[Speaking] is never without fear; of visibility, of the harsh light of scrutiny and perhaps judgment, of pain, of death. But we have lived through all of those already, in silence, except death. And I remind myself all the time now, that if I were to have been born mute, and had maintained an oath of silence my whole life for safety, I would still have suffered, and I would still die.
Interpretation
Speaking carries inherent fears, yet silence leads to suffering too.
Audre Lorde's quote emphasizes the importance of expressing oneself despite the fears and judgments that may accompany speaking out. She reflects on the harsh realities of life, suggesting that avoiding expression to escape scrutiny ultimately results in suffering, highlighting that whether voicing thoughts or remaining silent, pain and mortality are universal experiences.
In practice
This quote can inspire individuals in a motivational speech about overcoming fears of public speaking.
The fact that we are here and that I speak these words is an attempt to break that silence and bridge some of those differences between us, for it is not difference which immobilizes us, but silence. And there are so many silences to be broken.
There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.
There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt.
I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.
I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.
There's always someone asking you to underline one piece of yourself - whether it's Black, woman, mother, dyke, teacher, etc. - because that's the piece that they need to key in to. They want to dismiss everything else.
There is no more sagacious animal than the Icelandic horse. He is stopped by neither snow, nor storm, nor impassable roads, nor rocks, glaciers, or anything. He is courageous, sober, and surefooted. He never makes a false step, never shies. If there is a river or fjord to cross (and we shall meet with many) you will see him plunge in at once, just as if he were amphibious, and gain the opposite bank.
One of the biggest ways we don't support ourselves is by not asking for support. Asking can take courage, but the reward is immense.
There is no law for farm labor organizing, save the law of the jungle.
I think I was the healthiest prisoner of conscience in the world.
We've all lived through something horrific, but the strength and beauty and knowledge that we're going to win eventually is what keeps me going.
I get stage fright and gremlins in my head saying: 'You're going to forget your lines'.
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