I wouldn’t say I’m a feminist, but I don’t like girls pretending to be stupid because it’s easier.

I want to appeal to everyone. Because I’m not saying I’m the best, but we the best.

For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.

I was not encouraged to follow the career of a writer because my parents thought that I was going to starve to death. They thought nobody can make a living from being a writer in Brazil. They were not wrong.

The world around me has changed, and I have learned to adapt but not change. But I’m changing into the woman I am meant to be.

You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lines. You may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I’ll rise.

You can tell the strength of a nation by the women behind its men.

All the reasonings of men are not worth one sentiment of women.

He who is brave is free.

One’s only rival is one’s own potentialities. One’s only failure is failing to live up to one’s own possibilities. In this sense, every man can be a king, and must therefore be treated like a king.

The body is meant to be seen, not all covered up.

It’s better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.

I have known people who are working class or craftsmen, who happen to be more intellectual than professors.

I think all women go through periods where we hate this about ourselves, we don’t like that. It’s great to get to a place where you dismiss anything you’re worried about. I find flaws attractive. I find scars attractive.

We do not need the empire to give us anything.

Whether women are better than men I cannot say – but I can say they are certainly no worse.

Agency is a divine gift to you. You are free to choose what you will be and what you will do.

People have this capacity within them to set the world straight.

Let us ask ourselves, ‚What kind of people do we think we are?‘ And let us answer, ‚Free people, worthy of freedom and determined not only to remain so but to help others gain their freedom as well.‘

People have told me, ‚You shouldn’t bring your daughter onto the podium, ‚cause it’s the workplace,‘ and things like that. But I’m not gonna really listen to that. I’m gonna do what I think is fun for me and my family, and everything’ll be all right.

Blessed are the hearts that can bend; they shall never be broken.

There are certainly a lot of things that still need to change when it comes to women in the workforce.

I do believe in self-help.

Talent and intelligence never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the fates.

You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.

You have enough people against you… be for yourself.

Over the holidays, and even during filming, I realized that I actually like my body, even if it’s not perfect according to the book. I just feel sexy. For the first time, I don’t want to get rid of the curves. I just want to tone it up. My body is comfortable, and it’s not unhealthy, so I’m going to rock with it.

Our ambition should be to rule ourselves, the true kingdom for each one of us; and true progress is to know more, and be more, and to do more.

Young people can create beautiful things.

He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.

When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‚We did it ourselves.‘

Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness.

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.

Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done.

Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.

When you get to a place where you understand that love and belonging, your worthiness, is a birthright and not something you have to earn, anything is possible.

I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him.

Plain women know more about men than beautiful women do.

Nothing external to you has any power over you.

We have to confront ourselves. Do we like what we see in the mirror? And, according to our light, according to our understanding, according to our courage, we will have to say yea or nay – and rise!

All of us are mentors. You’re mentors right here and now. And one of the things I’ve always done throughout my life, I have always found that person, that group of people that I was going to reach my hand out and help bring them along with me.

I have some good friends of my own who happen to be gay, and when it comes to gay, straight, or whatever, I’m for anything life-affirmative. I’m for gay power, straight power, male power, female power; everybody should feel empowered without oppressing anyone who’s different.

I just use fashion as an excuse to talk about politics. Because I’m a fashion designer, it gives me a voice, which is really good.

Be the hunter, not the hunted.

Don’t be dependent. At all. Ever. Period.

The basic Buddhist stand on the question of equality between the genders is age-old. At the highest tantric levels, at the highest esoteric level, you must respect women: every woman.

We still think of a powerful man as a born leader and a powerful woman as an anomaly.

It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel toward our distant goal.

To terrify children with the image of hell… to consider women an inferior creation. Is that good for the world?

Ah! yes, I know: those who see me rarely trust my word: I must look too intelligent to keep it.

I don’t think that women need to smell interesting.

In business for yourself, not by yourself.

Democracy is a daring concept – a hope that we’ll be best governed if all of us participate in the act of government. It is meant to be a conversation, a place where the intelligence and local knowledge of the electorate sums together to arrive at actions that reflect the participation of the largest possible number of people.

When my ancestors came from Africa, they were shackled by our neck, our wrists, and our ankles in steel chains. I’ve turned those steel chains into gold to symbolize the fact that I’m still a slave, only my price tag is higher.

In my work and in myself I reflect black people, women and men, as I reflect others. One day even the most self-protective ones will look into the mirror I provide and not be afraid.

Feeling like you’re respected among the people who do the same thing you do is incredible and necessary.

I just think overall there’s not as many female ministers than there are male ministers.

On every front there are clear answers out there that can make this country stronger, but we’re going to break through the fear and the frustration people are feeling. Our job is to make sure that even as we make progress, that we are also giving people a sense of hope and vision for the future.

I affirm to you the tremendous potential you have, not beyond anything you could ever imagine.

At the end of the day, women are a distraction. Whether you realize it or not.