Maya Angelou Thoughtful Quotations

For a person who grew up in the '30s and '40s in the segregated South, with so many doors closed without explanation to me, libraries and books said, 'Here I am, read me.' Over time I have learned I am at my best around books.

All men are prepared to accomplish the incredible if their ideals are threatened.

I would say you might encounter many defeats but you must never be defeated, ever. In fact, it might even be necessary to confront defeat. It might be necessary, to get over it, all the way through it, and go on. I would teach her to laugh a lot. Laugh a lot at the - and the silliest things and be very, very serious. I'd teach her to love life, I can bet you that.

Continue to be bold, courageous. Try to choose the wisest thing and once you've chosen the wisest thing go out and try to achieve it. Be it.

I look at some of the great novelists, and I think the reason they are great is that they're telling the truth. The fact is they're using made-up names, made-up people, made-up places, and made-up times, but they're telling the truth about the human being- what we are capable of, what makes us lose, laugh, weep, fall down, and gnash our teeth and wring our hands and kill each other and love each other.

You only are free when you realize you belong no place - you belong every place - no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great.

It is sad but true that sometimes we need the tragedy to help us to see how human we are and how we are more alike than we are different.

The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don't know my story...

Remember, people will judge you by your actions not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold but so does a hard-boiled egg.