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
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the complex nature of human emotions and the struggles we endure while holding onto hope and facing despair.
Sidney Poitier's quote expresses the multifaceted experience of human suffering and hope. It captures the essence of how people grapple with pain, fears, and the weight of their unfulfilled aspirations. The notion of hopelessness is presented as a universal condition that transcends individual experience, emphasizing that everyone, at some point, confronts feelings of defeat and uncertainty, yet continues to strive for hope and meaning in their lives.
Themes
SufferingHopeEmotionsDespairUnfulfilled Aspirations
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about resilience and hope.
More from Sidney Poitier
All quotes →My father was the quintessential husband and dad.
Sidney PoitierRead
I wanted to explore the values that are at work, underpinning my life.
Sidney PoitierRead
We're all imperfect, and life is simply a perpetual, unending struggle against those imperfections.
Sidney PoitierRead
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.
Sidney PoitierRead
Okay listen, you think I'm so inconsequential? Then try this on for size. All those who see unworthiness when they look at me and are given thereby to denying me value - to you I say, I'm not talking about being AS GOOD as you. I hereby declare myself BETTER than you.
Sidney PoitierRead
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