Quotes from Ruth Westheimer

There will always be issues where an abortion is necessary.

I'm not a sex symbol, at least in the conventional sense.

I want to be like Madame de Stael.

If someone has gone through a lot of emotional pain, including the loss of loved ones, that person may try to build a shell around his or her feelings to protect him- or herself from the pain.

It matters a great deal that I come from a Jewish background.

If you're facing a problem, don't tell yourself that you can't do it. Convince yourself that you have the strength to deal with almost anything because of the way you were raised. And you do! Recognizing your core strengths is an important step toward having joie de vivre. You can count on better days to come because of the good days that came before. And you can find joy in the moment because you have the resiliency to overcome the problems that may be hanging over you.

You see families at a restaurant and the kids are on the phone and the adults are on the phone. It's just a catastrophe.

I'm not a type of grandmother sitting in a rocking chair. I'm a lot in the theater. I'm a lot at concerts. I'm a lot at friends.' I like to go out for dinner. I don't have to be home one night a week if I don't want to.

I read the horoscope, and when I like it I smile and when I don't like it, I say, 'Dr. Ruth Westheimer, what's the matter with you?'

I'm never embarrassed to say, 'I don't know.'

When you feel yourself being critical, whether it is of yourself or another person, stop yourself. Look for positive aspects to admire.

I tell people with children still in the house to go out once a week and talk about anything but the children. Otherwise, once you are an empty nester you might have nothing to talk about.