--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My job in my work is not to acquire…" description: "\"My job in my work is not to acquire power; it's to question power.\" — Anna Deavere Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/anna-deavere-smith-4847_jobs_my-job-in-my-work-is-not-to-acquire-powe_2374677.png" --- # My job in my work is not to acquire power; it's to… ![“My job in my work is not to acquire power; it's to question power.” quote by Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/anna-deavere-smith-4847_jobs_my-job-in-my-work-is-not-to-acquire-powe_2374677.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/anna-deavere-smith-4847_jobs_my-job-in-my-work-is-not-to-acquire-powe_2374677.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/anna-deavere-smith-4847_jobs_my-job-in-my-work-is-not-to-acquire-powe_2374677.png) > “My job in my work is not to acquire power; it's to question power.” [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She sees her role as challenging authority rather than seeking it herself. **In simple terms:** Question power, don’t seek it. Key Takeaway Critically examine authority. Themes activism questioning power dynamics Mood thoughtful determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political activism - community organizing - journalism - education Key Concepts critical theory ethical responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How do you safely challenge authority? - What structures protect or hinder dissent? A Different Perspective Power can be entrenched, making questioning risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acquire Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquire-power-812612/) [Job Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job-work/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-question-1679758/) [Question Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-power-2446028/) ## Related quotes > [The power to question is the basis of all human progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/the-power-to-question-is-the-basis-of-all-human-progress/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [The only way to make a difference is to acquire power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-way-to-make-a-difference-is-to-acquire-power/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You are more likely to acquire power by narrowing your focus and applying your energies, like the sun's rays, to a limited range of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/you-are-more-likely-to-acquire-power-by-narrowing-your-focus-and/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [We are not entering into politics to acquire power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arvind-kejriwal/we-are-not-entering-into-politics-to-acquire-power/) [Arvind Kejriwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arvind-kejriwal/) > [“Men don’t overthrow governments just to create a vacuum. They do it to acquire power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-sedgwick/men-don-t-overthrow-governments-just-to-create-a-vacuum-they-do-it-to/) [Jamie Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-sedgwick/) > [ Every word of \[the Constitution\] decides a question between power and liberty. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/every-word-of-the-constitution-decides-a-question-between-power-and/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [What is translated from English and into English - and in what quantities - is a question of power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ngugi-wa-thiong-o/what-is-translated-from-english-and-into-english-and-in-what/) [Ngugi wa Thiong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ngugi-wa-thiong-o/) > [a question has the most power before we rush to answer it, when it is still making us think, still testing us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/a-question-has-the-most-power-before-we-rush-to-answer-it-when-it-is/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [Every word decides a question between power and liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/every-word-decides-a-question-between-power-and-liberty/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“don’t you question the power of God!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-n-joy/don-t-you-question-the-power-of-god/) [E.N. Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-n-joy/) > [It's not a question of how much power you can hoard for yourself, but how much you can give away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-zander/it-s-not-a-question-of-how-much-power-you-can-hoard-for-yourself-but/) [Benjamin Zander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-zander/) > [I try to show up and do my job and get my work in every day, keep pressing forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-cole/i-try-to-show-up-and-do-my-job-and-get-my-work-in-every-day-keep/) [Gerrit Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-cole/) > [One becomes more interested in a job of work after the first impulse to drop it has been overcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/one-becomes-more-interested-in-a-job-of-work-after-the-first-impulse/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [You only have to start a job of work to realize how few decent, honest folk there are about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/you-only-have-to-start-a-job-of-work-to-realize-how-few-decent-honest/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [My job is to do the work, and how many people watch it, the reception that it gets, and all of that is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-ribeiro/my-job-is-to-do-the-work-and-how-many-people-watch-it-the-reception/) [Alfonso Ribeiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-ribeiro/) ## More by Anna Deavere Smith > [I feel like my work has been my path to freedom from having grown up in a segregated environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-feel-like-my-work-has-been-my-path-to-freedom-from-having-grown-up/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Identity is an assemblage of constellations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/identity-is-an-assemblage-of-constellations/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [I think some of our most talented people are not going to pick the arts as a way that they're going to spend their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-think-some-of-our-most-talented-people-are-not-going-to-pick-the/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [I mean, I think that - as an actress, in particular, I'm basically a fool, and I see the world upside down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-mean-i-think-that-as-an-actress-in-particular-i-m-basically-a-fool/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [The American idea is as promising, imaginative, and full of the unexpected as the land itself. The land represents freedom - the frontier, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/the-american-idea-is-as-promising-imaginative-and-full-of-the/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [I have never been in a violent movie or television show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-have-never-been-in-a-violent-movie-or-television-show/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Poverty makes it very difficult in an already competitive world for kids to get on a straight track where they can actually love learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/poverty-makes-it-very-difficult-in-an-already-competitive-world-for/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Your desire to communicate must be bigger than your relationship with the chaotic and unfair realities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/your-desire-to-communicate-must-be-bigger-than-your-relationship-with/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Self-esteem does not come from surrounding yourself with people and things that seem to increase your value. 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Every day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/many-people-are-afraid-to-talk-about-race-because-it-s-so-emotionally/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Commit to finding the true nature of art. Go for that thing no one can teach you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/commit-to-finding-the-true-nature-of-art-go-for-that-thing-no-one-can/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [I made a real specific decision when I came out of school and most artists were writing about home - if you were a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-made-a-real-specific-decision-when-i-came-out-of-school-and-most/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [I think that art is supposed to be ahead of the times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-think-that-art-is-supposed-to-be-ahead-of-the-times/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) [Explore all 106 Anna Deavere Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) ## More Jobs quotes > [I know for my wife and I, we always loved the idea of being young parents. 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They hire a babysitter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-heaton/we-did-an-episode-where-she-goes-out-to-get-a-job-and-she-gets-fired/) [Patricia Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-heaton/) > [I've never believed unemployment numbers because the way that they calculate unemployment makes no sense whatsoever. It's not how many people are unemployed. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-ve-never-believed-unemployment-numbers-because-the-way-that-they/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [We're going to create factory jobs for recent immigrants, and Donald Trump is going to take care of them. 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