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We thought I was going to be a great athlete, and we were wrong, and I thought I was going to be a great entertainer, and that wasn't it either. I'm going to be an American Citizen. First class.
Dick Gregory
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the importance of personal identity and finding fulfillment beyond societal expectations of success.

Dick Gregory reflects on the pressures of pursuing greatness in athletics and entertainment, ultimately realizing that true success lies in embracing his identity as a dedicated citizen. Instead of adhering to external definitions of success, he champions the value of contributing to society and being true to oneself.

Themes

IdentityCitizenshipSuccessMotivationSelf-Discovery

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech to a group of young athletes about personal identity.

More from Dick Gregory

Truth is the baby of the world. It never gets old.
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I never thought I'd see the day that I would see white folks as frightened, or more so, than black folks was during the civil rights movement when we was in Mississippi.
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Just being a Negro doesn't qualify you to understand the race situation any more than being sick makes you an expert on medicine.
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We used to root for the Indians against the cavalry, because we didn't think it was fair in the history books that when the cavalry won it was a great victory, and when the Indians won it was a massacre.
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Because I'm a civil rights activist, I am also an animal rights activist. Animals and humans suffer and die alike. Violence causes the same pain, the same spilling of blood, the same stench of death, the same arrogant, cruel and vicious taking of life. We shouldn't be a part of it.
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Fear and God do not occupy the same space.
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