My father was a certain kind of man - I saw how he treated my mother and his family and how he treated strangers. And I vowed I would never make a film that would not reflect properly on my father's name.
Sidney PoitierRead
Generally, I tend to despise human behavior rather than human creatures.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a distinction between disliking actions rather than people themselves.
Sidney Poitier's quote highlights a nuanced perspective on human nature, suggesting that while we may be critical of certain behaviors and actions exhibited by people, we should not harbor disdain towards the individuals themselves. This invites a more compassionate understanding of human shortcomings, encouraging us to address behavior and morality without dehumanizing those who exhibit them.
Themes
Human BehaviorCompassionUnderstandingCritiqueHuman Nature
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethics in a workshop, one might say this quote to emphasize the importance of understanding people's motivations rather than just condemning their actions.
More from Sidney Poitier
All quotes →My father was the quintessential husband and dad.
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I wanted to explore the values that are at work, underpinning my life.
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We suffer pain, we hang tight to hope, we nurture expectations, we are plagued occasionally by fears, we are haunted by defeats and unrealized hopes . . . The hoplessness of which I speak is not limited.
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We're all imperfect, and life is simply a perpetual, unending struggle against those imperfections.
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I was the only Black person on the set. It was unusual for me to be in a circumstance in which every move I made was tantamount to representation of 18 million people.
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