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
Since I couldn't actuate the things that I wanted to do, the only weapon I had was to say no.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries when one feels unable to take action toward their desires.
Sidney Poitier's quote highlights the power and necessity of saying no, especially in situations where one feels powerless or incapable of pursuing their goals or desires. It suggests that even when direct action is not possible, the ability to assert oneself by declining requests or opportunities can be a significant form of resistance and self-advocacy.
In practice
In a motivational speech about personal growth.
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.
My father was the quintessential husband and dad.
I wanted to explore the values that are at work, underpinning my life.
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.
We're all imperfect, and life is simply a perpetual, unending struggle against those imperfections.
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.
Our country is in danger, but not to be despaired of. Our enemies are numerous and powerful; but we have many friends, determining to be free, and heaven and earth will aid the resolution. On you depend the fortunes of America. You are to decide the important question, on which rest the happiness and liberty of millions yet unborn. Act worthy of yourselves.
Here is my biggest takeaway after 60 years on the planet: There is great value in being fearless. For too much of my life, I was too afraid, too frightened by it all. That fear is one of my biggest regrets.
Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears.
The predator wants your silence. It feeds their power, entitlement, and they want it to feed your shame.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.
In swimming, especially training out in the ocean and open water, you got fogged-over goggles, you're stuck with your own thoughts - there's great benefits to that, deep thinking like that after many hours, but there's also tremendous loneliness. You burn out. You want to run, jump, ski, do anything. So at age 30, I was finished.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.