Gloria Steinem Quotes

I think of myself as a human being first and foremost, and secondly as a person whose profession is acting. If people want to make that into something more or less, that's up to them.

To name oneself is the first act of both the poet and the revolutionary.

Women have had the power of naming stolen from us. We have not been free to use our own power to name ourselves, the world, or God.

Blind people do not need a name, I am my voice, nothing else matters.

Quit calling me Grey. It makes me sound like I’m a boy. Like Dorian Gray.” “Dorian who?” I sighed. “Just think up something else. Plain old Nora works too, you know.” “Sure thing, Gumdrop.” I grimaced. “I take that back. Let’s stick with Grey.

We all name ourselves. We call ourselves artists. Nobody asks us. Nobody says you are or you aren't.

Don't wait for people to tell you who you are. Show them.

He did not think of himself as a writer for the simple reason that the world had never allowed him to think of himself in this way.

The word 'feminist' is a word that discriminates, and I'm not into that. I don't think there has to be a separation in life in anything. [...] Labels are for other people to understand us, so for me, I know how I feel and I don't need to call myself a 'feminist' or 'not a feminist' because I know what my truth is.

I don't think sexuality defines a person. It's one small part of who you are, in my view. You are many things, and I never felt that people were defined by their sexuality solely.

I've been compared to people since the beginning. When you're starting out, you need a comparison so people will understand you right away.

To name oneself is the first act of both the poet and the revolutionary. When we take away the right to an individual name, we symbolically take away the right to be an individual. Immigration officials did this to refugees; husbands routinely do it to wives.

I do definitely get boxed into this #BlackGirlMagic social activist category. But it makes me think, "Well, maybe people are able to start thinking about that concept earlier and will hopefully be inspired to delve deeper into it and research it more." I think that's just how the media works. It's just very good at compartmentalizing human beings.

I guess there are a lot of people out there that think they're supposed to define themselves in isolation, but that's not necessarily the case.

I'm Mitt Romney-and yes Wolf, that's also my first name.

All of these are names given me by other people, but not names I would have given myself. My name is not mine, it's theirs. It's a series of costumes put on my life by other people.

Don't let anyone define you. You define yourself.

We live our lives based on who we think we are.

I just have to remind myself that my daily quotidie in life has almost nothing to do with any aspect of my professional life as a public figure. And I think a lot of people get to that point - specifically, sort of getting comfortable looking out for yourself and taking care of yourself and defining yourself based on healthier criteria, and not criteria that's established by complete strangers that you've never met.

I am Jewish. My real name is Chris Tuckenberg. A lot of people don't know about that.

We have a problem with any labels that people try to hang on us, because all it does is drag you down.

Self-esteem is the basis for feminism because self-esteem is based on defining yourself and believing in that definition. Self-esteem is regarding yourself as a grown-up.

Every day we choose who we are by how we define ourselves.

Why do you have to choose what type of woman you are? Why do you have to label yourself anything?

I came to live in a country I love; some people label me a defector. I have loved men and women in my life; I've been labeled the bisexual defector. Want to know another secret? I'm even ambidextrous. I don't like labels. Just call me Martina.