--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human beings are complicated and flawed…" description: "\"Human beings are complicated and flawed and unique, but we all have a story to tell. Gone are the days where our lead characters can only look like som..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ab/kerry-washington-7918_acceptance_human-beings-are-complicated-and-flawed_2962757.jpg" --- # Human beings are complicated and flawed and unique, but we… ![“Human beings are complicated and flawed and unique, but we all have a story to tell. Gone are the days where our lead characters can only look like somebody else. Heroes look like all of us. We see ourselves in each others' stories. We see who we are. We see who we want to be. Sometimes we see who…” quote by Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ab/kerry-washington-7918_acceptance_human-beings-are-complicated-and-flawed_2962757.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ab/kerry-washington-7918_acceptance_human-beings-are-complicated-and-flawed_2962757.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ab/kerry-washington-7918_acceptance_human-beings-are-complicated-and-flawed_2962757.jpg) > “Human beings are complicated and flawed and unique, but we all have a story to tell. Gone are the days where our lead characters can only look like somebody else. Heroes look like all of us. We see ourselves in each others' stories. We see who we are. We see who we want to be. Sometimes we see who we don't want to be. And through that we have a greater understanding of ourselves and acceptance of each other.” [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories featuring diverse, relatable heroes foster self‑recognition and empathy, deepening personal insight and mutual acceptance. **In simple terms:** Seeing ourselves in heroes helps us understand and accept ourselves and others. Key Takeaway Embrace diverse narratives to grow self‑awareness. Themes identity empathy representation self‑discovery Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - community building - educational curricula - media criticism Key Concepts social psychology media influence Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize your own story in media? - What qualities do you seek in relatable heroes? A Different Perspective Stories may oversimplify complex identities, risking stereotypes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Heroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroes/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Lead characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lead-characters/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [In my eyes, there's heroes I look up to. People who saved me - my caretakers, people at Boston Medical Center. My surgeon. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bauman/in-my-eyes-there-s-heroes-i-look-up-to-people-who-saved-me-my/) [Jeff Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bauman/) > [“The whole point of having heroes is you can look up to people who can get away with whatever they want. Because like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ehrenhaft/the-whole-point-of-having-heroes-is-you-can-look-up-to-people-who-can/) [Daniel Ehrenhaft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ehrenhaft/) > [Heroes, classical heroes have the look of eagles, too. They're looking beyond the immediate problem and into the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shatner/heroes-classical-heroes-have-the-look-of-eagles-too-they-re-looking/) [William Shatner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shatner/) > [“Doctors know nothing. Well. That's kind of unfair. Let's just say the world is unpredictable. Science is unreliable. It can't tell you who you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-tarttelin/doctors-know-nothing-well-that-s-kind-of-unfair-let-s-just-say-the/) [Abigail Tarttelin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-tarttelin/) > [“Human beings are very complicated. The person next to is weirder than you can possibly imagine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shana-mahaffey/human-beings-are-very-complicated-the-person-next-to-is-weirder-than/) Shana Mahaffey > [“Human beings are complicated, thorny, messy things. But those unquantifiable qualities are also what make magic happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laszlo-bock/human-beings-are-complicated-thorny-messy-things-but-those/) [Laszlo Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laszlo-bock/) > [“If I've learned anything at all from my years, it's the simple lesson that human beings are always more complicated, brave, long-suffering, and, ultimately,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lee-burke/if-i-ve-learned-anything-at-all-from-my-years-it-s-the-simple-lesson/) [James Lee Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lee-burke/) > [Representation is necessary, and we all want to turn on the TV and see characters who look like us and represent us in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nafessa-williams/representation-is-necessary-and-we-all-want-to-turn-on-the-tv-and-see/) [Nafessa Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nafessa-williams/) > [People haven't ever seen the real me as I let my characters, their look and my work do the talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurmeet-choudhary/people-haven-t-ever-seen-the-real-me-as-i-let-my-characters-their/) [Gurmeet Choudhary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurmeet-choudhary/) > [For me, it's first about the characters. I look for a character who is intriguing and challenging and different from what I've done before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maika-monroe/for-me-it-s-first-about-the-characters-i-look-for-a-character-who-is/) [Maika Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maika-monroe/) > [I, Lesley, I like looking nice. I like doing my hair and wearing makeup and wearing nice clothes. But I don't care what my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-manville/i-lesley-i-like-looking-nice-i-like-doing-my-hair-and-wearing-makeup/) [Lesley Manville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-manville/) > [To me, there are things you're good at and things you're not so good at. For some reason, I'm good at darker characters. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/to-me-there-are-things-you-re-good-at-and-things-you-re-not-so-good/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I think it's a wonderful thing to have African-American characters. Look at life. It's not a white world or a black world; there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darius-mccrary/i-think-it-s-a-wonderful-thing-to-have-african-american-characters/) [Darius McCrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darius-mccrary/) > [I very seldom, very seldom, even know what my characters look like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-very-seldom-very-seldom-even-know-what-my-characters-look-like/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [It's important for little girls to have characters to look up to, and also be entertained by the fantasy parts. There are a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-tonkin/it-s-important-for-little-girls-to-have-characters-to-look-up-to-and/) [Phoebe Tonkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-tonkin/) ## More by Kerry Washington > [Making the unbelievable believable is different on a set with 'Fantastic Four,' where it's like, 'Wind machines! Because the airship is coming in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/making-the-unbelievable-believable-is-different-on-a-set-with/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [I wouldn't just come home from school and watch TV everyday, they had me involved in lots of local theatre. I was a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/i-wouldn-t-just-come-home-from-school-and-watch-tv-everyday-they-had/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [I'd figure out ways to use role-playing in the healing of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/i-d-figure-out-ways-to-use-role-playing-in-the-healing-of-people/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [People don't think about the fact that when Barack Obama's parents had him it was illegal for them to be married in several states…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/people-don-t-think-about-the-fact-that-when-barack-obama-s-parents/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [Your life is your story, and the adventure ahead of you is the journey to fulfill your own purpose and potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/your-life-is-your-story-and-the-adventure-ahead-of-you-is-the-journey/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [I'll be honest with you. I'm a little bit of a loner. It's been a big part of my maturing process to learn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/i-ll-be-honest-with-you-i-m-a-little-bit-of-a-loner-it-s-been-a-big/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [I think everything in life happens for a reason. I always think there's room for me to improve as a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/i-think-everything-in-life-happens-for-a-reason-i-always-think-there/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [My brain and my heart are really important to me. I don't know why I wouldn't seek help to have those things be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/my-brain-and-my-heart-are-really-important-to-me-i-don-t-know-why-i/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [Because having your story told as a woman, as a person of color, as a lesbian, as a trans person, or as any member…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/because-having-your-story-told-as-a-woman-as-a-person-of-color-as-a/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [Black community, I think as a whole America is dealing with the issue of homophobia. We got to be really honest about whether we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/black-community-i-think-as-a-whole-america-is-dealing-with-the-issue/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [I've always been a writer because I've always been a student. My mom's a retired professor, so I come from a very academic background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/i-ve-always-been-a-writer-because-i-ve-always-been-a-student-my-mom-s/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [I always prided myself on the fact that I could live out of milk crates forever. It was kind of my way of detaching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/i-always-prided-myself-on-the-fact-that-i-could-live-out-of-milk/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [When somebody shows up at your job and jeopardizes your job, yelling and screaming, that's financial abuse. It threatens your ability to take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/when-somebody-shows-up-at-your-job-and-jeopardizes-your-job-yelling/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [I don't gravitate toward any one designer because I think of fashion as the costume of the everyday woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/i-don-t-gravitate-toward-any-one-designer-because-i-think-of-fashion/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [I think that the best day will be when we no longer talk about being gay or straight - it's not a 'gay wedding,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/i-think-that-the-best-day-will-be-when-we-no-longer-talk-about-being/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) [Explore all 86 Kerry Washington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Human beings are complicated and flawed and unique, but we all have a story to tell. Gone are the days where our lead characters can only look like somebody else. Heroes look like all of us. We see ourselves in each others' stories. We see who we are. We see who we want to be. 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