I believe the ability to think is blessed. If you can think about a situation, you can deal with it. The big struggle is to keep your head clear enough to think.
Richard PryorRead
You work your butt off and somebody says you can't have your record played because it offends them. Tyrants are made of such stuff.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the struggle against oppression and the importance of creative freedom in the face of censorship.
In this quote, Richard Pryor reflects on the frustrations and injustices faced by artists when their work is censored due to the sensitivities of others. He suggests that true tyranny arises from those who seek to limit freedom of expression, highlighting the importance of standing up for one's rights and the rights of others to share their voice without fear of retribution or backlash.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of artistic freedom.
I believe the ability to think is blessed. If you can think about a situation, you can deal with it. The big struggle is to keep your head clear enough to think.
There was a time in my life when I thought I had everything - millions of dollars, mansions, cars, nice clothes, beautiful women, and every other materialistic thing you can imagine. Now I struggle for peace.
I think about being married again, having a home and a wife. No one can ever be married too many times, and maybe if I keep trying I'll get it right one day.
I went to Zimbabwe. I know how white people feel in America now; relaxed! Cause when I heard the police car I knew they weren't coming after me!
Imagine people calling you to find out if you're dead. I've led a real crazy life at times, and I've had many strange things happen to me, but that was one of the strangest.
The way I see it, the earth is going to be here after we're dead and gone. Even if it's a polluted planet, and they messed it up. Where do they go from here - to another planet so they can mess that up too?
Consider what you want to do in relation to what you are capable of doing. Climbing is, above all, a matter of integrity.
In a weird way, that's the beauty of being an actor. You get to live out things that you're afraid of, and you get to say, 'Well, maybe I can get to the end of it and survive it intact and I can be the hero of my own story.' It's kind of a way of exorcising fear.
There have been times when I have deliberately tried to take my life... I think I must have been crying for some attention.
Gambling can turn into a dangerous two-way street when you least expect it. Weird things happen suddenly, and your life can go all to pieces.
If we had the courage to confront the doubts we timidly conceive about ourselves, none of us would utter an 'I' without shame.
It wasn't until I stood in my truth and told everybody that I had $250,000 in credit card debt. At that point, everything turned around for me. I had to reveal the truth about what I didn't have, more than pretend about what I did. That was interesting.
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