--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always thought that no matter what kind…" description: "\"I always thought that no matter what kind of work people did, they should involve themselves totally with all the discrimination they ran into.\" — Char..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/505/charles-mingus-13816_discrimination_i-always-thought-that-no-matter-what-kin_916718.jpg" --- # I always thought that no matter what kind of work people… ![“I always thought that no matter what kind of work people did, they should involve themselves totally with all the discrimination they ran into.” quote by Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/505/charles-mingus-13816_discrimination_i-always-thought-that-no-matter-what-kin_916718.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/505/charles-mingus-13816_discrimination_i-always-thought-that-no-matter-what-kin_916718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/505/charles-mingus-13816_discrimination_i-always-thought-that-no-matter-what-kin_916718.jpg) > “I always thought that no matter what kind of work people did, they should involve themselves totally with all the discrimination they ran into.” [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He believes people should fully engage with the discrimination they encounter, confronting it directly. **In simple terms:** Confront discrimination head‑on. Key Takeaway Engage with injustice. Themes social justice activism confrontation Mood determined serious Type activist philosophical When to use this quote - workplace - education - activist movements Key Concepts systemic bias personal responsibility empowerment Questions to Reflect On - How can you stay resilient while confronting bias? - What strategies help transform discrimination into change? A Different Perspective May lead to burnout if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [When you do something just because it is needed, you involve yourself totally without it meaning anything to you, then action becomes liberating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/when-you-do-something-just-because-it-is-needed-you-involve-yourself/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) > [It is each American's constitutional right to marry the person they love, no matter what state they inhabit. No state should decide who can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/it-is-each-american-s-constitutional-right-to-marry-the-person-they/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [I take a lot of pride in the work I do, because people pay to see me. They've got to get babysitters, park their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-t/i-take-a-lot-of-pride-in-the-work-i-do-because-people-pay-to-see-me/) [Mr. T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-t/) > [Most of the world's work is done by people who don't feel very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/most-of-the-world-s-work-is-done-by-people-who-don-t-feel-very-well/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [I think it's so much fun to work with people who you like and love and are close to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustaf-skarsgard/i-think-it-s-so-much-fun-to-work-with-people-who-you-like-and-love/) [Gustaf Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustaf-skarsgard/) > [I'd much rather work with people that are tricky and difficult than people that just say yes to everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noomi-rapace/i-d-much-rather-work-with-people-that-are-tricky-and-difficult-than/) [Noomi Rapace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noomi-rapace/) > [There is nothing better than work. Work is also play; children know that. Children play earnestly as if it were work. But people grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/there-is-nothing-better-than-work-work-is-also-play-children-know/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [Most people only value what they work for, people don't respect things when they are handed to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-people-only-value-what-they-work-for-people-don-t-respect-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The people I don't like to work with are people like me. I need people who can complement my skill set, people who can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/the-people-i-don-t-like-to-work-with-are-people-like-me-i-need-people/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [Because knowledge is not for showing off. If I do good work, people should notice me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chetan-bhagat/because-knowledge-is-not-for-showing-off-if-i-do-good-work-people/) [Chetan Bhagat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chetan-bhagat/) > [When I work, I work very hard. So I look to work with people who have that level of dedication. And I depend on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cruise/when-i-work-i-work-very-hard-so-i-look-to-work-with-people-who-have/) [Tom Cruise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cruise/) > [I have a real kind of fundamental philosophical belief that movies are better if everyone gets paid when they work, and if they don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-blum/i-have-a-real-kind-of-fundamental-philosophical-belief-that-movies/) [Jason Blum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-blum/) > [I always find that the best collaborations are when you work with people that know what they're doing, and you leave them alone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-always-find-that-the-best-collaborations-are-when-you-work-with/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I love to work with people and do what I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-starr/i-love-to-work-with-people-and-do-what-i-love/) [Martin Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-starr/) > [Love and work are to people what water and sunshine are to plants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/love-and-work-are-to-people-what-water-and-sunshine-are-to-plants/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) ## More by Charles Mingus > [Tastes are created by the business interests. How else can you explain the popularity of Al Hirt?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/tastes-are-created-by-the-business-interests-how-else-can-you-explain/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [Whatever coast he's on, a man should be himself. I don't write in any particular idiom, I write Charles Mingus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/whatever-coast-he-s-on-a-man-should-be-himself-i-don-t-write-in-any/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [If someone has been escaping reality, I don't expect him to dig my music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/if-someone-has-been-escaping-reality-i-don-t-expect-him-to-dig-my/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [Everything I do is Mingus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/everything-i-do-is-mingus/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [I've got a feeling that, if it's so easy for you, the struggle and the initiative are not as strong as they are for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/i-ve-got-a-feeling-that-if-it-s-so-easy-for-you-the-struggle-and-the/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [I never heard my music played the way I heard it in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/i-never-heard-my-music-played-the-way-i-heard-it-in-my-head/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [That sound in tune to you? Sounds sharp to me. Sounds like I'm playing sharp all the time. My singing teacher told us you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/that-sound-in-tune-to-you-sounds-sharp-to-me-sounds-like-i-m-playing/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [Our nights didn't begin until after noon. Because in the old days, you'd start Birdland at 8:30 or 9 pm and play until 4…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/our-nights-didn-t-begin-until-after-noon-because-in-the-old-days-you/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [My son's a painter. All through school his teachers tell him he's a genius. I tell him to paint me an apple that looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/my-son-s-a-painter-all-through-school-his-teachers-tell-him-he-s-a/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [“Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/anyone-can-make-the-simple-complicated-creativity-is-making-the/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [I always wanted to be a spontaneous composer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-spontaneous-composer/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [I was born swinging and clapped my hands in church as a little boy, but I've grown up and I like to do things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/i-was-born-swinging-and-clapped-my-hands-in-church-as-a-little-boy/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [“Creativity is more than just being different. Anybody can play weird-- that's easy. What's hard is to be as simple as Bach. Making the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/creativity-is-more-than-just-being-different-anybody-can-play-weird/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [Let my children have music! Let them hear live music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/let-my-children-have-music-let-them-hear-live-music/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) > [Bach is how buildings got taller. It's how we got to the moon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/bach-is-how-buildings-got-taller-it-s-how-we-got-to-the-moon/) [Charles Mingus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) [Explore all 49 Charles Mingus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/) ## More Discrimination quotes > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things - he never said that gay people should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/jesus-never-said-a-word-about-homosexuality-in-all-of-his-teachings/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [In a general way, the literature of the twentieth century is essentially psychological; and psychology consists of describing states of the soul by displaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/in-a-general-way-the-literature-of-the-twentieth-century-is/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [I believe that those who promote discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or any other grounds are gravely mistaken about the values that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-clinton/i-believe-that-those-who-promote-discrimination-on-the-basis-of/) [Bill Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-clinton/) > [Each Act of Parliament intended to address harassment and discrimination has faced objections on the basis of 'you'll never be able to prove...' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-field/each-act-of-parliament-intended-to-address-harassment-and/) [Tim Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-field/) > [Nothing better protects a human being against the stupidity of prejudice, racism, religious or political sectarianism, and exclusivist nationalism than this truth that invariably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/nothing-better-protects-a-human-being-against-the-stupidity-of/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [It is obvious that discrimination exists. Women do not have the opportunities that men do. And women that do not conform to the system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/it-is-obvious-that-discrimination-exists-women-do-not-have-the/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [The fact is that in too many parts of our country, we still have discrimination. And affirmative action is not just something that applies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/the-fact-is-that-in-too-many-parts-of-our-country-we-still-have/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Judging someone by the color of their skin is ignorant. Their skin complexion has nothing to do with their morals, beliefs or intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/judging-someone-by-the-color-of-their-skin-is-ignorant-their-skin/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We try to take a very strong stance against discrimination and hatred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-blecharczyk/we-try-to-take-a-very-strong-stance-against-discrimination-and-hatred/) [Nathan Blecharczyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-blecharczyk/) > [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/) > [End discrimination and hate everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candy/end-discrimination-and-hate-everyone/) [Candy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candy/) > [This bill would allow an employee to bring a claim against an employer decades after the alleged initial act of discrimination occurred. Trial lawyers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-mckeon/this-bill-would-allow-an-employee-to-bring-a-claim-against-an/) Buck McKeon > [Legal discrimination between the sexes is, in almost every instance, founded on outmoded views of society and the pre-scientific beliefs about psychology and physiology.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/legal-discrimination-between-the-sexes-is-in-almost-every-instance/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) [Browse all 1,366 Discrimination quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I always thought that no matter what kind of work people did, they should involve themselves totally with all the discrimination they ran into.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Mingus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/i-always-thought-that-no-matter-what-kind-of-work-people-did-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Discrimination" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/i-always-thought-that-no-matter-what-kind-of-work-people-did-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/505/charles-mingus-13816_discrimination_i-always-thought-that-no-matter-what-kin_916718.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/505/charles-mingus-13816_discrimination_i-always-thought-that-no-matter-what-kin_916718.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/505/charles-mingus-13816_discrimination_i-always-thought-that-no-matter-what-kin_916718.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I always thought that no matter what kind of work people did, they should involve themselves totally with…” — Charles Mingus", "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": "Charles Mingus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mingus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I always thought that no matter...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/i-always-thought-that-no-matter-what-kind-of-work-people-did-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mingus/i-always-thought-that-no-matter-what-kind-of-work-people-did-they/#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 } } ] } ```