--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want the young people to pay attention…" description: "\"I want the young people to pay attention because, see, back when I first met Barack, we started dating, he had everything going for him. All right, lad..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58f/michelle-obama-518_attention_i-want-the-young-people-to-pay-attention_2069505.jpg" --- # I want the young people to pay attention because, see… ![“I want the young people to pay attention because, see, back when I first met Barack, we started dating, he had everything going for him. All right, ladies, listen to this. This is what I want you to be looking for. Yes, he was handsome-still is. I think so. He was charming, talented, and oh-so…” quote by Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58f/michelle-obama-518_attention_i-want-the-young-people-to-pay-attention_2069505.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58f/michelle-obama-518_attention_i-want-the-young-people-to-pay-attention_2069505.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58f/michelle-obama-518_attention_i-want-the-young-people-to-pay-attention_2069505.jpg) > “I want the young people to pay attention because, see, back when I first met Barack, we started dating, he had everything going for him. All right, ladies, listen to this. This is what I want you to be looking for. Yes, he was handsome-still is. I think so. He was charming, talented, and oh-so smart, truly. But that is not why I married him. Now, see, I want the fellas to pay attention to this. You all listening? What truly made me fall in love with Barack Obama was his character. You hear me? It was his character. It was his decency, his honesty, his compassion and conviction.” [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Character traits like decency, honesty, compassion, and conviction are more important than looks or talent in a partner. **In simple terms:** Character matters more than appearance. Key Takeaway Prioritize character in relationships. Themes character relationships values Mood reflective encouraging Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - dating - marriage - leadership - personal growth Key Concepts integrity compassion conviction Questions to Reflect On - What character qualities do you value most? - How do you assess someone's character? A Different Perspective Physical attraction can be misleading. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Dating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dating/) [Decency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decency/) [Fall in love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall-in-love/) [Falling in love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falling-in-love/) [First met](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-met/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) ## Related quotes > [I love that for Barack, there is no such thing as 'us' and 'them' - he doesn't care whether you're a Democrat, a Republican,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/i-love-that-for-barack-there-is-no-such-thing-as-us-and-them-he-doesn/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [Obama is a very good actor. He knows how to play it. And he is very adept at creating this ''Obama'' - this character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-voight/obama-is-a-very-good-actor-he-knows-how-to-play-it-and-he-is-very/) [Jon Voight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-voight/) > [I never did think of myself as handsome, terribly attractive yes, but not handsome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-never-did-think-of-myself-as-handsome-terribly-attractive-yes-but/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Young African - millennials really love Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-malveaux/young-african-millennials-really-love-barack-obama/) [Julianne Malveaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-malveaux/) > [The very things that I would love about Barack and that you would love about Barack is that he is one of us. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrico-letta/the-very-things-that-i-would-love-about-barack-and-that-you-would/) [Enrico Letta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrico-letta/) > [I would say this, I'll go back to those black ladies I was talking about who love them some Barack and love Michelle even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-would-say-this-i-ll-go-back-to-those-black-ladies-i-was-talking/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [An expert is an ordinary fella away from home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bum-phillips/an-expert-is-an-ordinary-fella-away-from-home/) [Bum Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bum-phillips/) > [Fellas stop being blinded by the big asses and cute faces. Some men are so concern in having a bad bitch where they end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/surgeo-bell/fellas-stop-being-blinded-by-the-big-asses-and-cute-faces-some-men/) [Surgeo Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/surgeo-bell/) > [Not bad at all fellas and glalas. Thanks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nibby/not-bad-at-all-fellas-and-glalas-thanks/) Nibby > [I heard a fella say once he'd rather have a rose bud when he was alive than to have a whole rose garden thrown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/home-run-baker/i-heard-a-fella-say-once-he-d-rather-have-a-rose-bud-when-he-was/) [Home Run Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/home-run-baker/) > [I wouldn't give you two cents for all your fancy rules if, behind them, they didn't have a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stewart/i-wouldn-t-give-you-two-cents-for-all-your-fancy-rules-if-behind-them/) [James Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-stewart/) > [I don't make records just for the ladies. I make it for the fellas, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheem-devaughn/i-don-t-make-records-just-for-the-ladies-i-make-it-for-the-fellas-too/) [Raheem DeVaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheem-devaughn/) > [People say I'm hard, I'm Mr Angry. I'm this, I'm that. I just want to win matches. There's no point going out there and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-keane/people-say-i-m-hard-i-m-mr-angry-i-m-this-i-m-that-i-just-want-to-win/) [Roy Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-keane/) > [This act of empathy, that women go through from the time we're little girls - we read all of literature, all of history, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/this-act-of-empathy-that-women-go-through-from-the-time-we-re-little/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [Fella’s a genius. Best ever by a distance in my life time. Never really saw Pele… Souness, Gullit, Venables and now Rooney agree Messi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-lineker/fella-s-a-genius-best-ever-by-a-distance-in-my-life-time-never-really/) [Gary Lineker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-lineker/) ## More by Michelle Obama > [It's hard to change adults, and it's hard to change it from a political position or a perceived political position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/it-s-hard-to-change-adults-and-it-s-hard-to-change-it-from-a/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [ The president \[Barack Obama\] asked for a commitment of, I think, 100,000 jobs for veterans and military spouses over the next couple of years.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/the-president-barack-obama-asked-for-a-commitment-of-i-think-100-000/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [You work hard for what you want in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/you-work-hard-for-what-you-want-in-life/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [We must once again come together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great country forward my husband,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-must-once-again-come-together-and-stand-together-for-the-man-we/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [We're starting to see, as the economy improves, that the unemployment rate among veterans and military spouses - we're seeing some improvement in those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-re-starting-to-see-as-the-economy-improves-that-the-unemployment/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [There's so much going on in the healthcare system that makes it difficult for women to really have a strong economic hold if insurance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/there-s-so-much-going-on-in-the-healthcare-system-that-makes-it/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [In the 10 cities with the nation's highest obesity rates, the direct costs connected with obesity and obesity-related diseases are roughly $50 million per…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/in-the-10-cities-with-the-nation-s-highest-obesity-rates-the-direct/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [What I admire most about Hillary is that she never buckles under pressure. She never takes the easy way out. And Hillary Clinton has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/what-i-admire-most-about-hillary-is-that-she-never-buckles-under/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [A lot of young people think they're invincible, but the truth is young people are knuckleheads... Now young people can get insurance for as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/a-lot-of-young-people-think-they-re-invincible-but-the-truth-is-young/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/one-of-the-lessons-that-i-grew-up-with-was-to-always-stay-true-to/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman. But I am constantly thinking about my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/i-have-never-felt-more-confident-in-myself-more-clear-on-who-i-am-as/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [ We got a commitment that 3 million nurses are going to be trained to better identify these signs \[of PTSD\], because, you know, when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-got-a-commitment-that-3-million-nurses-are-going-to-be-trained-to/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [We're our kids' first and best role models. So the first question is, what are you as a mom or a dad doing every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-re-our-kids-first-and-best-role-models-so-the-first-question-is/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I've always tried to make sure that what I do really connects with the broader agenda of what my husband is trying to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/i-ve-always-tried-to-make-sure-that-what-i-do-really-connects-with/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I know from experience that if I truly want to leave a better world for my daughters, and all of our sons and daughters;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/i-know-from-experience-that-if-i-truly-want-to-leave-a-better-world/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) [Explore all 504 Michelle Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I want the young people to pay attention because, see, back when I first met Barack, we started dating, he had everything going for him. 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