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Quote by Barack Obama

“For me, Lincoln is like just a handful of people - a Gandhi, or a Picasso, or a Martin Luther King Jr. - who is an original and captures something essential.”

Quote by Barack Obama

Author

Barack Obama, born on August 4, 1961, served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama's presidency was marked by significant achievements, including the Affordable Care Act and the normalization of relations with Cuba. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. more

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“I actually think, when you're young, ambitions are somewhat common - you want to prove yourself. It may grow out of different life experiences. You may want to prove that you are worthy of the admiration of the demanding father. You may want to prove that you are worthy of the love of an absent father.”

Thinking Want May Different Young Father Grows Common Prove Ambition Worthy Admiration Life Experience Absent Different Life Proving Yourself

Author:Barack Obama

“You may want to prove that you're worthy of other kids or neighbors who were wealthier than you and teased you. You may want to prove that you're worthy of high expectations. But I do think that there is a youthful ambition that very much has to do with making your mark in the world. And I think that cuts across the experiences of a lot of people who end up achieving something significant in their field.”

People Thinking World Want May Ends Kids Cutting Achieve Fields Prove Ambition Expectations Mark Worthy Neighbor Significant High Expectations

Author:Barack Obama

“The nightmare of materialism, which has turned the life of the universe into an evil, useless game, is not yet past; it holds the awakening soul still in its grip.”

Stills Soul Past Universe Evil Games Awakening Useless Nightmare Materialism

Book:Concerning the spiritual in art

Source: Concerning the spiritual in art

“I think, as you get older, that's when your ambitions become "peculiar".”

Thinking Ambition Peculiar

Author:Barack Obama

“I think that at a certain stage those early ambitions burn away, partly because you achieve something, you get something done, you get some notoriety. And then the particularities of who you are and what your deepest commitments are begin expressing themselves. You're not just chasing the idea of "me" being important, but you, rather, are chasing a particular passion.”

Thinking Important Ideas Done Certain Passion Achieve Stage Particular Ambition Commitment Who You Are Chasing Notoriety

Author:Barack Obama

“You could analyze me and say that my father leaving and being absent was a motivator for early ambition, trying to prove myself to this apparition who had vanished. You could argue that me being a mixed kid in a place where there weren't a lot of black kids around might have spurred on my ambitions. You could go through a whole litany of things that sparked me wanting to do something important.”

Trying Important Whole Might Kids Father Black Prove Ambition Leaving Arguing Absent My Ambition Prove Myself Apparitions Father Leaving

Author:Barack Obama

“As I got older, then my particular ambitions started cohering around creating a world in which people of different races or backgrounds or faiths can recognize each other's humanity, or creating a world in which every kid, regardless of their background, can strive and achieve and fulfill their potential.”

People World Different Kids Humanity Race Achieve Particular Ambition Creating Strive Backgrounds Different Races

Author:Barack Obama

“The world only makes sense to me given my life and my background if, in fact, we're not just an assortment of tribes that can never understand each other, but that we're, rather, one common humanity that can meet and learn and love each other.”

Ifs World Facts Humanity Given Common And Love Backgrounds Make Sense Tribes Love Each Other Common Humanity

Author:Barack Obama

“I found during the course of my political career on the national scene there's a point where the vanity burns away and you've had your fill of your name in the papers, or big adoring crowds, or the exercise of power. And for me that happened fairly quickly. And then you are really focused on: What am I going to get done with this strange privilege that's been granted to me? How do I make myself worthy of it?”

Done Bigs Political Courses Found Names Careers Happened Strange Exercise Scene Paper Privilege Crowds Worthy Focused Granted Vanity Papers

Author:Barack Obama

“I think it's fair to say that my temperament is steady - and on the buoyant side.”

Thinking Sides Fairs Steady Temperament

Author:Barack Obama