--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Telling me that I’m obsessed with talking…" description: "\"Telling me that I’m obsessed with talking about racism in America is like telling me I’m obsessed with swimming when I’m drowning.\" — Hari Kondabolu" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/hari-kondabolu-12177_america_telling-me-that-i-m-obsessed-with-talkin_225424.png" --- # Telling me that I’m obsessed with talking about racism in… ![“Telling me that I’m obsessed with talking about racism in America is like telling me I’m obsessed with swimming when I’m drowning.” quote by Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/hari-kondabolu-12177_america_telling-me-that-i-m-obsessed-with-talkin_225424.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/hari-kondabolu-12177_america_telling-me-that-i-m-obsessed-with-talkin_225424.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/hari-kondabolu-12177_america_telling-me-that-i-m-obsessed-with-talkin_225424.png) > “Telling me that I’m obsessed with talking about racism in America is like telling me I’m obsessed with swimming when I’m drowning.” [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comparing being labeled as obsessed with racism to being called obsessed with swimming while drowning, the quote underscores the absurdity of dismissing serious concerns as mere fixation. **In simple terms:** Being called obsessed with a problem while suffering from it is absurd. Key Takeaway Address issues directly rather than deflect. Themes racism deflection social critique Mood critical defiant Type social political When to use this quote - activist debates - media interviews - educational settings Key Concepts systemic oppression public discourse personal experience Questions to Reflect On - How can we move beyond labeling to meaningful action? - What does it mean to be “drowning” in a societal problem? A Different Perspective The analogy may oversimplify complex systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Racism in america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism-in-america/) ## Related quotes > [There is a bunch of racism in America, and sadly, most of it's on the left side of the aisle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-is-a-bunch-of-racism-in-america-and-sadly-most-of-it-s-on-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Part of our identity is the idea that racism is still there and that we are vulnerable to it. So, the question is, 'How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/part-of-our-identity-is-the-idea-that-racism-is-still-there-and-that/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [Racism in America absolutely exists - it is an issue. We need to fix it. We're a great country - probably the greatest country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/racism-in-america-absolutely-exists-it-is-an-issue-we-need-to-fix-it/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I found there's a fairly blatant racism in America that's already there, and I don't think I noticed it when I lived here as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/i-found-there-s-a-fairly-blatant-racism-in-america-that-s-already/) [Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/) > [As a historian of American and African-American religion, I know that the Trayvon Martin moment is just one moment in a history of racism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/as-a-historian-of-american-and-african-american-religion-i-know-that/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [For many years, I believed racism in America was dead and that opportunity existed for all. My beliefs were shaken when the Rodney King…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hope-bryant/for-many-years-i-believed-racism-in-america-was-dead-and-that/) [John Hope Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hope-bryant/) > [We need a real, honest, and national conversation about racism in America, because the status quo is a crisis for too many Black and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaal-bowman/we-need-a-real-honest-and-national-conversation-about-racism-in/) [Jamaal Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaal-bowman/) > [By the 1960s, many of us believed that the Civil Rights Movement could eliminate racism in America during our lifetime. But despite significant progress,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/by-the-1960s-many-of-us-believed-that-the-civil-rights-movement-could/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [All of you are aware of the tragic history of racism in America, but for a very long time, African-Americans and their white allies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/all-of-you-are-aware-of-the-tragic-history-of-racism-in-america-but/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [I have nothing to do with racism in America; it was here when I got here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mooney/i-have-nothing-to-do-with-racism-in-america-it-was-here-when-i-got/) [Paul Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mooney/) > [Racism in America is real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-glenn/racism-in-america-is-real/) [Darryl Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-glenn/) > [It was definitely during the Obama administration that talking about racism, or calling it out, suddenly seemed taboo. It seemed like talking about race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peele/it-was-definitely-during-the-obama-administration-that-talking-about/) [Jordan Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peele/) > [If I was in a room with a bunch of skinheads talking about racism, then I would be disturbed, but after we finished a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-furlong/if-i-was-in-a-room-with-a-bunch-of-skinheads-talking-about-racism/) [Edward Furlong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-furlong/) > [The White House wants us talking about racism and the justice system because they use it as a springboard to scare Americans about looting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-keilar/the-white-house-wants-us-talking-about-racism-and-the-justice-system/) [Brianna Keilar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-keilar/) > [We can go on talking about racism and who treated whom badly, but what are you going to do about it? Are you going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/we-can-go-on-talking-about-racism-and-who-treated-whom-badly-but-what/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) ## More by Hari Kondabolu > [Seattle is a place I've lived only a couple of years, but I feel like I've been adopted by this city. It's like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/seattle-is-a-place-i-ve-lived-only-a-couple-of-years-but-i-feel-like/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [I have had vegan Thanksgiving of tofurkey and soy gravy. And it's not to say that Thanksgiving will ever justify the genocide of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/i-have-had-vegan-thanksgiving-of-tofurkey-and-soy-gravy-and-it-s-not/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [The words we use have weight. Whether it's in a conversation with a friend or something said publicly on stage or broadcast. And as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/the-words-we-use-have-weight-whether-it-s-in-a-conversation-with-a/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [I've been approached after shows from people who said, 'I don't agree with anything you said, but I laughed the whole way through.' That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/i-ve-been-approached-after-shows-from-people-who-said-i-don-t-agree/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [Just give us 50 years where we're the only ones who are allowed to profit from art, and then you can do whoever you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/just-give-us-50-years-where-we-re-the-only-ones-who-are-allowed-to/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [There are some dogs that are gigantic that look like they shouldn't be in existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/there-are-some-dogs-that-are-gigantic-that-look-like-they-shouldn-t/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [Both my parents are immigrants. I've seen different struggles they've had. There's a reason you don't see me using accents. I don't do impressions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/both-my-parents-are-immigrants-i-ve-seen-different-struggles-they-ve/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [I would love the opportunity to create my own program. I feel like a TV show with a format of monologue with lots of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/i-would-love-the-opportunity-to-create-my-own-program-i-feel-like-a/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [I never learned how to tie my shoes, and I was mocked for that. I still don't know how to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/i-never-learned-how-to-tie-my-shoes-and-i-was-mocked-for-that-i-still/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [I'm not a politician, I'm not an ideologue, I'm not an organizer anymore. I'm a human being sharing ideas, and those ideas have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/i-m-not-a-politician-i-m-not-an-ideologue-i-m-not-an-organizer/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [We've never had a female President in this country, which I find stunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/we-ve-never-had-a-female-president-in-this-country-which-i-find/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [Politics and sports are the same thing in some ways. I like sports; I don't like the sports aspect of politics. The conventions are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/politics-and-sports-are-the-same-thing-in-some-ways-i-like-sports-i/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [I don't tie my shoes right. I tie them the way you would tie a gift, like a bow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/i-don-t-tie-my-shoes-right-i-tie-them-the-way-you-would-tie-a-gift/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [I don't drink before shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/i-don-t-drink-before-shows/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [I try to be as thoughtful as I can about everything that comes out of my mouth and not reinforce sexism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/i-try-to-be-as-thoughtful-as-i-can-about-everything-that-comes-out-of/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) [Explore all 56 Hari Kondabolu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Telling me that I’m obsessed with talking about racism in America is like telling me I’m obsessed with swimming when I’m drowning.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hari Kondabolu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/telling-me-that-i-m-obsessed-with-talking-about-racism-in-america-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/telling-me-that-i-m-obsessed-with-talking-about-racism-in-america-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/hari-kondabolu-12177_america_telling-me-that-i-m-obsessed-with-talkin_225424.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/hari-kondabolu-12177_america_telling-me-that-i-m-obsessed-with-talkin_225424.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/hari-kondabolu-12177_america_telling-me-that-i-m-obsessed-with-talkin_225424.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Telling me that I’m obsessed with talking about racism in America is like telling me I’m obsessed with…” — Hari Kondabolu", "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": "Hari Kondabolu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Telling me that I’m obsessed with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/telling-me-that-i-m-obsessed-with-talking-about-racism-in-america-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/telling-me-that-i-m-obsessed-with-talking-about-racism-in-america-is/#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 } } ] } ```