James Baldwin Quotes

James Baldwin
James Baldwin
American Novelist
Born: Aug 2, 1924
Died: Dec 1, 1987
People Think Time Who World You
Related authors: Elie Wiesel Ernest Hemingway H. P. Lovecraft Herman Melville John Updike Leo Rosten Nathaniel Hawthorne Richard Bach
I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually. James Baldwin
Love World Insist Country Other Criticize Exactly Memorial Day More Perpetually Than America Any Any Other Country Reason Her Right
It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have. James Baldwin
Justice Ignorance Enemy Power Case Allied Most Ferocious Any Certain
I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain. James Baldwin
Hate People Will Sense Gone Pain Once Hates Forced Because Deal Cling Reasons Imagine
To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time. James Baldwin
Time Country Rage Relatively Almost Almost All Conscious
Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. James Baldwin
Good Listening Imitate Never Failed Been Very Children Them Elders
People who treat other people as less than human must not be surprised when the bread they have cast on the waters comes floating back to them, poisoned. James Baldwin
People Treat Other Waters Back Must Cast Poisoned Surprised Than Human Bread Them Less Who Floating
The paradox of education is precisely this - that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated. James Baldwin
Education Become Society Paradox Examine He Educated Begins Precisely Being Which Conscious
The world is before you and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in. James Baldwin
You World Before Take Leave Came Need
Anyone who has ever struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor. James Baldwin
Poverty Extremely Struggled Knows How Expensive Anyone Poor Who Ever
Fires can't be made with dead embers, nor can enthusiasm be stirred by spiritless men. Enthusiasm in our daily work lightens effort and turns even labor into pleasant tasks. James Baldwin
Work Daily Made Enthusiasm Men Pleasant Our Fires Dead Nor Stirred Labor Effort Tasks Turns Even Daily Work
There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now. James Baldwin
Work Future Time Challenge Will Our Out Never Always Salvation Which Work Out Moment Now
I am what time, circumstance, history, have made of me, certainly, but I am also, much more than that. So are we all. James Baldwin
Time Me History Made Circumstance More Also Am Than Much Certainly
Love him and let him love you. Do you think anything else under heaven really matters? James Baldwin
Love You Matters Think Else Him Heaven Love You Anything Anything Else Really
There are few things more dreadful than dealing with a man who knows he is going under, in his own eyes, and in the eyes of others. Nothing can help that man. What is left of that man flees from what is left of human attention. James Baldwin
Man Eyes Few Own Nothing Others Dreadful More He Attention Knows Dealing His Left Than Few Things Going Human Help Who Things
Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up. James Baldwin
Love War Love Is Battle Think Way Seem Does End Up Begin Growing Growing Up
People pay for what they do, and still more for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it very simply; by the lives they lead. James Baldwin
People Become Pay More Lead Allowed Simply Still Very Themselves Lives
The power of the white world is threatened whenever a black man refuses to accept the white world's definitions. James Baldwin
Man World Black Power White Definitions Threatened Accept Refuses Whenever White World
Nothing is more desirable than to be released from an affliction, but nothing is more frightening than to be divested of a crutch. James Baldwin
Affliction Nothing Released More Crutch Than Frightening Desirable
But the relationship of morality and power is a very subtle one. Because ultimately power without morality is no longer power. James Baldwin
Relationship Power Morality Longer Because Without Ultimately Very Subtle
Everybody's journey is individual. If you fall in love with a boy, you fall in love with a boy. The fact that many Americans consider it a disease says more about them than it does about homosexuality. James Baldwin
Love Journey You Fall Everybody Consider Says About More Fact Individual Boy Does Than American Disease Them Many Homosexuality
Hatred, which could destroy so much, never failed to destroy the man who hated, and this was an immutable law. James Baldwin
Man Law Hatred Destroy Hated Immutable Could Never Failed Which Much Who
Be careful what you set your heart upon - for it will surely be yours. James Baldwin
You Heart Will Be Careful Surely Your Yours Set Careful
To be sensual, I think, is to respect and rejoice in the force of life, of life itself, and to be present in all that one does, from the effort of loving to the making of bread. James Baldwin
Life Respect Think Force Does Making Itself Effort Bread Loving Sensual Present Rejoice
The reason people think it's important to be white is that they think it's important not to be black. James Baldwin
People Black Important White Think Reason
Nobody is more dangerous than he who imagines himself pure in heart; for his purity, by definition, is unassailable. James Baldwin
Heart Dangerous Pure Definition More Purity He Nobody Himself His Than Who
American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it. James Baldwin
Beautiful History About More Various Longer Terrible Said Than American Anyone Anything American History Ever Larger
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