--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not the name they call you, it's the…" description: "\"It's not the name they call you, it's the name you answer to.\" — Ralph Abernathy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd8/ralph-abernathy-27416_answer_it-s-not-the-name-they-call-you-it-s-the_1076422.png" --- # It's not the name they call you, it's the name you answer… ![“It's not the name they call you, it's the name you answer to.” quote by Ralph Abernathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd8/ralph-abernathy-27416_answer_it-s-not-the-name-they-call-you-it-s-the_1076422.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd8/ralph-abernathy-27416_answer_it-s-not-the-name-they-call-you-it-s-the_1076422.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd8/ralph-abernathy-27416_answer_it-s-not-the-name-they-call-you-it-s-the_1076422.png) > “It's not the name they call you, it's the name you answer to.” [Ralph Abernathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-abernathy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identity is defined by how you respond, not by labels others assign. **In simple terms:** You define yourself by your actions. Key Takeaway Own your response to labels. Themes identity self‑definition agency Mood determined assertive Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - leadership - personal branding - social interaction - conflict resolution Key Concepts self‑concept personal agency Questions to Reflect On - How do you choose to respond to external labels? - What impact does self‑definition have on others? A Different Perspective Labels can still influence perception despite personal choice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [A lot of the times when I've auditioned for parts in America, the answer is, 'Sorry, we need a bigger name.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sheen/a-lot-of-the-times-when-i-ve-auditioned-for-parts-in-america-the/) [Michael Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sheen/) > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Questioners sooner or later end up in a library... And answers are dangerous; they kill your wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/questioners-sooner-or-later-end-up-in-a-library-and-answers-are/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Leave, with no answer. Move on to the next question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-kushner/leave-with-no-answer-move-on-to-the-next-question/) [Rachel Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-kushner/) > [I like films that deal with some of those questions that you can never answer: 'Why are we here? What's it about? What happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-monaghan/i-like-films-that-deal-with-some-of-those-questions-that-you-can/) [Dominic Monaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-monaghan/) > [Where did the world come from? The question has an answer, even though I cannot get to it. It is a good question. 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I will not force myself on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-abernathy/i-will-always-be-open-to-receive-my-friends-i-will-not-force-myself/) [Ralph Abernathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-abernathy/) > [History will treat me right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-abernathy/history-will-treat-me-right/) [Ralph Abernathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-abernathy/) > [I went to jail 44 times. I've been beaten and left for dead on the side of the road fighting for freedom. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-abernathy/i-went-to-jail-44-times-i-ve-been-beaten-and-left-for-dead-on-the/) [Ralph Abernathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-abernathy/) > [I don't know what the future may hold, but I know who holds the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-abernathy/i-don-t-know-what-the-future-may-hold-but-i-know-who-holds-the-future/) [Ralph Abernathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-abernathy/) > [I have suffered as much as Martin Luther King. Only I didn't get the bullet. And I would have taken the bullet if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-abernathy/i-have-suffered-as-much-as-martin-luther-king-only-i-didn-t-get-the/) [Ralph Abernathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-abernathy/) > [He told us he was going to take crime out of the streets. He did. 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Because I’d rather live with the answer than die with the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ellis/and-if-you-can-t-say-yes-answer-anyway-because-i-d-rather-live-with/) Jon Ellis > [“There is a cure and answer to everything, we just haven't found them yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-halimi/there-is-a-cure-and-answer-to-everything-we-just-haven-t-found-them/) [Eve Halimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-halimi/) > [Whenever I'm asked about Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, I always answer: 'Neymar is the best,' not just because of his goals but because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-carlos/whenever-i-m-asked-about-cristiano-ronaldo-or-lionel-messi-i-always/) [Roberto Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-carlos/) > [A wiki works best where you're trying to answer a question that you can't easily pose, where there's not a natural structure that's known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ward-cunningham/a-wiki-works-best-where-you-re-trying-to-answer-a-question-that-you/) [Ward Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ward-cunningham/) > [“Those are good questions. I recognize good questions, because I can come up with them myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-brust/those-are-good-questions-i-recognize-good-questions-because-i-can/) [Steven Brust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-brust/) > [My answer is bring 'em on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/my-answer-is-bring-em-on/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'll answer anything... I'm brutally honest, actually, which gets me in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mclachlan/i-ll-answer-anything-i-m-brutally-honest-actually-which-gets-me-in/) [Sarah McLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mclachlan/) > [“...I guess I can put two and two together." "Sometimes the answer's four," I said, "and sometimes it's twenty-two...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/i-guess-i-can-put-two-and-two-together-sometimes-the-answer-s-four-i/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [Jumping someone is never the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/jumping-someone-is-never-the-answer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I play along myself, even though I can't help the player. So I can't say what I think the answer might be. But I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-mcguinness/i-play-along-myself-even-though-i-can-t-help-the-player-so-i-can-t/) [Paddy McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-mcguinness/) > [Sometimes the question is complicated, but the answers are simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-suess/sometimes-the-question-is-complicated-but-the-answers-are-simple/) [Dr Suess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-suess/) Browse all 2,090 Answer quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not the name they call you, it's the name you answer to.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ralph Abernathy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-abernathy/it-s-not-the-name-they-call-you-it-s-the-name-you-answer-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Answer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-abernathy/it-s-not-the-name-they-call-you-it-s-the-name-you-answer-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd8/ralph-abernathy-27416_answer_it-s-not-the-name-they-call-you-it-s-the_1076422.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd8/ralph-abernathy-27416_answer_it-s-not-the-name-they-call-you-it-s-the_1076422.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd8/ralph-abernathy-27416_answer_it-s-not-the-name-they-call-you-it-s-the_1076422.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's not the name they call you, it's the name you answer to.” — Ralph Abernathy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ralph Abernathy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-abernathy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's not the name they call...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-abernathy/it-s-not-the-name-they-call-you-it-s-the-name-you-answer-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-abernathy/it-s-not-the-name-they-call-you-it-s-the-name-you-answer-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```