--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are words that I wouldn't say…" description: "\"There are words that I wouldn't say because they hurt people's feelings. I just happen to be a white guy who writes for a lot of black comedians but if..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a2/neal-brennan-4937_black_there-are-words-that-i-wouldn-t-say-beca_870596.jpg" --- # There are words that I wouldn't say because they hurt… ![“There are words that I wouldn't say because they hurt people's feelings. I just happen to be a white guy who writes for a lot of black comedians but if I wrote for a lot of gay comedians there might be stuff I would say then.” quote by Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a2/neal-brennan-4937_black_there-are-words-that-i-wouldn-t-say-beca_870596.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a2/neal-brennan-4937_black_there-are-words-that-i-wouldn-t-say-beca_870596.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a2/neal-brennan-4937_black_there-are-words-that-i-wouldn-t-say-beca_870596.jpg) > “There are words that I wouldn't say because they hurt people's feelings. I just happen to be a white guy who writes for a lot of black comedians but if I wrote for a lot of gay comedians there might be stuff I would say then.” [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing words carefully to avoid hurting others, especially when speaking from a privileged perspective. **In simple terms:** Be mindful of impact when speaking. Key Takeaway Consider others' feelings before speaking. Themes empathy responsibility communication Mood thoughtful reflective Type advice social commentary When to use this quote - stand-up writing - cross‑cultural collaboration - public speaking Key Concepts social dynamics privilege language sensitivity Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance honesty with empathy? - When is it okay to speak truthfully despite potential hurt? A Different Perspective May limit authentic expression if overly cautious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-comedian-218977/) [Black Comedians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-comedians-897190/) [Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian/) [Comedians Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedians-stuff-948095/) [Comedians Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedians-wrote-948093/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Gay Comedians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-comedians-948094/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Hurt People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-people/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People's Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peoples-feelings/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [White guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-guys/) [Words Wouldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-wouldn-754503/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [As far as stand-ups go, I always loved Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, and Sinbad. 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Kamau Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-kamau-bell/) > [All of us black comedians are trying to be mainstream, but you don't want to lose the edge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-foxx/all-of-us-black-comedians-are-trying-to-be-mainstream-but-you-don-t/) [Jamie Foxx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-foxx/) > [I work with quite a lot of black comedians and I don't think they think doing accents is racist at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-whitehouse/i-work-with-quite-a-lot-of-black-comedians-and-i-don-t-think-they/) [Paul Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-whitehouse/) > [Black comics, they only watch Black comedians. You're a comedian; you're not just a Black comedian. You're a comedian. I try to get that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/black-comics-they-only-watch-black-comedians-you-re-a-comedian-you-re/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > ['Smart Funny & Black' came about because I felt that black comedians were being considered as only capable of a certain type of comedy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seales/smart-funny-black-came-about-because-i-felt-that-black-comedians-were/) [Amanda Seales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seales/) > [I like seeing comedians do stuff that I could never do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-thomas/i-like-seeing-comedians-do-stuff-that-i-could-never-do/) [Josh Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-thomas/) > [I think British humour is very cruel, and gay humour is very cruel. I think the two go hand-in-hand and that's why they mix…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-sellards/i-think-british-humour-is-very-cruel-and-gay-humour-is-very-cruel-i/) [Jason Sellards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-sellards/) > [Before Twitter, if comedians wrote what they had for lunch on a Post-it and put it through your letterbox you wouldn't find it acceptable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/before-twitter-if-comedians-wrote-what-they-had-for-lunch-on-a-post/) [Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/) > [My whole intention is to break down these limitations of what a black comedian is supposed to be and to open up a space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seales/my-whole-intention-is-to-break-down-these-limitations-of-what-a-black/) [Amanda Seales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seales/) > [A million words wouldn't bring you back, I know because I tried. Neither would a million tears, I know because I've cried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-million-words-wouldn-t-bring-you-back-i-know-because-i-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Granpa said if there was less words, there wouldn't be as much trouble in the world. He said privately to me that there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forrest-carter/granpa-said-if-there-was-less-words-there-wouldn-t-be-as-much-trouble/) [Forrest Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forrest-carter/) > [It's one of those things that if I was smart enough to explain it in words, I wouldn't have had to make a movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hertzfeldt/it-s-one-of-those-things-that-if-i-was-smart-enough-to-explain-it-in/) [Don Hertzfeldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hertzfeldt/) > [“Words matter, in fact. They're not pointless, as you've suggested. If they were pointless, then they couldn't start revolutions and they wouldn't change history.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cath-crowley/words-matter-in-fact-they-re-not-pointless-as-you-ve-suggested-if/) [Cath Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cath-crowley/) ## More by Neal Brennan > [If the word police want to come and get me, they can come and get me. 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We will observe things, we will make fun of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-don-t-think-people-understand-what-comedy-is-supposed-to-do-we-will/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [Models never say, "I'm hot." They say, "Look at these clothes." Whereas, with comedy, you have to say, "I'm hot."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/models-never-say-i-m-hot-they-say-look-at-these-clothes-whereas-with/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [ \[Robert Smigel\] is one of the greatest comedy writers in the last 50 years. "TV Funhouse" and Triumph and all those sketches.He's really unique,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/robert-smigel-is-one-of-the-greatest-comedy-writers-in-the-last-50/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [I generally don't read articles about myself/'Chappelle's Show,' nor do I read reviews. It's basically playing Russian Roulette. They're not all gonna be positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-generally-don-t-read-articles-about-myself-chappelle-s-show-nor-do/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [I'm not the easiest dude to work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-m-not-the-easiest-dude-to-work-with/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [My entryway into hip-hop was - my biggest introduction was obviously like, you know, the Def Jam, Run D.M.C., Beastie Boys, like, that conglomerate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/my-entryway-into-hip-hop-was-my-biggest-introduction-was-obviously/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [You can say whatever you want, but there's going to be consequences to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/you-can-say-whatever-you-want-but-there-s-going-to-be-consequences-to/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [When you're in a friend circle, you all kind of talk the same way. 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