--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father was a Little League dictator…" description: "\"My father was a Little League dictator. That really affected me, his control-freakery, his impunity, his arbitrary unreasonable power.\" — Junot Diaz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/junot-diaz-531_affected_my-father-was-a-little-league-dictator-t_1226464.jpg" --- # My father was a Little League dictator. That really… ![“My father was a Little League dictator. That really affected me, his control-freakery, his impunity, his arbitrary unreasonable power.” quote by Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/junot-diaz-531_affected_my-father-was-a-little-league-dictator-t_1226464.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/junot-diaz-531_affected_my-father-was-a-little-league-dictator-t_1226464.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/junot-diaz-531_affected_my-father-was-a-little-league-dictator-t_1226464.jpg) > “My father was a Little League dictator. That really affected me, his control-freakery, his impunity, his arbitrary unreasonable power.” [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A controlling father’s authoritarian behavior left lasting emotional scars. **In simple terms:** A dictatorial father caused deep personal impact. Key Takeaway Recognize and heal from parental control. Themes family dynamics authoritarianism psychology Mood empathetic analytical Type psychology family When to use this quote - counseling - family therapy - support groups Key Concepts trauma power imbalance Questions to Reflect On - How does parental control affect adult relationships? - What steps aid recovery from such upbringing? A Different Perspective Healing may be complicated by family ties. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affected/) [Arbitrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arbitrary/) [Dictator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictator/) [Dictator Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictator-really-3775642/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Impunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impunity/) [League](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/league/) [League Dictator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/league-dictator-3775641/) [Little league](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-league/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Really Affected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-affected-828840/) [Unreasonable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unreasonable/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing really affected me until Elvis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/nothing-really-affected-me-until-elvis/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Basketball has brought me a lot of joy, brought me a lot of good things. Just that side of it has really affected me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-howard/basketball-has-brought-me-a-lot-of-joy-brought-me-a-lot-of-good/) [Dwight Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-howard/) > [I started putting myself in a bubble and it really affected me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-rodriguez/i-started-putting-myself-in-a-bubble-and-it-really-affected-me/) [Yair Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-rodriguez/) > [I was really affected by 'The Piano.' Had I not seen that movie, I wouldn't have gone to film school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schneider/i-was-really-affected-by-the-piano-had-i-not-seen-that-movie-i-wouldn/) [Paul Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schneider/) > [At this point, I don't listen to other people too much. I'm not really that affected by anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/at-this-point-i-don-t-listen-to-other-people-too-much-i-m-not-really/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [I had a really good childhood up until I was nine, then a classic case of divorce really affected me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/i-had-a-really-good-childhood-up-until-i-was-nine-then-a-classic-case/) [Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/) > [It's nice to see that people in Middle America are really affected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/it-s-nice-to-see-that-people-in-middle-america-are-really-affected/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [The lion's share of what I listened to in the Eighties, what really affected me, was coming from Britain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grant/the-lion-s-share-of-what-i-listened-to-in-the-eighties-what-really/) [John Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grant/) > [The switch to wi-fi came on so fast that it's everywhere now. It's really affecting things and I have a feeling that we're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-jennings/the-switch-to-wi-fi-came-on-so-fast-that-it-s-everywhere-now-it-s/) [Mason Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-jennings/) > [What really broke it down was I had my son while I was locked up, so that really affected me. I can't really have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-durk/what-really-broke-it-down-was-i-had-my-son-while-i-was-locked-up-so/) [Lil Durk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-durk/) > [I get really affected by songs as a music listener - they mean so much and they feel so significant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-ramone/i-get-really-affected-by-songs-as-a-music-listener-they-mean-so-much/) [Dee Dee Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-ramone/) > [When someone is bullying you, don't let it get to you. I remember my friends in school, someone said something mean to them, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-someone-is-bullying-you-don-t-let-it-get-to-you-i-remember-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fame hasn't really affected me. I have a really close knit group around me, and my sister is always with me, so it's like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-mvula/fame-hasn-t-really-affected-me-i-have-a-really-close-knit-group/) [Laura Mvula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-mvula/) > [If someone gets up and walks out of the movie, it means it's really affected them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/if-someone-gets-up-and-walks-out-of-the-movie-it-means-it-s-really/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [The kind of life I led really affected my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/the-kind-of-life-i-led-really-affected-my-family/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) ## More by Junot Diaz > [It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Tell her that you love her hair, that you love her skin, her lips, because, in truth, you love them more than you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/tell-her-that-you-love-her-hair-that-you-love-her-skin-her-lips/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [It took me sixteen years to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-took-me-sixteen-years-to-write/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You ask everybody you know: How long does it usually take to get over it? There are many formulas. One year for every year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-ask-everybody-you-know-how-long-does-it-usually-take-to-get-over/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Instead of finding himself in nerd heaven—where every nerd gets fifty-eight virgins to role-play with—he woke up in Robert Wood Johnson with two broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/instead-of-finding-himself-in-nerd-heaven-where-every-nerd-gets-fifty/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The one thing about being a dude and writing from a female perspective is that the baseline is, you suck. The baseline is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-one-thing-about-being-a-dude-and-writing-from-a-female/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I used to think those were the barrio rules, Latinos and blacks in, whites out —a place we down cats weren’t supposed to go.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-used-to-think-those-were-the-barrio-rules-latinos-and-blacks-in/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I put my hand on her knee. I just wish you'd say you love me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-put-my-hand-on-her-knee-i-just-wish-you-d-say-you-love-me/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I've always thought that you don't love a country by turning a blind eye to its crimes and to a problem. The way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-ve-always-thought-that-you-don-t-love-a-country-by-turning-a-blind/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Called her a whore and attacked her walls, tearing down her posters and throwing her books everywhere. I found out because some whitegirl ran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/called-her-a-whore-and-attacked-her-walls-tearing-down-her-posters/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You're Dominican only if you do this, this, and that. And if you do this and that, you'll be accepted to a certain degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-re-dominican-only-if-you-do-this-this-and-that-and-if-you-do-this/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Ramfis fled the country after Trujillo's death, lived dissolutely off his father's swag, and ended up dying in a car crash of his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/ramfis-fled-the-country-after-trujillo-s-death-lived-dissolutely-off/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [If you didn't grow up like I did then you don't know, and if you don't know it's probably better you don't judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-didn-t-grow-up-like-i-did-then-you-don-t-know-and-if-you-don-t/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“If you ask me I don't think there are any such things as curses. I think there is only life. That's enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-ask-me-i-don-t-think-there-are-any-such-things-as-curses-i/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The only difference between a published and unpublished writer is a tolerance for imperfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-only-difference-between-a-published-and-unpublished-writer-is-a/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Explore all 486 Junot Diaz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## More Affected quotes > [To tell you the truth I am hard put to think of anyone who's career was affected significantly by making all those phone calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabney-coleman/to-tell-you-the-truth-i-am-hard-put-to-think-of-anyone-who-s-career/) [Dabney Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabney-coleman/) > [First, climate change is the greatest long-term threat faced by humanity. It could cause more human and financial suffering than the two world wars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-miliband/first-climate-change-is-the-greatest-long-term-threat-faced-by/) [David Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-miliband/) > [Be a pattern to others, and then all will go well; for as a whole city is affected by the licentious passions and vices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/be-a-pattern-to-others-and-then-all-will-go-well-for-as-a-whole-city/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [At first I thought I would have to put on an English accent and try a sort of affected Shakespeare thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/at-first-i-thought-i-would-have-to-put-on-an-english-accent-and-try-a/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [Every culture, if its natural development is not too much affected by political restrictions, experiences a perpetual renewal of the formative urge, and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/every-culture-if-its-natural-development-is-not-too-much-affected-by/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [Don't show them that you are affected.. Instead, show them that you are happy even without them.. To put a sad face on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharlene05/don-t-show-them-that-you-are-affected-instead-show-them-that-you-are/) [Sharlene05](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharlene05/) > [I wish we could go back to the time when the private lives of our public figures were relevant only if they directly affected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-wish-we-could-go-back-to-the-time-when-the-private-lives-of-our/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [Don't be intimidated by people who seem to be experts. Hear their points of view and get their judgements. But at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/don-t-be-intimidated-by-people-who-seem-to-be-experts-hear-their/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [Who what am I? My answer: I am the sum total of everything that went before me, of all I have been seen done,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/who-what-am-i-my-answer-i-am-the-sum-total-of-everything-that-went/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I have wondered why is it that some people are less affected and torn by the verities of life and death that others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-wondered-why-is-it-that-some-people-are-less-affected-and-torn/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Then, the other thing that affected my interest in choices growing up was the fact that I was going blind and that meant that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/then-the-other-thing-that-affected-my-interest-in-choices-growing-up/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [I don't think Wayne Rooney would be affected if you booed him, that's just how he is, but others go under. They really suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lampard/i-don-t-think-wayne-rooney-would-be-affected-if-you-booed-him-that-s/) [Frank Lampard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lampard/) > [I'm not good at standing on platforms and persuading people to my political point of view. Nor would I seek to. My gift is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hare/i-m-not-good-at-standing-on-platforms-and-persuading-people-to-my/) [David Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hare/) > [I was trying to hold up a mirror to this country, to reflect the past years or so, and the varying degrees in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/said-sayrafiezadeh/i-was-trying-to-hold-up-a-mirror-to-this-country-to-reflect-the-past/) [Said Sayrafiezadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/said-sayrafiezadeh/) > [We know COVID-19 hasn't affected communities equally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-cooper/we-know-covid-19-hasn-t-affected-communities-equally/) [Roy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-cooper/) [Browse all 1,050 Affected quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affected/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My father was a Little League dictator. 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