant to romantic relationships, but also platonic and family relationships. Can you apply this to your relationships?
“If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.” – Mr. Rogers
Mr. Rogers made a wonderful point when he said this. This quote carries extremely deep roots with it. He is essentially saying that you do not know just how important you are to people. He is talking about the impact every little thing you do has on people’s lives. You could have an effect on people that you don’t even remember. Maybe you just complimented their shirt, but it may have been enough to make that person’s day, week, or even their month.
“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.” – Mr. Rogers
Shared responsibility is huge in the world. If everybody lived by that ideal, the world would be a much better place. Mr. Rogers claims that the best people in the world are those who believe in this shared responsibility, or those who see the need and respond. Mr. Rogers looked at these people like heroes. He does not say it, but he means that everyone should be this way. Mr. Rogers is saying that this would be the best world. He believes everyone should strive to be this way.
“Solitude is different from loneliness, and it doesn’t have to be a lonely kind of thing.” – Mr. Rogers
This quote from Mr. Rogers is huge in representing the situation of the Coronavirus quarantine. Solitude is defined as the state or situation of being alone. Mr. Rogers claims it does not have to be lonely. This is true to quarantine as well, as you don’t have to feel as something that makes you lonely and takes you away from society. Instead, you should use quarantine for something good, instead of just feeling as if you are lonely. Maybe learn a new skill or create something new.
“Forgiveness is a strange thing. It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends. It can be hardest of all to forgive people we love. Like all of life’s important coping skills, the ability to forgive and the capacity to let go of resentments most likely take root very early in our lives.” – Mr. Rogers
Mr. Rogers teaches here that forgiveness is a coping skill that you should develop. He makes many claims inside of this quote. Mr. Rogers says that it is easier to forgive enemies than it is to forgive friends, which is most definitely true. Mr. Rogers claims that the skills to forgive will take root very early in your life. This could explain why you may have issues forgiving someone currently in your life. If you do, maybe consider why you might have that issue from your past, and then maybe trying to make up for that in your adult life.