I think there are a lot of rules for women. We have a lot of expectations and a lot of rules for women. So we're expected to march in a straight line, and when we don't, all hell breaks loose.
Roxane GayRead
It sometimes feels like the workplace is immune from social upheaval. We go to work and do the best we can, and at the end of the day, we return to our lives. We don't abandon who we are, however, when we begin and end our workday. Who we are shapes how we are perceived in the workplace and, in turn, how we perform in the workplace.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our identities influence our performance at work and how we are seen by others.
This quote emphasizes the integral connection between our personal identities and our professional lives. It suggests that even though work may seem separate from the broader social context, our true selves inevitably shape our workplace experience, affecting both our interactions and performance.
Themes
IdentityWorkplacePerformancePerceptionSocial Upheaval
In practice
Example use cases
During a team meeting to discuss company culture and values.
More from Roxane Gay
All quotes →I believe in the freedom of expression, unequivocally - though, as I have written before, I wish more people would understand that freedom of expression is not freedom from consequence.
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Public intellectuals are often put in the position of having their words, no matter how off-the-cuff, treated as doctrine.
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No one is helped when cultural critics use their voices irresponsibly.
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There has been, and there will continue to be, vigorous discussions about race in America. I worry that little will come of these discussions because we aren't addressing what must be done to change the current racial climate.
Roxane GayRead
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Don't waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it.
Ralph Waldo EmersonRead