The Source of Self-Regard
"The Source of Self-Regard" is a collection of essays, speeches, and meditations by Toni Morrison that explores themes of identity, race, and humanity. Through her profound insights, Morrison reflects on the complexities of the African American experience and the importance of storytelling in understanding self-worth and cultural heritage. The work emphasizes the power of language and the necessity of confronting societal injustices to foster self-awareness and collective healing.
18 curated highlights from this book
Key Insights & Memorable Quotes
Below are the most impactful passages and quotes from The Source of Self-Regard, carefully selected to capture the essence of the book.
If you can’t find a way to be yourself, you can’t be anything at all.
The function of freedom is to free someone else.
We are the ones we have been waiting for.
All of my work is about the world and the people in it.
The past is always present, and the future is still to come.
You are your best thing.
Language is the only weapon we have.
We are all the same people, and we are not the same people.
The only way to survive is to be free.
It is the responsibility of the artist to be a witness to the world.
If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down.
We are not the sum of our experiences; we are the experiences themselves.
The only way to deal with the pain is to embrace it.
You can’t be a storyteller without embracing the truth.
At some point, you have to let go of your past and focus on the present.
Love is a place you can go to heal.
The act of dying is one of the acts of life.
In order to be a part of the solution, you must first acknowledge the problem.