Truth is the baby of the world. It never gets old.
Dick GregoryRead
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.
Interpretation
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.
In practice
In a motivational speech to a group of young athletes about personal identity.
Truth is the baby of the world. It never gets old.
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.
Just being a Negro doesn't qualify you to understand the race situation any more than being sick makes you an expert on medicine.
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.
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.
Fear and God do not occupy the same space.
We don't need to shift our responsibilities onto the shoulders of some deified Spiritual Superman, or sit around and wait for Fate to come knocking at the door. We simply need to believe in the power that's within us, and use it. When we do that, and stop imitating others and competing against them, things begin to work for us.
Dreams without goals, are just dreams and they ultimately fuel disappointment.
The timid and fearful first failures dismay, but the stout heart stays trying by night and by day. He values his failures as lessons that teach The one way to get to the goal he would reach.
Every single day I wake up and commit to myself to becoming a better player.
You keep pushing because you believe in yourself and in your vision and you know that it is the right thing to do, and success will come. So don't be afraid to fail!
There's always ways of motivating yourself to higher levels. Write about it, dream about it. But after that, turn it into action. Don't just dream.
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