Actor`s page Phil McGraw, 1 September 1950, Vinita, Oklahoma, USA!

Eighty percent of all choices are based on fear. Most people don't choose what they want; they choos...Show more »

Eighty percent of all choices are based on fear. Most people don't choose what they want; they choose what they think is safe. Show less «

I'm one of those that believes you can't be one kind of a man and another kind of president.

I'm embarrassed every time I look a teacher in the eye, because we ask them to do so much for so lit...Show more »

I'm embarrassed every time I look a teacher in the eye, because we ask them to do so much for so little. Show less «

Now, my body fat runs around 18 percent, which is normal and, you know, kind of in the middle of nor...Show more »

Now, my body fat runs around 18 percent, which is normal and, you know, kind of in the middle of normal, actually. Show less «

I've talked to so many people, men and women alike, that get overweight and their self-esteem just g...Show more »

I've talked to so many people, men and women alike, that get overweight and their self-esteem just goes in the tank. They think they're judged. They think they're unattractive. Show less «

The problem is that for women, the average time is just over 14 minutes... men are left with about 1...Show more »

The problem is that for women, the average time is just over 14 minutes... men are left with about 12 minutes during which time they need to think of something to do! Show less «

The most you get is what you ask for.

Sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you make the decision right.

It's hard to see your own face without a mirror.

Awareness without action is worthless.

We all have a social mask, right? We put it on, we go out, put our best foot forward, our best image...Show more »

We all have a social mask, right? We put it on, we go out, put our best foot forward, our best image. But behind that social mask is a personal truth, what we really, really believe about who we are and what we're capable of. Show less «

I mean, I'm very, very competitive.

I mean, if you degrade someone, you isolate them, you control them, you call them names, you demean ...Show more »

I mean, if you degrade someone, you isolate them, you control them, you call them names, you demean them. That's a horrible existence for people. Show less «

There is nothing wrong with your marriage if you're dealing with bills and kids and the broken garba...Show more »

There is nothing wrong with your marriage if you're dealing with bills and kids and the broken garbage disposal and in-laws and work demands. That's a normal marriage. Show less «

At the end of the day, whether or not those people are comfortable with how you're living your life ...Show more »

At the end of the day, whether or not those people are comfortable with how you're living your life doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're comfortable with it. Show less «

People are used to being coddled.

Everyone faces the challenge of finding meaning to their suffering.

I grew up in athletics, where people keep score.

I tell you, if you're in the front row of the parade and you stop walking, pretty soon you're back i...Show more »

I tell you, if you're in the front row of the parade and you stop walking, pretty soon you're back in the tuba section. And if you want to lead the parade you've got to keep moving. Show less «

What I want people to do is what's healthy for them.

As parents we're not nearly as computer literate as our children are.

Food is a coping mechanism; people are afraid of giving it up because then they'll feel confused and...Show more »

Food is a coping mechanism; people are afraid of giving it up because then they'll feel confused and lost. Show less «

I just am not good at math.

I think every parent, every generation has wanted their children to do better and have a higher stan...Show more »

I think every parent, every generation has wanted their children to do better and have a higher standard of living. But I think there's too much guilt. Show less «

If you've gone into a marriage and you haven't been clear about how you're going to handle money, ho...Show more »

If you've gone into a marriage and you haven't been clear about how you're going to handle money, how you want to raise kids, who is going to work or stay home or what have you, then you've set yourself up for failure. Show less «

It's better to be healthy alone than sick with someone else.

Not everybody is some kind of media model.

You don't need a rope to pinch a stranger's butt.

We teach people how to treat us.

Successful weight loss takes programming, not willpower.

You need to listen to your body because your body is listening to you.

Take it from a guy: If you're in love with somebody, you will swim the stream, you will climb the mo...Show more »

Take it from a guy: If you're in love with somebody, you will swim the stream, you will climb the mountain, you will slay the dragon. You're going to get to her somehow, some way. Show less «

There are some sick people in this world.

I think I've got the best staff in television.

I don't substitute anybody else's judgment for my own.

I've learned a tremendous amount from Oprah.

Well, let me tell you, if you're 45, had three children and are post-menopausal, you're not going to...Show more »

Well, let me tell you, if you're 45, had three children and are post-menopausal, you're not going to weigh what you did the day you graduated from high school. Get that out of your head. That's a media-driven ideal that you're never going to healthfully obtain. Show less «

I mean, look, teachers don't do their job for the money, obviously, because we pay them ridiculously...Show more »

I mean, look, teachers don't do their job for the money, obviously, because we pay them ridiculously little amounts for what they put in. Most of them come out of their own pocket for materials and things to help the children and all that. Show less «

If I was on the air and was just kind of a plain-vanilla personality that took the safe road and the...Show more »

If I was on the air and was just kind of a plain-vanilla personality that took the safe road and the safe way trying to please all of the people all of the time, I'd been gone in two weeks. Show less «

A lot of people do have tragic childhoods. But you know what? Get over it.

Oh, everybody wears a mask. We all put our best foot forward. We all try and make a statement, I'm n...Show more »

Oh, everybody wears a mask. We all put our best foot forward. We all try and make a statement, I'm not saying that's bad. Show less «

I don't care how pumped up or psyched you are to start a new diet or a new program - that emotion wi...Show more »

I don't care how pumped up or psyched you are to start a new diet or a new program - that emotion will fade. Show less «

You have got to decide, look, this is who I am; this is my best way to present myself, and I'm going...Show more »

You have got to decide, look, this is who I am; this is my best way to present myself, and I'm going to ride that horse to the finish line. Not everybody will like it, but that's OK. Show less «

God is a loving god.

The Internet is just bringing all kinds of information into the home. There's just a lot of distract...Show more »

The Internet is just bringing all kinds of information into the home. There's just a lot of distraction, a lot of competition for the parent's voice to resonate in the children's ears. Show less «

Nothing's funnier to me than laughing at myself.

It's so much easier to tell people what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear.

If you're trying to get out of debt, you have to be willing to treat everything as expendable.

Do you realize that you can't play the game of life with sweaty palms?

I think you're running into a lot of trouble if your idea of foreplay is, 'Brace yourself honey, her...Show more »

I think you're running into a lot of trouble if your idea of foreplay is, 'Brace yourself honey, here I come!' Show less «

You're only lonely if you're not there for you.

If your neighbor has a completely different view on abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research, all ...Show more »

If your neighbor has a completely different view on abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research, all of those things, you still are both Americans. Neither one of you is necessarily more patriotic than the other. Neither loves their country any more than the other one does. Show less «

Don't wait until you're in a crisis to come up with a crisis plan.

Life is a full-contact sport, and there's a score up on the board.

Well, I'm not sure what pop psychology is, but I don't like it.

If you want more, you have to require more from yourself.

Relationships are negotiated and if you deal with ultimatums and authority all the time, then you're...Show more »

Relationships are negotiated and if you deal with ultimatums and authority all the time, then you're not going to get anywhere. Show less «

There's a big difference between falling in love and being in love. There's a big difference between...Show more »

There's a big difference between falling in love and being in love. There's a big difference between infatuation and falling in love. Show less «

My dad used to say, 'You wouldn't worry so much about what people thought about you if you knew how ...Show more »

My dad used to say, 'You wouldn't worry so much about what people thought about you if you knew how seldom they did. Show less «

Every one of us have things that we believe about ourselves when nobody else is looking, nobody else...Show more »

Every one of us have things that we believe about ourselves when nobody else is looking, nobody else is listening, nobody else is monitoring what we're doing. We believe things about ourself. Show less «

I do not believe, even remotely, that you have to have a partner in your life in order to be whole, ...Show more »

I do not believe, even remotely, that you have to have a partner in your life in order to be whole, in order to be complete, in order to be fulfilled. You just don't have to. Show less «

You don't need a pack of wild horses to learn how to make a sandwich.

The truth is, I think we are a self-less society, not a selfish society. Because we're so busy now.

When I was practicing psychology, I used to tell myself if I ever get to where I'm just doing this f...Show more »

When I was practicing psychology, I used to tell myself if I ever get to where I'm just doing this for the money or I'm just going through the motions, I'll quit. Show less «

A year from now, you're gonna weigh more or less than what you do right now.

You know, what we do know is that there is a high frequency of violence in the home of those who bul...Show more »

You know, what we do know is that there is a high frequency of violence in the home of those who bully. Show less «

Parents need to dial in and know what their kids are doing.

I have some wonderful friends from the Mideast that are as red, white and blue as anybody you know, ...Show more »

I have some wonderful friends from the Mideast that are as red, white and blue as anybody you know, that have been harassed, and I think it's a terrible, terrible thing. Show less «

Sometimes you just got to give yourself what you wish someone else would give you.

Phil McGraw

Phil McGraw'S roles