--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am not interested in being a role…" description: "\"I am not interested in being a role model, or in fulfilling the expectations of others. I know I am of most use to others and to myself by being this u..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c6/alice-walker-347_being-a-role-model_i-am-not-interested-in-being-a-role-mode_1905312.png" --- # I am not interested in being a role model, or in… ![“I am not interested in being a role model, or in fulfilling the expectations of others. I know I am of most use to others and to myself by being this unique self: Nature, I have noticed, is not particularly devoted to copies, and human beings needn't be either.” quote by Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c6/alice-walker-347_being-a-role-model_i-am-not-interested-in-being-a-role-mode_1905312.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c6/alice-walker-347_being-a-role-model_i-am-not-interested-in-being-a-role-mode_1905312.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c6/alice-walker-347_being-a-role-model_i-am-not-interested-in-being-a-role-mode_1905312.png) > “I am not interested in being a role model, or in fulfilling the expectations of others. I know I am of most use to others and to myself by being this unique self: Nature, I have noticed, is not particularly devoted to copies, and human beings needn't be either.” [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rejecting imposed roles, valuing unique contribution over imitation **In simple terms:** Be yourself, not a copy of others Key Takeaway Embrace uniqueness, reject external expectations Themes individuality self‑reliance authenticity Mood thoughtful defiant Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career choices - creative projects - personal relationships - public speaking Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does being a "unique self" mean to you? - How can you support others in being authentic? A Different Perspective Societal pressure can still force conformity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being a role model](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-role-model/) [Copies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copies/) [Devoted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devoted/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Fulfilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fulfilling/) [Fulfilling Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fulfilling-expectations-2836480/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/models/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Not interested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-interested/) [Role model](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role-model/) [Role models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role-models/) [Roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-nature-287383/) [Unique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unique/) [Unique self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unique-self/) [Uniqueness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uniqueness/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) ## Related quotes > [“Don’t help anybody’s expectation of you to grow. Don’t even give them a hint that you will fulfill it. Whatsoever suffering you pass through,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagwan-shree-rajneesh/don-t-help-anybody-s-expectation-of-you-to-grow-don-t-even-give-them/) [Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhagwan-shree-rajneesh/) > [“Joy is not about fulfilling expectations, joy is about learning to live beyond expectations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/joy-is-not-about-fulfilling-expectations-joy-is-about-learning-to/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [The very discovery of these hidden things is in itself a purifying experience! The soul needs to discover what is inside. The self nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-marie-bouvier-de-la-motte-guyon/the-very-discovery-of-these-hidden-things-is-in-itself-a-purifying/) [Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-marie-bouvier-de-la-motte-guyon/) > [If you manifest your true self through nature and your normal surroundings, I find that the most eerie. Like when you see birds suddenly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holland-roden/if-you-manifest-your-true-self-through-nature-and-your-normal/) [Holland Roden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holland-roden/) > [“human is a self-made nature”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhinav-garg/human-is-a-self-made-nature/) [Abhinav Garg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhinav-garg/) > [“All troubles, afflictions, and ultimately birth and death follow the same highway out of one’s own unmoving perfect self-nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhiksus-heng-sure-heng-ch-au/all-troubles-afflictions-and-ultimately-birth-and-death-follow-the/) [Bhiksus Heng Sure, Heng Ch’au](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhiksus-heng-sure-heng-ch-au/) > [“The Examination of the Notion of Self 5. Nature is the Mother of All Things 6. Real Self”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/the-examination-of-the-notion-of-self-5-nature-is-the-mother-of-all/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [The problems in this world are not to be blamed on anyone, but to be blamed on the ignorance of our self-nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-problems-in-this-world-are-not-to-be-blamed-on-anyone-but-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If the ego is not regularly and repeatedly dissolved in the unbounded hyperspace of the Transcendent Other, there will always be slow drift away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/if-the-ego-is-not-regularly-and-repeatedly-dissolved-in-the-unbounded/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Never follow anybody else's idea - that is very dangerous because you will become imitative. Always follow your own nature, self-nature; only then will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/never-follow-anybody-else-s-idea-that-is-very-dangerous-because-you/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Wherever there is light, there is shadow; wherever there is length, there is shortness; wherever there is white, there is black. Just like these,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/wherever-there-is-light-there-is-shadow-wherever-there-is-length/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“Bhavnindra (asleep to the Self) means sleeping in one’s true self’s nature. And in that other sleep (sleeping at night), one is asleep in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/bhavnindra-asleep-to-the-self-means-sleeping-in-one-s-true-self-s/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [There's something so powerful about being my own gorgeous, beautiful, individual, unique self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-keys/there-s-something-so-powerful-about-being-my-own-gorgeous-beautiful/) [Alicia Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-keys/) > [Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-brice/let-the-world-know-you-as-you-are-not-as-you-think-you-should-be/) [Fanny Brice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-brice/) > [Loneliness is the inability to share your story, your Unique Self story. For most people, the move beyond loneliness requires us to share our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-gafni/loneliness-is-the-inability-to-share-your-story-your-unique-self/) [Marc Gafni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-gafni/) ## More by Alice Walker > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Just be what it is that you are, and that is just fine. You don't have to be what you're not in any way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/just-be-what-it-is-that-you-are-and-that-is-just-fine-you-don-t-have/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Remember this-- say it & know it is true: Alice loves me Alice loves me and I am not blamed for this. ... she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/remember-this-say-it-know-it-is-true-alice-loves-me-alice-loves-me/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Only the sky above us do we hold in common.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/only-the-sky-above-us-do-we-hold-in-common/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Why aren't you happy in America, if everyone there drives motorcars?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/why-aren-t-you-happy-in-america-if-everyone-there-drives-motorcars/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“She saw poetry where other writers merely saw failure to cope with English.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/she-saw-poetry-where-other-writers-merely-saw-failure-to-cope-with/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [My mother had handed down respect for the possibilities...and the will to grasp them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/my-mother-had-handed-down-respect-for-the-possibilities-and-the-will/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Helped are those who are content to be themselves; they will never lack mystery in their lives and the joys of self-discovery will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/helped-are-those-who-are-content-to-be-themselves-they-will-never/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“As others might prepare for an exam whose subject matter is unknown to them, so I must study, cram, for every conversation with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/as-others-might-prepare-for-an-exam-whose-subject-matter-is-unknown/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [The original crime of niggers and lesbians is that they prefer themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-original-crime-of-niggers-and-lesbians-is-that-they-prefer/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [My mother was very strong. Once, she picked up a coconut and smashed it against my father's head. It taught me about women defending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/my-mother-was-very-strong-once-she-picked-up-a-coconut-and-smashed-it/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Many readers fail to realize this, but 'The Color Purple' is a theological text. It is about the reclamation of one's original God: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/many-readers-fail-to-realize-this-but-the-color-purple-is-a/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [The good news may be that Nature is phasing out the white man, but the bad news is that's who She thinks we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-good-news-may-be-that-nature-is-phasing-out-the-white-man-but-the/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Humans - whatever billions we are - we don't have the control. We are considered expendable, basically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/humans-whatever-billions-we-are-we-don-t-have-the-control-we-are/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my uncles. I had to fight my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/all-my-life-i-had-to-fight-i-had-to-fight-my-daddy-i-had-to-fight-my/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) [Explore all 654 Alice Walker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) ## More Being a role model quotes > [In terms of being a role model, I didn't start out to be one. I don't go to work every day with that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-pratt/in-terms-of-being-a-role-model-i-didn-t-start-out-to-be-one-i-don-t/) [Victoria Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-pratt/) > [Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating...too often fathers neglect it because they get so caught up in making a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/being-a-role-model-is-the-most-powerful-form-of-educating-too-often/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Everybody talks about being a role model. But if you look up the word 'role' in a dictionary, it describes playing a part. Everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/everybody-talks-about-being-a-role-model-but-if-you-look-up-the-word/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I take being a role model seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ladainian-tomlinson/i-take-being-a-role-model-seriously/) [LaDainian Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ladainian-tomlinson/) > [Role modeling is the most basic responsibility of parents. Parents are handing life's scripts to their children, scripts that in all likelihood will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/role-modeling-is-the-most-basic-responsibility-of-parents-parents-are/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Once you become a professional athlete or once you do anything well, then you're automatically a role model ... I have no problem being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebron-james/once-you-become-a-professional-athlete-or-once-you-do-anything-well/) [LeBron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebron-james/) > [I am really looking forward to being a role model for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janel-parrish/i-am-really-looking-forward-to-being-a-role-model-for-girls/) [Janel Parrish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janel-parrish/) > [I think you have to embrace being a role model because you are in the public eye, and whether you like it or not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bynes/i-think-you-have-to-embrace-being-a-role-model-because-you-are-in-the/) [Amanda Bynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bynes/) > [Whether or not you have children yourself, you are a parent to the next generation. If we can only stop thinking of children as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-sophia-kasl/whether-or-not-you-have-children-yourself-you-are-a-parent-to-the/) [Charlotte Sophia Kasl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-sophia-kasl/) > [I don't believe professional athletes should be role models. I believe parents should be role models...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-barkley/i-don-t-believe-professional-athletes-should-be-role-models-i-believe/) [Charles Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-barkley/) > [So when it comes to being a role model to women, I think it's because of the way that I feel about myself, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizzo/so-when-it-comes-to-being-a-role-model-to-women-i-think-it-s-because/) [Lizzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizzo/) > [My biggest thing about being a role model is whatever I'm preaching, I'm practicing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gigi-hadid/my-biggest-thing-about-being-a-role-model-is-whatever-i-m-preaching-i/) [Gigi Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gigi-hadid/) > [No, I like being a role model because I know how much comfort my musical idols brought me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/no-i-like-being-a-role-model-because-i-know-how-much-comfort-my/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [Being a role model is a privilege.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allyson-felix/being-a-role-model-is-a-privilege/) [Allyson Felix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allyson-felix/) > [I like the idea of being a role model. It's an honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiger-woods/i-like-the-idea-of-being-a-role-model-it-s-an-honor/) [Tiger Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiger-woods/) [Browse all 28 Being a role model quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-role-model/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am not interested in being a role model, or in fulfilling the expectations of others. 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