--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm what the botanists call a hybrid,\" he…" description: "\"“I'm what the botanists call a hybrid,\" he said the first time Cora heard him speak, \"A mixture of two different families. In flowers, such a concoctio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f93/colson-whitehead-1042_colson_i-m-what-the-botanists-call-a-hybrid-he_1735527.png" --- # I'm what the botanists call a hybrid," he said the first… ![“I'm what the botanists call a hybrid," he said the first time Cora heard him speak, "A mixture of two different families. In flowers, such a concoction pleases the eye. When that amalgamation takes its shape in flesh and blood, some take great offence. In this room we recognize it for what it is…” quote by Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f93/colson-whitehead-1042_colson_i-m-what-the-botanists-call-a-hybrid-he_1735527.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f93/colson-whitehead-1042_colson_i-m-what-the-botanists-call-a-hybrid-he_1735527.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f93/colson-whitehead-1042_colson_i-m-what-the-botanists-call-a-hybrid-he_1735527.png) > ““I'm what the botanists call a hybrid," he said the first time Cora heard him speak, "A mixture of two different families. In flowers, such a concoction pleases the eye. When that amalgamation takes its shape in flesh and blood, some take great offence. In this room we recognize it for what it is - a new beauty come into the world, and it is in bloom all around us.”” [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A hybrid being, blending two families, is celebrated as a new, beautiful form, though some may find it unsettling. **In simple terms:** A mixed identity is praised as beautiful but can cause offense. Key Takeaway Embrace diversity and new forms. Themes identity diversity beauty acceptance Mood hopeful reflective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - artistic expression - social inclusion - personal identity - cultural dialogue Key Concepts hybridization social norms aesthetic value Questions to Reflect On - How do you react to new combinations? - What beauty can arise from blending? A Different Perspective Some may resist change due to fear of the unknown. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Botanists Hybrid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/botanists-hybrid-1470660/) [Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colson-34910/) [Elijah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elijah/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Flesh and blood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flesh-and-blood/) [Flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/) [Flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flowers/) [Flowers Concoction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flowers-concoction-1470662/) [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Hybrid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hybrid/) [Hybrid Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hybrid-said-1470661/) [Mixed race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mixed-race/) [Mixed-races](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mixed-races-123811/) [Mixture Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mixture-different-1216066/) [Railroad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/railroad/) [Underground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underground/) [Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whitehead-205936/) ## Related quotes > [“The iron horse still rumbled through the tunnel when she woke. Lumbly's words returned to her: "If you want to see what this nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/the-iron-horse-still-rumbled-through-the-tunnel-when-she-woke-lumbly/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I can't tell you how many things I've worked on where I sat on it for a few years, and then somebody else did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beck/i-can-t-tell-you-how-many-things-i-ve-worked-on-where-i-sat-on-it-for/) [Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beck/) > [“It was an effort formulating this summary, explaining myself. I preferred the distant past, centuries that were over and done with, ghosts that posed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-aboulela/it-was-an-effort-formulating-this-summary-explaining-myself-i/) [Leila Aboulela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-aboulela/) > [“So it is that intelligent people often reserve their outrage almost exclusively for what they see as judgmental attitudes – - the one evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/so-it-is-that-intelligent-people-often-reserve-their-outrage-almost/) [Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/) > [“This idea that it’s intolerant to object to anyone else’s position, hovever, is a complete perversion of the historic understanding of tolrance, which was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/this-idea-that-it-s-intolerant-to-object-to-anyone-else-s-position/) [Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/) ## More by Colson Whitehead > [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I want to keep growing as a writer. I find myself doing unexpected projects and sort of challenging my idea of where I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-want-to-keep-growing-as-a-writer-i-find-myself-doing-unexpected/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [“Every Tuesday, James Fulton (and later, Orville Lever) stood in the downstairs drawing room and lectured on the intricacies of his science. Lectured on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/every-tuesday-james-fulton-and-later-orville-lever-stood-in-the/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I started writing in the '90s, so I was free to just have an eccentric career and not conform to some idea of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-started-writing-in-the-90s-so-i-was-free-to-just-have-an-eccentric/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [“Is this the truth of our historic encounter?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/is-this-the-truth-of-our-historic-encounter/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [“The Great War had always been between the white and the black. It always would be. Cora”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/the-great-war-had-always-been-between-the-white-and-the-black-it/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [“The worst sort of scoundrels took up the chase. Drunkards, incorrigibles, poor whites who didn’t even own shoes delighted in this opportunity to scourge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/the-worst-sort-of-scoundrels-took-up-the-chase-drunkards/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [Don’t go searching for a subject, let your subject find you. You can’t rush inspiration. … Once your subject finds you, it’s like falling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/don-t-go-searching-for-a-subject-let-your-subject-find-you-you-can-t/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [“its terms? Homer watched her as she dressed, like a valet who had waited on her since the cradle. “I’m caught,” Cora said. “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/its-terms-homer-watched-her-as-she-dressed-like-a-valet-who-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [These days I find myself wanting to avoid being pigeon-holed, ghettoized, held in a different category than other authors. And when people ask me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/these-days-i-find-myself-wanting-to-avoid-being-pigeon-holed/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [Part of any book is establishing the rules at the end of the world. My first book, 'The Intuitionist,' takes place in an alternative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/part-of-any-book-is-establishing-the-rules-at-the-end-of-the-world-my/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [There's always an attack on the sophomore novel from some quarters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/there-s-always-an-attack-on-the-sophomore-novel-from-some-quarters/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [“All he felt now was envy. These people had expectations. Of the world, of the future, it didn't matter--expectation was such an innovative concept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/all-he-felt-now-was-envy-these-people-had-expectations-of-the-world/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [Growing up as a product of the black civil-rights movement, I had a lot of different models for black weirdness, whether it's Richard Pryor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/growing-up-as-a-product-of-the-black-civil-rights-movement-i-had-a/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [Schools don't teach American history that well, especially a lot of black American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/schools-don-t-teach-american-history-that-well-especially-a-lot-of/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) [Explore all 302 Colson Whitehead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) ## More Colson quotes > [“The iron horse still rumbled through the tunnel when she woke. Lumbly's words returned to her: "If you want to see what this nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/the-iron-horse-still-rumbled-through-the-tunnel-when-she-woke-lumbly/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [“So it is that intelligent people often reserve their outrage almost exclusively for what they see as judgmental attitudes – - the one evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/so-it-is-that-intelligent-people-often-reserve-their-outrage-almost/) [Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/) > [“This idea that it’s intolerant to object to anyone else’s position, hovever, is a complete perversion of the historic understanding of tolrance, which was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/this-idea-that-it-s-intolerant-to-object-to-anyone-else-s-position/) [Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/) [Browse all 4 Colson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colson-34910/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I'm what the botanists call a hybrid,\" he said the first time Cora heard him speak, \"A mixture of two different families. In flowers, such a concoction pleases the eye. When that amalgamation takes its shape in flesh and blood, some take great offence. In this room we recognize it for what it is - a new beauty come into the world, and it is in bloom all around us.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Colson Whitehead" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-m-what-the-botanists-call-a-hybrid-he-said-the-first-time-cora/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Colson" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-m-what-the-botanists-call-a-hybrid-he-said-the-first-time-cora/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f93/colson-whitehead-1042_colson_i-m-what-the-botanists-call-a-hybrid-he_1735527.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f93/colson-whitehead-1042_colson_i-m-what-the-botanists-call-a-hybrid-he_1735527.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f93/colson-whitehead-1042_colson_i-m-what-the-botanists-call-a-hybrid-he_1735527.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm what the botanists call a hybrid,\" he said the first time Cora heard him speak, \"A mixture of two…” — Colson Whitehead", "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": "Colson Whitehead", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I'm what the botanists call a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-m-what-the-botanists-call-a-hybrid-he-said-the-first-time-cora/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-m-what-the-botanists-call-a-hybrid-he-said-the-first-time-cora/#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 } } ] } ```