Audre Lorde Quotes

My philosophy has always been to do the job I do to the very best of my ability and to be myself within it.

When any of us thinks of ourselves as a role model - whether that's as a parent being observed by their kids or a leader under the microscope of their followers - it creates a natural stepping up of how we carry ourselves and what we expect from ourselves.

I realized the only thing I owed my audience was my own judgment and my own best effort.

I hold myself to the highest of standards.

Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.

The kind of young woman who can be a terrific torchbearer has high standards all the time, not just in her prom dress, but every, ordinary day.

When I say something, I want people to take it to the bank that I mean it and believe in it. It humbles me that companies want me. It's a challenge to uphold their values and make their product look good. I take that personally.

Whether for life or death, do your own work well.

Everything I put my name to and take part in, I want to be good. That's not saying it will always happen. But I want to make bold choices.

I just try to do my best and make the best judgments I can.

To aim at the best and to remain essentially ourselves is one and the same thing.

I always like to do the things that I think are right. I am not trying to be a model, I am trying to be myself and do the right things. If what I am doing is a model, or is an example, is the right example, I am very happy, but I don't pretend that.

We distinguish the excellent man from the common man by saying that the former is the one who makes great demands on himself, and the latter who makes no demands on himself.

If the history of the Day of Atonement has anything to say to us now it is: never relieve individuals of moral responsibility. The more we have, the more we grow.

Do what I want, be honest to myself and then it would do good for others, that's all, full on.

Don't try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different enough.

My expectations of other people, I double them on myself.

I'm a perfectionist. I'm not going to cheat the people.

Men are more accountable for their motives, than for anything else; and primarily, morality consists in the motives, that is in the affections.

I expect perfection from myself.

I take my work enormously seriously. When I do something, it has to feel right. Everything has to be right.

I must be responsible and accountable for my actions.

I take personal responsibility for everything I say.

Anything which tends to bring a greater sense of responsibility to individuals should be encouraged.

My power for good, whatever it may, would be gone if I didn’t try to live up to the doctrines I have tried to preach.