Sidney Poitier Quotes - BrainyQuote

American - Actor Born: February 20, 1924

I never had an occasion to question color, therefore, I only saw myself as what I was... a human being.

Myself Color Never Human Being

So much of life, it seems to me, is determined by pure randomness.

Life Me Pure Determined

So it's been kind of a long road, but it was a good journey altogether.

Good Journey Long Road

There is not racial or ethnic domination of hopelessness. It's everywhere.

Racial Ethnic Hopelessness Domination

I did not go into the film business to be symbolized as someone else's vision of me.

Me Business Vision Someone

I decided in my life that I would do nothing that did not reflect positively on my father's life.

Life Father My Life Nothing

So I had to be careful. I recognized the responsibility that, whether I liked it or not, I had to accept whatever the obligation was. That was to behave in a manner, to carry myself in such a professional way, as if there ever is a reflection, it's a positive one.

Positive Myself Reflection Way

I sometimes like the pictures photographers take of me.

Me Sometimes Pictures Like

I had chosen to use my work as a reflection of my values.

Work Reflection Values Use

History passes the final judgment.

History Judgment Final Passes

Top 10
Sidney Poitier
Quotes

I wanted to look at them because I feel, internally, that I am an ordinary person who has had an extraordinary life.

Life I Am Look Feel

As a man, I've been representative of the values I hold dear. And the values I hold dear are carryovers from the lives of my parents.

Man Parents Values Dear

I was the only Black person on the set. It was unusual for me to be in a circumstance in which every move I made was tantamount to representation of 18 million people.

Me People Black Person

I'll always be chasing you... Glory.

You Always Glory Chasing

I lived in a country where I couldn't live where I wanted to live. I lived in a country where I couldn't go where I wanted to eat. I lived in a country where I couldn't get a job, except for those put aside for people of my colour or caste.

People Job Live Country

I always wanted to be someone better the next day than I was the day before.

Day Better Someone Always

I am not a hugely religious person, but I believe that there is a oneness with everything. And because there is this oneness, it is possible that my mother is the principal reason for my life.

Life Mother I Am My Life

My mother was the most amazing person. She taught me to be kind to other women. She believed in family. She was with my father from the first day they met. All that I am, she taught me.

Family Day Me Mother

My father was a certain kind of man - I saw how he treated my mother and his family and how he treated strangers. And I vowed I would never make a film that would not reflect properly on my father's name.

Family Man Mother Father

To simply wake up every morning a better person than when I went to bed.

Morning Wake Up Better Better Person

But my dad also was a remarkable man, a good person, a principled individual, a man of integrity.

Good Man Integrity Dad

I have always been a learner because I knew nothing.

Nothing Always Because Been

I know how easy it is for one to stay well within moral, ethical, and legal bounds through the skillful use of words - and to thereby spin, sidestep, circumvent, or bend a truth completely out of shape. To that extent, we are all liars on numerous occasions.

Truth Words Legal Easy

Generally, I tend to despise human behavior rather than human creatures.

Behavior Human Human Behavior Than

If the screen does not make room for me in the structure of their screenplay, I'll step out. I'll step back. I'd step back. I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it.

Me Step Back Room

We all suffer from the preoccupation that there exists... in the loved one, perfection.

Loved Perfection Suffer Loved One

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