---
title: "Best Charles M. Blow Quotes"
description: "Charles McRay Blow is an American journalist, commentator and former op-ed columnist for The New York Times and political analyst for MSNBC."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b006/author-charles-m-blow-22455.jpg"
---

![Portrait of Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b006/author-charles-m-blow-22455.jpg)

# Charles M. Blow

(1970)   Columnist   United States

 **56** quotes in **575** categories

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Charles M. Blow is a columnist from the United States, best known for *Fire Shut Up in My Bones*.

## Quick Facts About Charles M. Blow

Born August 11, 1970

Nationality United States

Profession Columnist

Notable works Fire Shut Up in My Bones

## About Charles M. Blow

Charles McRay Blow is an American journalist, commentator and former op-ed columnist for The New York Times and political analyst for MSNBC.

##  Quotes by Charles M. Blow · Page 2

> [Great leadership isn’t shaped in the absence of opposition but in the presence of it. Great leaders draw us together by our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/great-leadership-isn-t-shaped-in-the-absence-of-opposition-but-in-the/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/charles-m-blow-12200_absence_great-leadership-isn-t-shaped-in-the-abs_3088170.jpg)

> [While the word 'bisexual' was technically correct, I would only slowly come to use it to refer to myself in part because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/while-the-word-bisexual-was-technically-correct-i-would-only-slowly/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/charles-m-blow-12200_addition_while-the-word-bisexual-was-technically_1239001.jpg)

> [“I would often recall one of my mother’s sayings: You could stay in hell for a little while if you knew that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/i-would-often-recall-one-of-my-mother-s-sayings-you-could-stay-in/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/charles-m-blow-12200_parenting_i-would-often-recall-one-of-my-mother-s_2034635.jpg)

> [“It has been my experience that the "hardest" people in the world are actually the most fragile and the most soft-spoken are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/it-has-been-my-experience-that-the-hardest-people-in-the-world-are/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01f/charles-m-blow-12200_hardest_it-has-been-my-experience-that-the-harde_3115212.jpg)

> [Now you have to decide whether or not you want to be part of the bigotry that is Donald Trump. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/now-you-have-to-decide-whether-or-not-you-want-to-be-part-of-the/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Bigotry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigotry/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/charles-m-blow-12200_bigotry_now-you-have-to-decide-whether-or-not-yo_2281116.jpg)

> [What too few people mention when discussing crime is the degree to which concentrated poverty, hopelessness and despair are the chambermaids of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/what-too-few-people-mention-when-discussing-crime-is-the-degree-to/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7b/charles-m-blow-12200_concentrated_what-too-few-people-mention-when-discuss_2059752.jpg)

> [Trying hard and working hard is its own reward. It feeds the soul. It affirms your will and your power. And it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/trying-hard-and-working-hard-is-its-own-reward-it-feeds-the-soul-it/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Hard working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-working/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/charles-m-blow-12200_rewards_trying-hard-and-working-hard-is-its-own_1611353.jpg)

> [I was born in the summer of 1970, the last of five boys stretched over eight years. My parents were a struggling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/i-was-born-in-the-summer-of-1970-the-last-of-five-boys-stretched-over/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/786/charles-m-blow-12200_afternoon_i-was-born-in-the-summer-of-1970-the-las_3206453.jpg)

> [The first memory I have in the world is of death and tears. That is how I would mark the beginning of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/the-first-memory-i-have-in-the-world-is-of-death-and-tears-that-is/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d77/charles-m-blow-12200_away_the-first-memory-i-have-in-the-world-is_2279870.jpg)

> [“Children can’t see their budding lives through the long lens of wisdom – the wisdom that benefits from years passed, hurdles overcome,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/children-can-t-see-their-budding-lives-through-the-long-lens-of/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/charles-m-blow-12200_children_children-can-t-see-their-budding-lives-t_1658048.jpg)

> [All identity labels are umbrella terms to some degree, but this term 'bisexual' is not only serviceable, but it is sufficient. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/all-identity-labels-are-umbrella-terms-to-some-degree-but-this-term/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/charles-m-blow-12200_another_all-identity-labels-are-umbrella-terms-t_2016128.jpg)

> [The Obama years will be remembered as a cultural - and legal - tipping point for equality for all people who do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/the-obama-years-will-be-remembered-as-a-cultural-and-legal-tipping/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/charles-m-blow-12200_act_the-obama-years-will-be-remembered-as-a_2354720.jpg)

> [Look at it this way: this administration is taking unprecedented steps to make sure that the government's secrets remain private while simultaneously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/look-at-it-this-way-this-administration-is-taking-unprecedented-steps/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Administration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/administration/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cf/charles-m-blow-12200_administration_look-at-it-this-way-this-administration_1922451.jpg)

> [Regardless of their politics, the vast majority of the people I meet, when they can speak and listen and act of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/regardless-of-their-politics-the-vast-majority-of-the-people-i-meet/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/charles-m-blow-12200_accord_regardless-of-their-politics-the-vast-ma_2305930.jpg)

> [When I was a freshman in college, I went to a broadcast class by mistake. The first day, the instructor said, "Television…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/when-i-was-a-freshman-in-college-i-went-to-a-broadcast-class-by/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/charles-m-blow-12200_accents_when-i-was-a-freshman-in-college-i-went_1392011.jpg)

> [When I won my way to the international science fair, I didn't want to embarrass myself. It was the first time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/when-i-won-my-way-to-the-international-science-fair-i-didn-t-want-to/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/charles-m-blow-12200_airplane_when-i-won-my-way-to-the-international-s_511851.jpg)

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                        "text": "All identity labels are umbrella terms to some degree, but this term 'bisexual' is not only serviceable, but it is sufficient. And yes, it brings together a bunch of people who are maybe shades different from one another. And maybe that's the beauty of labels: that they force you to be with other people and see the difference.",
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                        "text": "The Obama years will be remembered as a cultural - and legal - tipping point for equality for all people who do not identify as strictly heterosexual, arguably the civil rights movement of our times. The president signed the bill repealing 'don't ask, don't tell.' The Defense of Marriage Act was struck down by the Supreme Court.",
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                        "text": "Look at it this way: this administration is taking unprecedented steps to make sure that the government's secrets remain private while simultaneously invading the privacy of its citizens... Many innocents must be violated so that a few guilty people can be stopped. It's a digital stop-and-frisk.",
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                        "text": "Regardless of their politics, the vast majority of the people I meet, when they can speak and listen and act of their own accord and not in concert with a group, are good, decent and caring people. Most work hard or want to. They love their families and like their neighbors. They will give until it hurts. They fall down, but they bounce back.",
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                        "text": "When I was a freshman in college, I went to a broadcast class by mistake. The first day, the instructor said, \"Television anchors sound like they could be from everywhere and nowhere.\" From that point on, every time I was near an anchor, when no one was around, they would say something and I would say it right after them. It was this effort to get rid of my accent.",
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                        "text": "When I won my way to the international science fair, I didn't want to embarrass myself. It was the first time I was going to be away from home, the first time taking an airplane. I went to the local library, checked out every single etiquette book, and I read those books like I was uncovering some sort of treasure.",
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