Ralph Ellison Quotes
Some people are your relatives but others are your ancestors, and you choose the ones you want to have as ancestors. You create yourself out of those values.

Quotes to Explore
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Privacy is not explicitly spelled out in the Constitution as freedom of speech is in the First Amendment.
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There is a role and function for beauty in our time.
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All of the characters in my films, they share one commonality. It doesn't matter whether they are good or bad, it doesn't matter whether they are smart or stupid, these characters all take responsibility for their own behavior. I'm much the same.
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People ask me to describe myself, but it's a very personal thing. You don't feel comfortable.
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Life has been kind to me. I am happy with the love and appreciation that I have been getting throughout my career. I feel blessed.
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When you think of all the conflicts we have - whether those conflicts are local, whether they are regional or global - these conflicts are often over the management, the distribution of resources. If these resources are very valuable, if these resources are scarce, if these resources are degraded, there is going to be competition.
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As anyone who has covered the company for any length of time knows, Yahoo's record on major decision-making has been akin to a hippie commune - a lot of wrangling internally in a culture where everyone seems to have a voice and a reticence to push the button to launch.
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There is a fundamental notion at the core of American identity that, in this country, any little boy or girl can grow up to be president.
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Now while the German money is over for Hollywood, I still have $80 million to make movies, and we will have two things coming up: less major movies and the price for actors will go down.
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I have reached the conclusion that those who have physical courage also have moral courage. Physical courage is a great test.
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In my life, there have always been people who guided my path, towards the school, towards this company. I didn't know about any of it. I didn't have a plan. It's good fortune and generosity from other people that have given me all I have today.
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It was weird - writing is a stupid thing to do. I come up here in the morning to a pleasant room in the roof of my house and imagine I'm a black South American football superstar; then I have to imagine I'm a female pop celebrity who's pregnant. It's a completely mad way to spend your time.
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I think, certainly in the more civilized societies, women's roles are growing in power all of the time.
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My version of a stress dream is, really, showing up on a concert stage with a drum set and not knowing the chart.
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However one might pray - in any verbal way or completely without words - is unimportant to God. What matters is the heart's intent.
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I'm still in touch with a lot people who continue to serve our country well.
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If Christ Jesus dwells in a man as his friend and noble leader, that man can endure all things, for Christ helps and strengthens us and never abandons us. He is a true friend.
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The law of humanity ought to be composed of the past, the present, and the future, that we bear within us; whoever possesses but one of these terms, has but a fragment of the law of the moral world.
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Just the thought of being on Oprah's radar at all is humbling, but to actually have her take time get on the phone with me kind of blows my mind.
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I've never had to pitch a movie to a studio. I usually just let people read the script, then I cast it. I always think pitching is for baseball.
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It was fortunate in looking back for South Africa and its entire people that Mandela and I found it possible to work together even though big strains developed between us from time to time.
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Some people are your relatives but others are your ancestors, and you choose the ones you want to have as ancestors. You create yourself out of those values.