--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is something ironic in prejudice…" description: "\"“There is something ironic in prejudice against the disabled and their families, because their plight might befall anybody. Straight men are unlikely t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/andrew-solomon-1140_cycle-of-life_there-is-something-ironic-in-prejudice-a_2200492.jpg" --- # There is something ironic in prejudice against the… ![“There is something ironic in prejudice against the disabled and their families, because their plight might befall anybody. Straight men are unlikely to wake up gay one morning, and white children don't become black; but any of us could be disabled in an instant. People with disabilities make up…” quote by Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/andrew-solomon-1140_cycle-of-life_there-is-something-ironic-in-prejudice-a_2200492.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/andrew-solomon-1140_cycle-of-life_there-is-something-ironic-in-prejudice-a_2200492.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/andrew-solomon-1140_cycle-of-life_there-is-something-ironic-in-prejudice-a_2200492.jpg) > ““There is something ironic in prejudice against the disabled and their families, because their plight might befall anybody. Straight men are unlikely to wake up gay one morning, and white children don't become black; but any of us could be disabled in an instant. People with disabilities make up the largest minority in America; they constitute 15 percent of the population, though only 15 percent of those were born with their disability and about a third are over sixty-five. Worldwide, some 550 million people are disabled. The disability-rights scholar Tobin Siebers has written, "The cycle of life runs in actuality from disability to temporary ability back to disablity, and that only if you are among the most fortunate.”” [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prejudice against disability is ironic because anyone could become disabled suddenly, yet society often treats it as a distant issue. **In simple terms:** Disability can happen to anyone, but we ignore it. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge bias toward disability. Themes empathy inclusion bias disability rights Mood reflective concerned Type advocacy educational When to use this quote - workplace policies - healthcare access - public awareness campaigns - education curricula Key Concepts social justice human vulnerability intersectionality Questions to Reflect On - How would you react if you suddenly faced a disability? - What steps can you take to reduce bias in your community? A Different Perspective Prejudice persists despite statistics showing disability is common. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cycle of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cycle-of-life/) [Disabilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disabilities/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [People with disabilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-with-disabilities/) ## Related quotes > [Also note that invariably when we design something that can be used by those with disabilities, we often make it better for everyone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/also-note-that-invariably-when-we-design-something-that-can-be-used/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Those we most often exclude from the normal life of society, people with disabilities, have profound lessons to teach us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/those-we-most-often-exclude-from-the-normal-life-of-society-people/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [“People with disabilities are sometimes very humble and approachable, if you want a seasoned reputation, then behave like one of the handicaps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/people-with-disabilities-are-sometimes-very-humble-and-approachable/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Throughout history people with disabilities have been institutionalized and segregated, which tends to make you think that it's a group in need of charity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-ruderman/throughout-history-people-with-disabilities-have-been/) [Jay Ruderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-ruderman/) > [“Social justice is for everyone, including people with disabilities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlee-matlin/social-justice-is-for-everyone-including-people-with-disabilities/) [Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlee-matlin/) > [People with disabilities and health conditions have enough challenges in life. Dealing with my department should not be one of them. So my ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/people-with-disabilities-and-health-conditions-have-enough-challenges/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [Believe me, people with disabilities are just as concerned about benefit fraud as anyone else. Money spent on those who are not in need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/believe-me-people-with-disabilities-are-just-as-concerned-about/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [I get so many tweets and emails from young people with disabilities or disfigurements who also want to act, or do TV or do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-pearson/i-get-so-many-tweets-and-emails-from-young-people-with-disabilities/) [Adam Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-pearson/) > [“In 1996, when Senator Bob Dole runs against President Clinton, it’s a historic moment for people with disabilities. No one with a visible disability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mattlin/in-1996-when-senator-bob-dole-runs-against-president-clinton-it-s-a/) Ben Mattlin > [I was introduced to 7 Charming Sisters at an Emmy Award Show event. When they approached me to become a brand ambassador, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-brewer/i-was-introduced-to-7-charming-sisters-at-an-emmy-award-show-event/) [Jamie Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-brewer/) > [A good government is one with a duty to help everyone, to maximise his or her potential: Indigenous people, people with disabilities, and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-mundine/a-good-government-is-one-with-a-duty-to-help-everyone-to-maximise-his/) [Warren Mundine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-mundine/) > [People with disabilities are the largest minority in the world, and we are the most underrepresented in entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/people-with-disabilities-are-the-largest-minority-in-the-world-and-we/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [I find personally that when I go to a place where I can't get in, I feel hostility from whatever it is, a hotel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/itzhak-perlman/i-find-personally-that-when-i-go-to-a-place-where-i-can-t-get-in-i/) [Itzhak Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/itzhak-perlman/) > [Disabled people need more invested in their education, housing, job training, transportation, assistive technology, and independent-living facilities. Governments earn back this investment - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/disabled-people-need-more-invested-in-their-education-housing-job/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [A lot of roles for people with disabilities are quite patronising. It's a real pity when they are just used to give dull PC…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/a-lot-of-roles-for-people-with-disabilities-are-quite-patronising-it/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) ## More by Andrew Solomon > [“If you banish the dragons, you banish the heroes...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/if-you-banish-the-dragons-you-banish-the-heroes/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [I started traveling out of curiosity, but I have come to believe in travel's political importance, that encouraging a nation's citizenry to travel may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/i-started-traveling-out-of-curiosity-but-i-have-come-to-believe-in/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [When I was born, the wisdom was that homosexuality was an illness; that it was caused largely by somebody's mother, and a distorted relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/when-i-was-born-the-wisdom-was-that-homosexuality-was-an-illness-that/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [A lot of people are very political when they are young, and then they outgrow it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/a-lot-of-people-are-very-political-when-they-are-young-and-then-they/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [Having always imagined myself in a fairly slim minority, I suddenly saw that I was in a vast company. 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You know that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/antonin-artaud-wrote-on-one-of-his-drawings-never-real-and-always/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [I met people on college campuses who were defining themselves as genderqueer to express revolutionary feelings, or to communicate their individuality; they were gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/i-met-people-on-college-campuses-who-were-defining-themselves-as/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [“In the throws of depression, one reaches a strange point at which it is impossible to see the line between ones own theatricality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/in-the-throws-of-depression-one-reaches-a-strange-point-at-which-it/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [“Since I am writing a book about depression, I am often asked in social situations to describe my own experiences, and I usually end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/since-i-am-writing-a-book-about-depression-i-am-often-asked-in-social/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [Loving our own children is an exercise for the imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/loving-our-own-children-is-an-exercise-for-the-imagination/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [One the one hand, the simple fact that there are children and that I do have an effect on them has been one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/one-the-one-hand-the-simple-fact-that-there-are-children-and-that-i/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [I grew up feeling that to be gay was a tragedy. I didn't grow up thinking that it was morally wrong, but I grew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/i-grew-up-feeling-that-to-be-gay-was-a-tragedy-i-didn-t-grow-up/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [We need to acknowledge that families come in multiple shapes and sizes, that love is not a finite asset, and that caregiving involves more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/we-need-to-acknowledge-that-families-come-in-multiple-shapes-and/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [I had always wanted to have children, so it caused me a lot of grief when I was younger, and I had supposed that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/i-had-always-wanted-to-have-children-so-it-caused-me-a-lot-of-grief/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) [Explore all 282 Andrew Solomon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) ## More Cycle of life quotes > [The deer aren't our prey or our possessions -- they're us. They're us at one point in the cycle of life and we're them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/the-deer-aren-t-our-prey-or-our-possessions-they-re-us-they-re-us-at/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [Clay. It's rain, dead leaves, dust, all my dead ancestors. Stones that have been ground into sand. Mud. The whole cycle of life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martine-vermeulen/clay-it-s-rain-dead-leaves-dust-all-my-dead-ancestors-stones-that/) Martine Vermeulen > [The cycle of life never stops just keeps going there is no death to fear but you yourself because in the end your the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-cycle-of-life-never-stops-just-keeps-going-there-is-no-death-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Unconscious of your story, you are in its grasp; but with consciousness, an alchemical process begins: The solidity of the complex dissolves and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-zweig/unconscious-of-your-story-you-are-in-its-grasp-but-with-consciousness/) [Connie Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-zweig/) > [“Whenever a river reaches the ocean, it waits to go back..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-advise/whenever-a-river-reaches-the-ocean-it-waits-to-go-back/) Will Advise > [“Change is to human beings what metamorphosis is to the caterpillar. It is the inevitable cycle of life. Without change, there is no life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-peabody/change-is-to-human-beings-what-metamorphosis-is-to-the-caterpillar-it/) Susan Peabody > [The cycle of life is death, decomposition and regeneration, and a person who wants to stop killing animals is actually anti-life because it's only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-salatin/the-cycle-of-life-is-death-decomposition-and-regeneration-and-a/) [Joel Salatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-salatin/) > [“...we never cease hoping--and thus did our Judge condemn us to suffer in saecula.' Ferrante asked: 'But what is it that you hope for?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/we-never-cease-hoping-and-thus-did-our-judge-condemn-us-to-suffer-in/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [The priests say the new dawn will be like the rain that fertilizes the soil before we begin to plant our corn. It will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/the-priests-say-the-new-dawn-will-be-like-the-rain-that-fertilizes/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [“Sentenced to fade under the weight of external pressures—the eternal cycle of life at its most poignant. Whether we embrace it or not, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-gelpke/sentenced-to-fade-under-the-weight-of-external-pressures-the-eternal/) [Ryan Gelpke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-gelpke/) > [“It may be said, in broad-brush terms, that the primary purpose of life is the continuation of life. A deep program for survival and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-borden/it-may-be-said-in-broad-brush-terms-that-the-primary-purpose-of-life/) [Richard J. Borden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-borden/) > [Sadly, today there are only a few remaining speakers of kakadu or gagadju. The work, then, is concerned with my feelings about this place,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sculthorpe/sadly-today-there-are-only-a-few-remaining-speakers-of-kakadu-or/) Peter Sculthorpe > [“I feel sad for the people who I hear always plan, plan, plan the next day's event to occur. Life only stands still for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-nkenlifack/i-feel-sad-for-the-people-who-i-hear-always-plan-plan-plan-the-next/) Ingrid Nkenlifack > [Becoming a grandmother brought me back to the things I forgot to love. Nature. Playing. Seeing animals. A new way of looking. A rejuvenation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/becoming-a-grandmother-brought-me-back-to-the-things-i-forgot-to-love/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [I see that the greatest thing about getting older is how your judgment changes and how you come to understand the cycles of life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/i-see-that-the-greatest-thing-about-getting-older-is-how-your/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) [Browse all 61 Cycle of life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cycle-of-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There is something ironic in prejudice against the disabled and their families, because their plight might befall anybody. Straight men are unlikely to wake up gay one morning, and white children don't become black; but any of us could be disabled in an instant. 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