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Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem Quotes

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Famous Gloria Steinem Quotes

“The first problem for all of us, men and woman, is not to learn, but to unlearn. We are filled with the popular wisdom of several centuries just past, and we are terrified to give it up. Patriotism means obedience, age means wisdom, woman means submission, black means inferior: these are preconceptions imbedded so deeply in our thinking that we honestly may not know that they are there.”

ThinkingKnowsMenGivingFirstsMayMeanProblemAgePastBlackChangeLearningCenturyFilledHonestlyObedienceBigotryInferiorsTerrifiedSubmissionPreconceptionsUnlearn
Author:Gloria Steinem
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“I have always employed humor, and I think it’s absolutely crucial that we do because, among other things, humor is the only free emotion. I mean, you can compel fear, as we know. You can compel love, actually, if somebody is isolated and dependent — it’s like the Stockholm syndrome. But you can’t compel laughter. It happens when two things come together and make a third unexpectedly. It happens when you learn something, too.”

KnowsMeanTwoHumorHappensTogetherEmotionLaughterThirdsTwo ThingsLove Actually
Author:Gloria Steinem
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“Whatever each individual woman is facing; only she knows her biggest challenge. However, if we add up the problems that affect the biggest numbers of women, then issues having to do with physical safety and reproduction are still the biggest. Female bodies are still the battleground, whether that means restricting freedom, birth control and safe abortion in order to turn them into factories, or abandoning female infants because females are less valuable for everything other than reproduction.”

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Author:Gloria Steinem
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“As an activist, you do find yourself directed more toward public action. But I've always tried to use stories from my own life in my writing for instance. It has always been clear to me that the stories of each other's lives are our best textbooks. Every social justice movement that I know of has come out of people sitting in small groups, telling their life stories, and discovering that other people have shared similar experiences. So, if we've shared many experiences, then it probably has something to do with power or politics, and if we unify and act together, then we can make a change.”

PeopleIfsKnowsWritingStoriesUseActionTogetherSocialJusticeMy OwnClearGroupsMovementSittingSocial JusticeInstanceFinding YourselfActivistDiscoveringMaking ChangesMy Own LifeTextbooksLife StorySmall Groups
Author:Gloria Steinem
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“The gender prism is just descending upon us. For instance, when we're girls of nine or 10 we may be climbing trees and saying, "I know what I want. I know what I think." And then suddenly at 11 or 12, the gender role takes hold, and adults tell us, "How clever of you to know what time it is." It happens to boys, too and even sooner - between five and eight. Before that, boys cry and express uncertainty.”

ThinkingKnowsWantMayHappensGirlBoysRolesFiveTreeCryAdultsEightGenderCleverNineInstanceUncertaintyClimbingGender RolesDescendingPrismsClimbing Trees
Author:Gloria Steinem
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“When I'm talking to people, I find myself quoting the three organizing rules of Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter was initiated by three young women, and too few people know that. But, anyway, the first one is lead with love. The second is low ego, high impact. The third is move with the speed of trust. I must say those make me feel very hopeful for the future.”

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Author:Gloria Steinem
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“When you stand up for yourself and try to be autonomous and self-determining, you're called a lot of names that we all know and that are very common. You may lose your job. You may lose custody of your child. You may be blamed for the failure of your marriage even though it was the man who couldn't tolerate an equal relationship.”

KnowsMenTryingMayChildrenSelfJobsNamesLosesCommonHe ManEqualOur ChildrenYour ChildrenTolerateAutonomousCustodyStand Up For Yourself
Author:Gloria Steinem
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“For much of the female half of the world, food is the first signal of our inferiority. It lets us know that our own families may consider female bodies to be less deserving, less needy, less valuable.”

KnowsWorldFirstsMayBodyHalfFoodFemaleFeministValuableSignalsDeservingInferiorityNeedyFemale BodyDeserving It
Book:Passion, Politics, and Everyday Activism: Collected Essays: Moving Beyond Words; Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions; and Revolution from Within
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