2001 Quote by Margaret Cho
““If you are a woman, if you're a person of colour, if you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, if you are a person of size, if you are a person od intelligence, if you are a person of integrity, then you are considered a minority in this world. And it's going to be really hard to find messages of self-love and support anywhere. Especially women's and gay men's culture. It's all about how you have to look a certain way or else you're worthless. You know when you look in the mirror and you think 'oh, I'm so fat, I'm so old, I'm so ugly', don't you know, that's not your authentic self? But that is billions upon billions of dollars of advertising, magazines, movies, billboards, all geared to make you feel shitty about yourself so that you will take your hard earned money and spend it at the mall on some turn-around creme that doesn't turn around shit. When you don't have self-esteem you will hesitate before you do anything in your life. You will hesitate to go for the job you really wanna go for, you will hesitate to ask for a raise, you will hesitate to call yourself an American, you will hesitate to report a rape, you will hesitate to defend yourself when you are discriminated against because of your race, your sexuality, your size, your gender. You will hesitate to vote, you will hesitate to dream. For us to have self-esteem is truly an act of revolution and our revolution is long overdue.””
About This Quote
Source Stand‑up Comedy: “The Choice Is Yours”, 2015
Self‑esteem is a radical act against oppressive standards that profit from insecurity.
In simple terms: Love yourself despite societal pressure.
Cultivate self‑acceptance and challenge harmful narratives.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal development
- activism
- mental health advocacy
- community building
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What personal narrative can you rewrite?
- How can you support others in reclaiming self‑worth?
Changing deep‑rooted beliefs is difficult and may face backlash.