Sammy Davis Jr. Quotes

I faced a certain amount of violence. It taught me that I had to learn to protect myself - and it made me stronger. It could have made me step backwards with my self-discovery. Instead, it pushed me further.

I became good at defending myself, but as far as I was concerned, that was a transient skill.

I think everybody should have the attitude that you can't allow yourself to be hurt. You avoid a lot just with that attitude.

My mom used to say that I became a fighter and a scrapper and a tough guy to protect who I am at my core.

Some experiences can give you a chip on your shoulder, but they also teach you the value of independence and looking out for yourself.

I conditioned myself many years ago that nobody could hurt me.

I have a self-defense mind. I've had it all my life.

You've got to stand up and do your own battles. My daddy taught me that a long time ago, that you fight your own battles. The only way to shut everybody up is to win.

In silence - and in self-defense - I figured things out in my own little way.

Since being quite young, I've had a very strong sense of independence and survival. As a child, I was on my own two feet emotionally.

I've learnt to take care of myself.

I'm not a victim.

I never had any desire to defend myself, and never did I seriously think about it.

Nobody is going to love and honor your dreams like yourself. It's really not looking for someone to be your superhero but for us to save ourselves and to really understand that. I've been at the lowest of lowest of my life, and it took that for me to realize that I want to do better and to be better.

Sometimes, my weakness is where the strength really is, and it leads me to depend in the areas where I really should.

The thing to do is to build a fortress within yourself.

There is no real security except for whatever you build inside yourself.

I have an instinct for survival, for self-preservation.

They, that unnamed 'they,' they've knocked me down but I got up. I always get up-and I swear when I went down quite often I took the fall; nothing moves a mountain but itself. They, I've long ago named them me.

I work hard, and I do good, and I'm going to enjoy myself. I'm not going to let you restrict me.

A lot of negative stuff has happened to me - that's why I'm tough - but I don't want people to be like, 'Oh, poor Becky,' because I'm not a victim.

For me, a happy ending is not everything works out just right and there is a big bow, it's more coming to a place where a person has a clear vision of his or her own life in a way that enables them to kind of throw down their crutches and walk.

Among the reasons people keep sad stories to themselves is that they do not want anyone to feel sorry for them. I don't. I don't want you to feel sorry for me.

Now I feel like whatever I do, no one can hurt me. I cannot be violated, I cannot be humiliated, I cannot be disregarded, I cannot be disrespected.

In my life I had no other choice than to become a strong person.