Best Maya Angelou Quotes: Maya Angelou was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She was best known for her unique and pioneering autobiographical writing style. Her writings have altered society for the better, bringing greater diversity to theater and literature. Get insight into the life of the powerful lady with the best quotes from her given below.
About Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was an American author, poet, and civil rights activist. She was born as Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. She faced racial discrimination and trauma quite early in her life. After being sexually assaulted as a child, she became selectively mute for several years, finding solace in books and writing. Angelou held various professions throughout her life, including dancer, singer, actress, and journalist.
She gained widespread acclaim with her autobiographical work "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" (1969), which detailed her experiences growing up in the racially segregated South. This memoir catapulted her to literary fame and became a cornerstone of African American literature. Angelou's poetic works, such as "And Still I Rise" (1978), resonated deeply with readers for their themes of resilience, empowerment, and hope.
Beyond her literary contributions, Angelou was deeply involved in the civil rights movement, working alongside prominent activists like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
Inspirational and Motivational Quotes by Maya Angelou
- “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
- “Love life. Engage in it. Give it all you’ve got. Love it with a passion because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it.”
- “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
- “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
- “If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.”
- “What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.”
- “If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me?”
- “Some people cannot see a good thing when it is right here, right now. Others can sense a good thing coming when it is days, months, or miles away.”
- “We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends, and living our lives.”
- “I don’t trust people who don’t love themselves and tell me, ‘I love you.’ There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt.”
- “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
- “Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.”
- “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”
- “I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.”
- “History, despite its wrenching pain cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage need not be lived again.”
- “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”
- “The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise.”
- “If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don’t be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning ‘Good morning’ at total strangers.”
- “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”
- “I’ve learned that making a ‘living’ is not the same thing as ‘making a life'."
- “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
Famous Maya Angelou Quotes and Images
- “Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.”
- “No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”
- “I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t laugh.”
- “There’s a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure truth.”
- “Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.”
- “I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.”
- “I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.”
- “Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.”
- “Living well is an art that can be developed: a love of life and ability to take great pleasure from small offerings and assurance that the world owes you nothing and that every gift is exactly that, a gift.”
- “Life is pure adventure, and the sooner we realize that, the quicker we will be able to treat life as art.”
- “Life is going to give you just what you put in it. Put your whole heart in everything you do, and pray, then you can wait.”
- “At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice.”
- “The main thing in one’s own private world is to try to laugh as much as you cry.”
- “Live as though life was created for you.”
- “First best is falling in love. Second best is being in love. Least best is falling out of love. But any of it is better than never having been in love.”
- “Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time.”
- “When we find someone who is brave, fun, intelligent, and loving, we have to thank the universe.”
- “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
- “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.”
- “I sustain myself with the love of family.”
- “To those who have given up on love: I say, ‘Trust life a little bit.’”
- “Had I known that the heart breaks slowly, dismantling itself into unrecognizable plots of misery... had I known yet I would have loved you, your brash and insolent beauty, your heavy comedic face and knowledge of sweet delights, but from a distance I would have left you whole and wholly for the delectation of those who wanted more and cared less.”
- “No one can take the place of a friend, no one.”
- “Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution.”
- “I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”
Conclusion
She also held several academic appointments and received numerous awards and honors for her literary and humanitarian achievements, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. Maya Angelou's legacy continues to inspire and influence generations around the world.
