--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I remember growing up and hearing the…" description: "\"I remember growing up and hearing the word \"ugly\" a lot. \"I'm ugly.\" \"She ugly.\" \"He ugly.\" I hated it then, and I hate it now. I go past physical beau..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/jamel-shabazz-24195_beautiful_i-remember-growing-up-and-hearing-the-wo_1873804.jpg" --- # I remember growing up and hearing the word "ugly" a lot… ![“I remember growing up and hearing the word "ugly" a lot. "I'm ugly." "She ugly." "He ugly." I hated it then, and I hate it now. I go past physical beauty; I tell people they have a beautiful spirit and that is something different.” quote by Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/jamel-shabazz-24195_beautiful_i-remember-growing-up-and-hearing-the-wo_1873804.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/jamel-shabazz-24195_beautiful_i-remember-growing-up-and-hearing-the-wo_1873804.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/jamel-shabazz-24195_beautiful_i-remember-growing-up-and-hearing-the-wo_1873804.jpg) > “I remember growing up and hearing the word "ugly" a lot. "I'm ugly." "She ugly." "He ugly." I hated it then, and I hate it now. I go past physical beauty; I tell people they have a beautiful spirit and that is something different.” [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True beauty lies beyond appearance; focusing on inner spirit fosters deeper connections. **In simple terms:** Value inner beauty over looks. Key Takeaway Celebrate people's spirit, not just looks. Themes self‑esteem inner beauty acceptance Mood encouraging reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - personal counseling - community building - mentoring Key Concepts psychology social perception Questions to Reflect On - How can you shift focus to inner qualities? - What language reinforces inner beauty? A Different Perspective Societal focus on looks can undermine self‑worth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Physical beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physical-beauty/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) ## Related quotes > ['Fecundity' is an ugly word for an ugly subject. It is ugly, at least, in the eggy animal world. I don't think it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/fecundity-is-an-ugly-word-for-an-ugly-subject-it-is-ugly-at-least-in/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“They call me stupider then them even though I know its not a word. They call me ugly yet I'm not . They pick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ssrwdf/they-call-me-stupider-then-them-even-though-i-know-its-not-a-word/) SsRwDF > [Why are you still wearing...?" Aya began. "Oh, that's not smart plastic? You're really an ugly?" David rolled his eyes and Shay said quietly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/why-are-you-still-wearing-aya-began-oh-that-s-not-smart-plastic-you/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [“Baby, no one would ever make the mistake of using the word ugly with you. Especially with me around." He pushed the curls off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/baby-no-one-would-ever-make-the-mistake-of-using-the-word-ugly-with/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“Ugliness is beautifulness. The word ugly does not exist, but the ones that are blind to see the beauty of things are the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monique-nieblas/ugliness-is-beautifulness-the-word-ugly-does-not-exist-but-the-ones/) Monique Nieblas > [“Arrgh!” Hadleigh flung up an arm to shield her eyes but the damage had been done. She’d seen a lot of ugly things in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-cousins/arrgh-hadleigh-flung-up-an-arm-to-shield-her-eyes-but-the-damage-had/) [Jane Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-cousins/) > [What is ugly ? Is it not having designer clothes? is it not having your boobs hanging out of your shirt ? Or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra/what-is-ugly-is-it-not-having-designer-clothes-is-it-not-having-your/) [Sandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra/) > [If you are ugly, you are ugly. Posting your naked picture on facebook won't turn you to be beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/if-you-are-ugly-you-are-ugly-posting-your-naked-picture-on-facebook/) [Simphiwe Scientist Dumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/) > [“To paraphrase Forrest Gump, "Ugly is, as Ugly does!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorene-stunson-hill/to-paraphrase-forrest-gump-ugly-is-as-ugly-does/) Lorene Stunson Hill > [“They looked at each other in open hostility—she, leaning on her elbow in a flurry of frills and lace; he, sitting side-saddle on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colette/they-looked-at-each-other-in-open-hostility-she-leaning-on-her-elbow/) [Colette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colette/) > [Too ugly, too ugly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sevendust/too-ugly-too-ugly/) [Sevendust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sevendust/) > [I was actually very ugly. I was ugly. I felt very insecure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hahn/i-was-actually-very-ugly-i-was-ugly-i-felt-very-insecure/) [Jessica Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hahn/) > [“Ugly's still ugly, no matter how you see it." "An interesting assertion. Justify it." "You bring twenty people in here," Adam told him, "and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/ugly-s-still-ugly-no-matter-how-you-see-it-an-interesting-assertion/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [She was ugly from the front, and I said ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly. Well, I could handle it behind her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyle-lovett/she-was-ugly-from-the-front-and-i-said-ugly-ugly-ugly-ugly-ugly-well/) [Lyle Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyle-lovett/) > [I came here to tell you the truth, the good, the bad and the ugly. Ugly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/i-came-here-to-tell-you-the-truth-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-ugly/) [Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/) ## More by Jamel Shabazz > [When a photographer or a person sees your beauty, your inner beauty, it makes you feel special like, "Wow, someone saw that within me."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/when-a-photographer-or-a-person-sees-your-beauty-your-inner-beauty-it/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [What I strive to do through my work, is to teach compassion. You need to have a lot of it, in this day and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/what-i-strive-to-do-through-my-work-is-to-teach-compassion-you-need/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [Sometimes we are just divided, but we still, for the most part, we have similar hopes and dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/sometimes-we-are-just-divided-but-we-still-for-the-most-part-we-have/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [Photography is humbling, it really is, and it really allows for me to atone for some of the missteps I've made throughout the course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/photography-is-humbling-it-really-is-and-it-really-allows-for-me-to/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [I'm shooting a gangbanger, but as a dignified man. That's pretty much what war photography did: seeing images of soldiers in a dignified way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/i-m-shooting-a-gangbanger-but-as-a-dignified-man-that-s-pretty-much/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [The majority of the people I've taken photographs of, I've had conversations with. "What are your goals and aspirations?" "What are you about?" It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/the-majority-of-the-people-i-ve-taken-photographs-of-i-ve-had/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [Philip Jones Griffith documented the Vietnam War, and through his images that were published in Time Life Magazine, it showed me the horrors of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/philip-jones-griffith-documented-the-vietnam-war-and-through-his/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [The images of war inspired me to create, to go to different situations and communities, to document the human side of people, to show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/the-images-of-war-inspired-me-to-create-to-go-to-different-situations/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [I read a recent statistic that eighty-seven percent of women are dissatisfied with themselves, and over forty-seven percent of men. My work is visu-medicine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/i-read-a-recent-statistic-that-eighty-seven-percent-of-women-are/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [I think that photography has allowed me to have a voice. I used to stutter, and once I overcame that struggle, it felt good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/i-think-that-photography-has-allowed-me-to-have-a-voice-i-used-to/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [I think what it was with the war photography was the concerned eye, the desire to document these situations to show the world the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/i-think-what-it-was-with-the-war-photography-was-the-concerned-eye/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [ I wanted to go amongst gangbangers, to understand this war they were fighting amongst each other. I wanted to document it, \[also\] to show… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/i-wanted-to-go-amongst-gangbangers-to-understand-this-war-they-were/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [My camera is my compass; it's guided me to so many different places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/my-camera-is-my-compass-it-s-guided-me-to-so-many-different-places/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [There is just something about the common being. My education pretty much came from the streets, just connecting with people, different cultures. I gained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/there-is-just-something-about-the-common-being-my-education-pretty/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [For me, the stars are the invisible people on the street that people don't really get a chance to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/for-me-the-stars-are-the-invisible-people-on-the-street-that-people/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) [Explore all 24 Jamel Shabazz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) ## More Beautiful quotes > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Being beautiful comes naturally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-beautiful-comes-naturally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. 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Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/) Tumblr > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. 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