If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me?
Maya AngelouRead
I find it interesting that the meanest life, the poorest existence, is attributed to God's will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at commensurate speed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests a paradox where people blame God for their suffering while dismissing divine responsibility as their circumstances improve.
Maya Angelou's quote reflects on the human tendency to attribute their hardships to divine will while conveniently shifting away from that attribution as their lives improve. It raises a philosophical inquiry about the nature of responsibility in relation to faith, wealth, and the complexities of human experience. As individuals climb the socioeconomic ladder, they often distance themselves from the concept of divine oversight, illustrating a shift in perception of accountability and existence.
Themes
FaithResponsibilityWealthHuman ExperiencePhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion about wealth distribution and spirituality.
More from Maya Angelou
All quotes →The white American man makes the white American woman maybe not superfluous but just a little kind of decoration. Not really important to turning around the wheels of the state. Well the black American woman has never been able to feel that way. No black American man at any time in our history in the United States has been able to feel that he didn't need that black woman right against him, shoulder to shoulder-in that cotton field, on the auction block, in the ghetto, wherever.
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I dreamt we walked together along the shore. We made satisfying small talk and laughed. This morning I found sand in my shoe and a seashell in my pocket. Was I only dreaming?
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I know that I'm not the easiest person to live with. The challenge I put on myself is so great that the person I live with feels himself challenged. I bring a lot to bear, and I don't know how not to.
Maya AngelouRead
I think Clinton, after getting into office and into Washington, was shocked at being bludgeoned. So he spent time trying to be all things to all people - one way guaranteed not to be successful or respected in a lion's den. You can't just play around with all those big cats - you've got to take somebody on.
Maya AngelouRead
In order to be a mentor, and an effective one, one must care. You must care. You don't have to know how many square miles are in Idaho, you don't need to know what is the chemical makeup of chemistry, or of blood or water. Know what you know and care about the person, care about what you know and care about the person you're sharing with.
Maya AngelouRead
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