--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't have to assert my virility. I…" description: "\"I don't have to assert my virility. I think my career has shown that I'm not exactly a pantywaist. But I do take pride in my work, even to the point of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/john-wayne-2572_careers_i-don-t-have-to-assert-my-virility-i-thi_63378.jpg" --- # I don't have to assert my virility. I think my career has… ![“I don't have to assert my virility. I think my career has shown that I'm not exactly a pantywaist. But I do take pride in my work, even to the point of being the first one on the set in the morning. I'm a professional.” quote by John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/john-wayne-2572_careers_i-don-t-have-to-assert-my-virility-i-thi_63378.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/john-wayne-2572_careers_i-don-t-have-to-assert-my-virility-i-thi_63378.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/john-wayne-2572_careers_i-don-t-have-to-assert-my-virility-i-thi_63378.jpg) > “I don't have to assert my virility. I think my career has shown that I'm not exactly a pantywaist. But I do take pride in my work, even to the point of being the first one on the set in the morning. I'm a professional.” [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker emphasizes professional dedication over masculine bravado, asserting that work ethic defines competence more than overt displays of virility. **In simple terms:** Work ethic over macho posturing Key Takeaway Professional pride matters more than gendered bravado Themes masculinity professionalism work ethic identity self‑validation Mood determined proud Type statement self‑affirmation When to use this quote - early‑morning set start - first‑to‑arrive workplace - professional self‑assertion Key Concepts career reputation personal standards gender expectations Practical Applications - leadership modeling - team morale building Questions to Reflect On - How does personal pride influence performance? - What role does gender perception play in professional identity? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [In college I was one of six males who auditioned for five male roles in a comedy play. I was the one rejected. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/in-college-i-was-one-of-six-males-who-auditioned-for-five-male-roles/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [“It's about time you saw how fortunate you are. You have ... the most virile man in the world." He grinned, and in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-chase/it-s-about-time-you-saw-how-fortunate-you-are-you-have-the-most/) [Loretta Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-chase/) > [Thanks to the gods I didn't spend much time while growing up with my grandfather's mistress and preserved the flower of my youth, waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/thanks-to-the-gods-i-didn-t-spend-much-time-while-growing-up-with-my/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“A man wants his virility regarded, a woman wants her femininity appreciated, however indirect and subtle the indications of regard and appreciation. On Winter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/a-man-wants-his-virility-regarded-a-woman-wants-her-femininity-2/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Thus Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Douglas and Mr. Joyce partly spoil their books for women readers by their display of self-conscious virility; and Mr. Hemingway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/thus-mr-lawrence-mr-douglas-and-mr-joyce-partly-spoil-their-books-for/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The advertising media in this country continuously informs the American male of his need for indispensable signs of his virility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-m-beal/the-advertising-media-in-this-country-continuously-informs-the/) Frances M. Beal > [Misunderstanding women is a clear sign of scant virility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-svevo/misunderstanding-women-is-a-clear-sign-of-scant-virility/) [Italo Svevo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-svevo/) > [ A man wants his virility regarded. A woman wants her femininity appreciated, however indirect and subtle the indications of regard and appreciation. \[Here\] one… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-wants-his-virility-regarded-a-woman-wants-her-femininity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Taken altogether, his appearance was a veritable assault of virility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/taken-altogether-his-appearance-was-a-veritable-assault-of-virility/) [Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) > [It's like you trade the virility of the body for the agility of the spirirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/it-s-like-you-trade-the-virility-of-the-body-for-the-agility-of-the/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [“Luc Basset possessed an obvious dependability combined with sensitivity and virility. A virility that could not be measured in money, success and wittiness, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-george/luc-basset-possessed-an-obvious-dependability-combined-with/) [Nina George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-george/) > [Actually, even our virility depends on the gaze and the control of women. Without women, we cannot do anything. I think it's a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ousmane-sembene/actually-even-our-virility-depends-on-the-gaze-and-the-control-of/) [Ousmane Sembene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ousmane-sembene/) > [I just think it's rather odd that a nation that prides itself on its virility should feel compelled to strap on forty pounds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-giles/i-just-think-it-s-rather-odd-that-a-nation-that-prides-itself-on-its/) [Rupert Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-giles/) > [“It was the stupidity of virility that impressed me--& how, having made those convenient railway lines of convention, the lusts speed along them unquestioning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-was-the-stupidity-of-virility-that-impressed-me-how-having-made/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The First Mobile, if one is sent, must be warned that unless he is very self-assured, or senile, his pride will suffer. A man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-first-mobile-if-one-is-sent-must-be-warned-that-unless-he-is-very/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) ## More by John Wayne > [When I was a sophomore at USC, I was a socialist, pretty much to the left. But not when I left the university. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/when-i-was-a-sophomore-at-usc-i-was-a-socialist-pretty-much-to-the/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [Don't ever for a minute make the mistake of looking down your nose at westerns. They're art - the good ones, I mean. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/don-t-ever-for-a-minute-make-the-mistake-of-looking-down-your-nose-at/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [I'd read up on the history of our country and I'd become fascinated with the story of the Alamo. To me it represented the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-d-read-up-on-the-history-of-our-country-and-i-d-become-fascinated/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [This kind of war, you've gotta believe in what you're fighting for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/this-kind-of-war-you-ve-gotta-believe-in-what-you-re-fighting-for/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [I was ashamed to admit I was hipped to the idea of acting. That's why I started in with the props.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-was-ashamed-to-admit-i-was-hipped-to-the-idea-of-acting-that-s-why/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [TRUE Courage is when you are scared to death and STILL saddle up and ride in!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/true-courage-is-when-you-are-scared-to-death-and-still-saddle-up-and/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [“The worst part of it has been, I think, the adverse effect on family life. It kills off family conversation. And it’s harder to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/the-worst-part-of-it-has-been-i-think-the-adverse-effect-on-family/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [Nothing is so discouraging to an actor than to have to work for long hours upon hours in brightly lighted interior sets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/nothing-is-so-discouraging-to-an-actor-than-to-have-to-work-for-long/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [Government has no wealth, and when a politician promises to give you something for nothing, he must first confiscate that wealth from you --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/government-has-no-wealth-and-when-a-politician-promises-to-give-you/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [True grit is making a decision and standing by it, doing what must be done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/true-grit-is-making-a-decision-and-standing-by-it-doing-what-must-be/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/when-you-come-slam-bang-up-against-trouble-it-never-looks-half-as-bad/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [Life is hard, but it's even harder when you're stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/life-is-hard-but-it-s-even-harder-when-you-re-stupid/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [I never killed a man I didn't have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-never-killed-a-man-i-didn-t-have-to/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [I eat as much as I ever did, I drink more than I should, and my sex life is none of your goddamned business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-eat-as-much-as-i-ever-did-i-drink-more-than-i-should-and-my-sex/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [Republic . . . it means people can live free, talk free, go or come, buy or sell, be drunk or sober, however they choose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/republic-it-means-people-can-live-free-talk-free-go-or-come-buy-or/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) [Explore all 160 John Wayne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) ## More Careers quotes > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [The only thing I try to watch carefully is that I never lose the love for the instrument. That's also why I decided against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nils-frahm/the-only-thing-i-try-to-watch-carefully-is-that-i-never-lose-the-love/) [Nils Frahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nils-frahm/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [I always knew I wanted to have a good career, so I made it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-have-a-good-career-so-i-made-it-happen/) [Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) > [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/) [Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/) > [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/) Robbin Crosby > [There is so much temptation to hold on to my career even more now. To try to micromanage and dictate every little aspect. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/there-is-so-much-temptation-to-hold-on-to-my-career-even-more-now-to/) [Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/) > [Everything I've been through, everything I'm about to go through in my career and my life, if my family wasn't with me and didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-malone/everything-i-ve-been-through-everything-i-m-about-to-go-through-in-my/) [Karl Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-malone/) > [An image has stuck for most of my career and it isn't flattering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-fowler/an-image-has-stuck-for-most-of-my-career-and-it-isn-t-flattering/) [Robbie Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-fowler/) Browse all 6,154 Careers quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't have to assert my virility. I think my career has shown that I'm not exactly a pantywaist. But I do take pride in my work, even to the point of being the first one on the set in the morning. I'm a professional.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Wayne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-don-t-have-to-assert-my-virility-i-think-my-career-has-shown-that-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Careers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-don-t-have-to-assert-my-virility-i-think-my-career-has-shown-that-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/john-wayne-2572_careers_i-don-t-have-to-assert-my-virility-i-thi_63378.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/john-wayne-2572_careers_i-don-t-have-to-assert-my-virility-i-thi_63378.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/john-wayne-2572_careers_i-don-t-have-to-assert-my-virility-i-thi_63378.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't have to assert my virility. I think my career has shown that I'm not exactly a pantywaist. But I do…” — John Wayne", "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": "John Wayne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't have to assert my...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-don-t-have-to-assert-my-virility-i-think-my-career-has-shown-that-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-don-t-have-to-assert-my-virility-i-think-my-career-has-shown-that-i/#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 } } ] } ```