--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When people get to speak about themselves…" description: "\"When people get to speak about themselves and the things that matter to them, on their own terms, we see them as who they are. They can't be reduced to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/rachel-maddow-1240_derision_when-people-get-to-speak-about-themselve_3199481.png" --- # When people get to speak about themselves and the things… ![“When people get to speak about themselves and the things that matter to them, on their own terms, we see them as who they are. They can't be reduced to objects of derision.” quote by Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/rachel-maddow-1240_derision_when-people-get-to-speak-about-themselve_3199481.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/rachel-maddow-1240_derision_when-people-get-to-speak-about-themselve_3199481.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/rachel-maddow-1240_derision_when-people-get-to-speak-about-themselve_3199481.png) > “When people get to speak about themselves and the things that matter to them, on their own terms, we see them as who they are. They can't be reduced to objects of derision.” [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When people can define themselves and discuss what matters to them, we recognize their humanity and avoid dehumanizing them. **In simple terms:** Self‑definition reveals humanity. Key Takeaway Listen to others’ own stories. Themes humanity self‑expression respect Mood empathetic thoughtful Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - interviews - community meetings - therapy sessions Key Concepts identity agency empathy Questions to Reflect On - How does self‑definition change perception? - What barriers prevent authentic self‑expression? A Different Perspective People may still be judged despite self‑expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Derision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/derision/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Things that matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-that-matter/) ## Related quotes > [“I know books, and I know how to string words together—it doesn’t mean I know how to speak about the things that matter most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/i-know-books-and-i-know-how-to-string-words-together-it-doesn-t-mean/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [We have too often been expected to speak all things to all people and speak everyone else's position but our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/we-have-too-often-been-expected-to-speak-all-things-to-all-people-and/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Home's where the people you love are. It's about finding the things that matter to you, and holding on to them and taking care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sheehan-miles/home-s-where-the-people-you-love-are-it-s-about-finding-the-things/) [Charles Sheehan-Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sheehan-miles/) > [“We make the things that matter, matter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-r-funke/we-make-the-things-that-matter-matter/) [Teresa R. Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-r-funke/) > [Of all the things that matter, that really and truly matter, working more efficiently and getting more done, is not one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dooley/of-all-the-things-that-matter-that-really-and-truly-matter-working/) [Mike Dooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dooley/) > [“Choose the things that matter to God. See things as He sees them. Whatever results, that is the best way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-m-steffens/choose-the-things-that-matter-to-god-see-things-as-he-sees-them/) Jason M. Steffens > [The two things that matter are the desire, and being healthy enough to do it. Everything else to me is a non-issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-aukerman/the-two-things-that-matter-are-the-desire-and-being-healthy-enough-to/) [Milo Aukerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-aukerman/) > [“In some ways the goals of teaching and writing are the same. You hope to connect to someone else, to make them care about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-f-kluge/in-some-ways-the-goals-of-teaching-and-writing-are-the-same-you-hope/) P.F. Kluge > [It's as if scientists exert every effort of will they possess deliberately to find the least significant problems in the world and explain them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/it-s-as-if-scientists-exert-every-effort-of-will-they-possess/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [The things that matter most are not things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/the-things-that-matter-most-are-not-things/) [Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/) > [I'm still breathing because I have faith. My faith and my kids are the two things that matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-gosselin/i-m-still-breathing-because-i-have-faith-my-faith-and-my-kids-are-the/) [Kate Gosselin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-gosselin/) > [It's the little things that matter the most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-the-little-things-that-matter-the-most/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You can never be too sure when it comes to things that matter most”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/you-can-never-be-too-sure-when-it-comes-to-things-that-matter-most/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I try to make work about things that matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/i-try-to-make-work-about-things-that-matter/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [“How you matter is defined by the things that matter to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/how-you-matter-is-defined-by-the-things-that-matter-to-you/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by Rachel Maddow > [ Ben Carson also denounced \[Donald\] Trump's ban all Muslims proposal saying we do not and would not advocate being selective on one's religion. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/ben-carson-also-denounced-donald-trump-s-ban-all-muslims-proposal/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [ Senator \[Tom\] Cotton has campaigned on wanting to kill Obamacare. He voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act back in January, but he now… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/senator-tom-cotton-has-campaigned-on-wanting-to-kill-obamacare-he/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [ \[Tom Cotton\] has been an absolute champion of the idea of getting rid of Obamacare, scrapping the Affordable Care Act. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/tom-cotton-has-been-an-absolute-champion-of-the-idea-of-getting-rid/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [If you're working on better conditions for prisoners, if you make that a popular issue and you invite mainstream media to weigh in on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/if-you-re-working-on-better-conditions-for-prisoners-if-you-make-that/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Liberals say that we are secular country with a majority of Christians, absolutely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/liberals-say-that-we-are-secular-country-with-a-majority-of/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [What's insulting to the American people, the Senate, to this whole process is that the Republicans, with all other nominees, have said Democrats are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/what-s-insulting-to-the-american-people-the-senate-to-this-whole/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Oswald Mosley's movement, it was a big movement. It was obviously anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic, it was populist. Mosley wanted to replace the parliamentary system of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/oswald-mosley-s-movement-it-was-a-big-movement-it-was-obviously-anti/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Pentagon dollars are essentially seen as a different kind of funding that doesn't have to stand for itself and make an argument for itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/pentagon-dollars-are-essentially-seen-as-a-different-kind-of-funding/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Military preparedness is absolutely a form of strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/military-preparedness-is-absolutely-a-form-of-strength/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [When Conservatives crusade against government while they are trying to be appointed to head the government, I think that's weird!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/when-conservatives-crusade-against-government-while-they-are-trying/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [One of the manifestations of depression for me is that I lose my will. And I thereby lose my ability to focus. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/one-of-the-manifestations-of-depression-for-me-is-that-i-lose-my-will/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [There had been a proposed plank for the platform that said the Republican Party believed the United States should support Ukraine in any way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/there-had-been-a-proposed-plank-for-the-platform-that-said-the/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [John McCain has refused to ever criticize Sarah Palin, to ever admit there was anything wrong about her choice. He has been capital "L"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/john-mccain-has-refused-to-ever-criticize-sarah-palin-to-ever-admit/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [ The more you push back on Donald \[Trump\], whether you're in the media or whether you are in the GOP establishment, the stronger his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-more-you-push-back-on-donald-trump-whether-you-re-in-the-media-or/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) [Explore all 268 Rachel Maddow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) ## More Derision quotes > [Can a controlled experiment explain why people like Kewpie dolls in one year, Beanie Babies in another, and American Girl dolls this year? Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/can-a-controlled-experiment-explain-why-people-like-kewpie-dolls-in/) [Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/) > [But if we laugh with derision, we will never understand. Human intellectual capacity has not altered for thousands of years so far as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/but-if-we-laugh-with-derision-we-will-never-understand-human/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [I resisted the temptation to turn around and stick out my tongue in derision at Beliquose. After all, there was no telling when or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-david/i-resisted-the-temptation-to-turn-around-and-stick-out-my-tongue-in/) [Peter David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-david/) > [“Taylor didn’t know how the woman stood being the center of so much derision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-ellison/taylor-didn-t-know-how-the-woman-stood-being-the-center-of-so-much/) [J.T. Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-t-ellison/) > [Vanity is the natural weakness of an ambitious man, which exposes him to the secret scorn and derision of those he converses with, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/vanity-is-the-natural-weakness-of-an-ambitious-man-which-exposes-him/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Promising to bring home a feed of fish is the absolute kiss of death to any chances of catching anything but a large heap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bishop/promising-to-bring-home-a-feed-of-fish-is-the-absolute-kiss-of-death/) [Tony Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bishop/) > [To make sure that my blasphemy is thoroughly expressed, I hereby state my opinion that the notion of a god is a basic superstition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-randi/to-make-sure-that-my-blasphemy-is-thoroughly-expressed-i-hereby-state/) [James Randi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-randi/) > [Shame can kill the imagination. It's hard to keep writing in the face of cultural derision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/shame-can-kill-the-imagination-it-s-hard-to-keep-writing-in-the-face/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“therefore the idea of the service of humanity, of brotherly love and the solidarity of mankind, is more and more dying out in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/therefore-the-idea-of-the-service-of-humanity-of-brotherly-love-and/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [I do not know much about Mohammed or Mohammedanism. I do not take the Koran to bed with me every night. But, if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/i-do-not-know-much-about-mohammed-or-mohammedanism-i-do-not-take-the/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [The Southern newspapers, with their advertisements of negro sales and personal descriptions of fugitive slaves, supply details of misery that it would be difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-kemble/the-southern-newspapers-with-their-advertisements-of-negro-sales-and/) [Fanny Kemble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-kemble/) > [The world is a nest of crows; some caw in praise; some caw in derision. 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