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When you grow up in abject poverty, you see people exactly the way they are.
Viola Davis
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Growing up in poverty reveals the true nature of people around you.

Viola Davis highlights how experiencing abject poverty gives individuals a unique perspective on life and human nature. It strips away any illusions and forces one to confront reality, allowing for a deeper understanding of people's motivations and behaviors without the filters of privilege or comfort.

Themes

PovertyTruthPerspectiveHuman NatureReality

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech addressing social inequalities, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of understanding diverse experiences.

More from Viola Davis

The more I'm pushed in a position of leadership and I know I have to be the mouthpiece for so many other people who can't speak for themselves, the more confidence I'm gaining.
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What excites me is just taking some time to breathe in life. The mundane is very exciting.
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I don't care if someone is new to acting or experienced in acting: you always learn something from them. It's just like people in life - whether they're young or middle-aged or old, you always learn something from someone.
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I don't see a lot of narratives written where a woman who looks like me gets to be beautiful and sexualized and upwardly mobile, middle-class, funny, quirky. They're very seldom written.
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And that's what people want to see when they go to the theater. I believe at the end of the day, they want to see themselves - parts of their lives they can recognize. And I feel if I can achieve that, it's pretty spectacular.
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There's no prerequisites to worthiness. You're born worthy, and I think that's a message a lot of women need to hear.
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