There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.
Jackie RobinsonRead
I do not believe that every person, in every walk of life, can succeed in spite of any handicap. That would be perfection. But I do believe that what I was able to attain came to be because we put behind us (no matter how slowly) the dogmas of the past: to discover the truth of today; and perhaps the greatness of tomorrow.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Success is not guaranteed for everyone, but overcoming past limitations can lead to progress.
Jackie Robinson's quote emphasizes that while perfection is unattainable and success may not be achievable for everyone regardless of their circumstances, it is essential to shed outdated beliefs and ideologies to uncover current truths and pave the way for future greatness. This perspective advocates for resilience and the importance of learning from the past to enhance one's potential in life.
Themes
SuccessHandicapOvercomingTruthGreatnessProgress
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about resilience, I might quote Jackie Robinson to illustrate the importance of moving beyond societal limitations.
More from Jackie Robinson
All quotes →The way I figured it, I was even with baseball and baseball with me. The game had done much for me, and I had done much for it.
Jackie RobinsonRead
My problem was my inability to spend much time at home. I thought my family was secure, so I went running around everyplace else. I guess I had more of an effect on other people's kids than I did my own.
Jackie RobinsonRead
I had no future with the Dodgers, because I was too closely identified with Branch Rickey. After the club was taken over by Walter O'Malley, you couldn't even mention Mr. Rickey's name in front of him. I considered Mr. Rickey the greatest human being I had ever known.
Jackie RobinsonRead
The colonel replied that he didn't care how my men had got the job done. He was happy that it had been accomplished. He said that, obviously, no matter how much or how little I knew technically, I was able to get the best out of people I worked with.
Jackie RobinsonRead
When I look back at what I had to go through in black baseball, I can only marvel at the many black players who stuck it out for years in the Jim Crow leagues because they had nowhere else to go.
Jackie RobinsonRead
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