--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A white person listens to my act and he…" description: "\"A white person listens to my act and he laughs and he thinks, 'Yeah, that's the way I see it too.' Okay. He's white. I'm Negro. And we both see things ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/bill-cosby-720_bigotry_a-white-person-listens-to-my-act-and-he_1472498.jpg" --- # A white person listens to my act and he laughs and he… ![“A white person listens to my act and he laughs and he thinks, 'Yeah, that's the way I see it too.' Okay. He's white. I'm Negro. And we both see things the same way. That must mean that we are alike… So I figure I'm doing as much for good race relations as the next guy.” quote by Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/bill-cosby-720_bigotry_a-white-person-listens-to-my-act-and-he_1472498.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/bill-cosby-720_bigotry_a-white-person-listens-to-my-act-and-he_1472498.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/bill-cosby-720_bigotry_a-white-person-listens-to-my-act-and-he_1472498.jpg) > “A white person listens to my act and he laughs and he thinks, 'Yeah, that's the way I see it too.' Okay. He's white. I'm Negro. And we both see things the same way. That must mean that we are alike… So I figure I'm doing as much for good race relations as the next guy.” [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He notes shared humor across races, implying common humanity despite differences. **In simple terms:** Shared laughter shows common ground. Key Takeaway Find humor that bridges cultural gaps. Themes race relations humor commonality Mood satirical thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - comedy clubs - diverse audiences - intercultural dialogues - media satire Key Concepts cultural empathy social commentary Questions to Reflect On - Can jokes truly foster understanding? - What risks arise when using humor for social commentary? A Different Perspective Humor may oversimplify complex racial issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigotry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigotry/) [Ending racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ending-racism/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Negro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negro/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Okay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/okay/) [Okay White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/okay-white-5346107/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Race relations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-relations/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Relation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relation/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [White Negro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-negro-1268301/) [White Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-person/) [Yeah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yeah/) ## Related quotes > [To my mind, it is the duty of the younger Negro artist, if he accepts any duties at all from outsiders, to change through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/to-my-mind-it-is-the-duty-of-the-younger-negro-artist-if-he-accepts/) [Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/) > [It is the duty of the younger Negro artist . . . to change through the force of his art that old whispering "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/it-is-the-duty-of-the-younger-negro-artist-to-change-through-the/) [Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/) > [Why should I want to be white? I am a Negro - and beautiful!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/why-should-i-want-to-be-white-i-am-a-negro-and-beautiful/) [Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/) > [a white person who claims to have no impediment of vision in this country is not, I think, telling the whole truth. And when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/a-white-person-who-claims-to-have-no-impediment-of-vision-in-this/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [Brown versus the Board of Education is no longer the white person's problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/brown-versus-the-board-of-education-is-no-longer-the-white-person-s/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [“Since the white man's personality is greatly distorted by segregation, and his soul is greatly scarred, he needs the love of the Negro. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/since-the-white-man-s-personality-is-greatly-distorted-by-segregation/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“Now it happens that both master and man have just enough argument on their respective sides to make it difficult for them to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois-2/now-it-happens-that-both-master-and-man-have-just-enough-argument-on/) [W.E.B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois-2/) > [The North has no interest in the particular Negro, but talks of justice for the whole. The South has not interest, and pretends none,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/the-north-has-no-interest-in-the-particular-negro-but-talks-of/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [“In the context of the Negro problem neither whites nor blacks, for excellent reasons of their own, have the faintest desire to look back;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-the-context-of-the-negro-problem-neither-whites-nor-blacks-for/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I've written 18 books, mostly dealing with issues of social justice, ending racism, feminism, and cultural criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-ve-written-18-books-mostly-dealing-with-issues-of-social-justice/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/no-one-is-born-hating-another-person-because-of-the-colour-of-his-3/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I do believe that part of us ending racism is us seeing each other's humanity and learning to love each other, even if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/i-do-believe-that-part-of-us-ending-racism-is-us-seeing-each-other-s/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [My answer to those who oppose my appointment as CEO is that this is really a decision of the YWCA. They want to strengthen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-ireland/my-answer-to-those-who-oppose-my-appointment-as-ceo-is-that-this-is/) [Patricia Ireland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-ireland/) > [Unconditional love will have the final word in reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/unconditional-love-will-have-the-final-word-in-reality/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) ## More by Bill Cosby > [Guys standing around and talking about Spanish fly: 'You know anything about Spanish fly?' 'No, tell me about it.' Well there's this girl Crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/guys-standing-around-and-talking-about-spanish-fly-you-know-anything/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [You come to my comedy show to be entertained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/you-come-to-my-comedy-show-to-be-entertained/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Pay off your student loan. Even if you don't have a job...Because when you finally get a job you're going to be one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/pay-off-your-student-loan-even-if-you-don-t-have-a-job-because-when/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Sex education may be a good idea in the schools, but I don't believe the kids should be given homework.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/sex-education-may-be-a-good-idea-in-the-schools-but-i-don-t-believe/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Civilization had too many rules for me, so I did my best to rewrite them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/civilization-had-too-many-rules-for-me-so-i-did-my-best-to-rewrite/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Dentists tell you not to pick your teeth with any sharp metal object. Then you sit in their chair and the first thing they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/dentists-tell-you-not-to-pick-your-teeth-with-any-sharp-metal-object/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [When a person has a gun, sometimes their mind clicks that this thing will win arguments and straighten people out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/when-a-person-has-a-gun-sometimes-their-mind-clicks-that-this-thing/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [The truth is that parents are not really interested in justice. They just want quiet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/the-truth-is-that-parents-are-not-really-interested-in-justice-they/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [“Parents are not really interested in justice. They just want quiet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/parents-are-not-really-interested-in-justice-they-just-want-quiet/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [God has a sense of humor though and he must see funny things in us. He must also have some love. We're still here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/god-has-a-sense-of-humor-though-and-he-must-see-funny-things-in-us-he/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [When you become senile, you won't know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/when-you-become-senile-you-won-t-know-it/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [I feel that in-person contact with people is the most important thing in comedy. While I'm up on stage, I can actually put myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/i-feel-that-in-person-contact-with-people-is-the-most-important-thing/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [It is a point of pride for the American male to keep the same size Jockey shorts for his entire life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/it-is-a-point-of-pride-for-the-american-male-to-keep-the-same-size/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [“The past is a ghost, the future is a dream, and all we ever have is now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/the-past-is-a-ghost-the-future-is-a-dream-and-all-we-ever-have-is-now/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Suddenly, this romantic agony was enriched by a less romantic one: I had to go to the bathroom. Needless to say, I couldn't let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/suddenly-this-romantic-agony-was-enriched-by-a-less-romantic-one-i/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) [Explore all 393 Bill Cosby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) ## More Bigotry quotes > [“The mission is, not to replace old world mindlessness with new world mindlessness, but to put an end to all forms of brainless authoritarianism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-mission-is-not-to-replace-old-world-mindlessness-with-new-world/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [To take up half on trust, and half to try, Name it not faith but bungling bigotry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/to-take-up-half-on-trust-and-half-to-try-name-it-not-faith-but/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [ What are you for? It may be, to a degree, consoling that white brothers and sisters did not vote for \[Donald\] Trump, and do… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/what-are-you-for-it-may-be-to-a-degree-consoling-that-white-brothers/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [Bigoted people are just scholars who lack any sort of legitimate credentials to answer why they're bigoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doctavius/bigoted-people-are-just-scholars-who-lack-any-sort-of-legitimate/) [Doctavius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doctavius/) > [Sadly, we can't eliminate bigotry. But that doesn't mean we have to tolerate it, much less give it a platform on which to thrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-viner/sadly-we-can-t-eliminate-bigotry-but-that-doesn-t-mean-we-have-to/) [Katharine Viner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-viner/) > [Ideological bigotry has become the norm on even our most prestigious campuses, where students can go for years without reading or hearing anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/ideological-bigotry-has-become-the-norm-on-even-our-most-prestigious/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“People talk about history and things like slavery, genocide, and religious persecution as horrors that happened in the past because we were ignorant. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-matthew-nespoli/people-talk-about-history-and-things-like-slavery-genocide-and/) [J. Matthew Nespoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-matthew-nespoli/) > [“Remember who you are. This creature wants to take it from you. Do not let him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/remember-who-you-are-this-creature-wants-to-take-it-from-you-do-not/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [“Oh Beautiful For A Land That's Free Where All Can Congregate Together Live With No Degree Of Bigotry And Hate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bee/oh-beautiful-for-a-land-that-s-free-where-all-can-congregate-together/) [Kathy Bee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bee/) > [“That’s the problem with indoctrination—the whole point of the First Order’s kind of education is to stop someone from thinking and instead kick their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delilah-s-dawson/that-s-the-problem-with-indoctrination-the-whole-point-of-the-first/) [Delilah S. Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delilah-s-dawson/) > [Too small is our world to allow discrimination, bigotry and intolerance to thrive in any corner of it, let alone in the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-engel/too-small-is-our-world-to-allow-discrimination-bigotry-and/) [Eliot Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-engel/) > [... happily the Government of the United States... gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/happily-the-government-of-the-united-states-gives-to-bigotry-no/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [“This book would be a great addition to a classroom library, especially considering its emphases on timeless and critical topics like discrimination and prejudice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lovejoy/this-book-would-be-a-great-addition-to-a-classroom-library-especially/) [Sharon Lovejoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lovejoy/) > [Pat Buchanan... was fired by MSNBC for doing nothing more than voicing his rock-solid conservative thoughts on the otherwise failing network... The real message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/pat-buchanan-was-fired-by-msnbc-for-doing-nothing-more-than-voicing/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [Fear and Bigotry are bred fom isolation and ignorance. -Shekinah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fear-and-bigotry-are-bred-fom-isolation-and-ignorance-shekinah/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 661 Bigotry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigotry/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A white person listens to my act and he laughs and he thinks, 'Yeah, that's the way I see it too.' Okay. He's white. I'm Negro. And we both see things the same way. That must mean that we are alike… So I figure I'm doing as much for good race relations as the next guy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Cosby" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/a-white-person-listens-to-my-act-and-he-laughs-and-he-thinks-yeah/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigotry" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/a-white-person-listens-to-my-act-and-he-laughs-and-he-thinks-yeah/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/bill-cosby-720_bigotry_a-white-person-listens-to-my-act-and-he_1472498.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/bill-cosby-720_bigotry_a-white-person-listens-to-my-act-and-he_1472498.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe0/bill-cosby-720_bigotry_a-white-person-listens-to-my-act-and-he_1472498.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A white person listens to my act and he laughs and he thinks, 'Yeah, that's the way I see it too.' Okay…” — Bill Cosby", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill Cosby", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A white person listens to my...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/a-white-person-listens-to-my-act-and-he-laughs-and-he-thinks-yeah/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/a-white-person-listens-to-my-act-and-he-laughs-and-he-thinks-yeah/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```