--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I myself have never been able to find out…" description: "\"I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that dif..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbc/rebecca-west-1248_able_i-myself-have-never-been-able-to-find-ou_1606238.jpg" --- # I myself have never been able to find out precisely what… ![“I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.” quote by Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbc/rebecca-west-1248_able_i-myself-have-never-been-able-to-find-ou_1606238.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbc/rebecca-west-1248_able_i-myself-have-never-been-able-to-find-ou_1606238.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbc/rebecca-west-1248_able_i-myself-have-never-been-able-to-find-ou_1606238.jpg) > “I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.” [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feminism is defined by how others label her when she asserts herself, highlighting societal perception versus self‑identification. **In simple terms:** People call me feminist when I stand up for myself. Key Takeaway Recognize and own your agency regardless of labels. Themes identity gender societal perception Mood thoughtful assertive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - workplace negotiations - personal boundaries - activism Key Concepts feminism self‑definition labeling Questions to Reflect On - Do you define yourself or let others label you? - What does feminism mean to you personally? A Different Perspective Labels can oversimplify complex beliefs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Feminist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminist/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sentiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentiments/) ## Related quotes > [“I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/i-myself-have-never-been-able-to-find-out-precisely-what-feminism-is/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, She doesn't have what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/because-i-am-a-woman-i-must-make-unusual-efforts-to-succeed-if-i-fail-2/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/i-only-know-that-people-call-me-a-feminist-whenever-i-express/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [“People call me a feminist whenever I express statements that distinguish me from a doormat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/people-call-me-a-feminist-whenever-i-express-statements-that/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [People call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/people-call-me-a-feminist-whenever-i-express-sentiments-that/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [The way I view feminism — and I know there are a lot of different things going on — but, at its purest form,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-dennings/the-way-i-view-feminism-and-i-know-there-are-a-lot-of-different/) [Kat Dennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-dennings/) > [I don't appreciate it when women - or men - bandy about these stupid stereotypes about feminism that are age-old, and that are meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hanna/i-don-t-appreciate-it-when-women-or-men-bandy-about-these-stupid/) [Kathleen Hanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hanna/) > [I remember getting to college and all of a sudden realizing that feminism was a dirty word to a lot of people and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quiara-alegria-hudes/i-remember-getting-to-college-and-all-of-a-sudden-realizing-that/) [Quiara Alegria Hudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quiara-alegria-hudes/) > [There can be people who are feminist, and people who hold the completely opposite view but are still feminists. It seems to me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/there-can-be-people-who-are-feminist-and-people-who-hold-the/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [“I think we each have a certain number of unnecessary apologies, which we willingly dish out before we realize it's time to stand and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-rachelle/i-think-we-each-have-a-certain-number-of-unnecessary-apologies-which/) [Joyce Rachelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-rachelle/) > [There's no such thing as intelligent vanity. It's an instinct. And you'll never find a man who is not first and foremost vain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/there-s-no-such-thing-as-intelligent-vanity-it-s-an-instinct-and-you/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [The Heartbreak Kid is a doormat for absolutely nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-michaels/the-heartbreak-kid-is-a-doormat-for-absolutely-nobody/) [Shawn Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-michaels/) > [I refuse to be a doormat to any man. I will never allow anyone to push me around. I am my own mistress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manisha-koirala/i-refuse-to-be-a-doormat-to-any-man-i-will-never-allow-anyone-to-push/) [Manisha Koirala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manisha-koirala/) > [Once you have a major success with assertiveness, you learn that it's a much healthier path than being a doormat to the insensitive folks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/once-you-have-a-major-success-with-assertiveness-you-learn-that-it-s/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [You can't be a doormat if you don't lie down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-be-a-doormat-if-you-don-t-lie-down/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Rebecca West > [I see the main problem of my life, and indeed anybody's life, as the balancing of competitive freedoms ... a sense of mutual obligations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/i-see-the-main-problem-of-my-life-and-indeed-anybody-s-life-as-the/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [“There is, of course, no reason for the existence of the male sex except that sometimes one needs help with moving the piano.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/there-is-of-course-no-reason-for-the-existence-of-the-male-sex-except/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [“At the top of a hill our automobile stuck in a snowdrift. Peasants ran out of a cottage near by, shouting with laughter because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/at-the-top-of-a-hill-our-automobile-stuck-in-a-snowdrift-peasants-ran/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [We all drew on the comfort which is given out by the major works of Mozart, which is as real and material as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/we-all-drew-on-the-comfort-which-is-given-out-by-the-major-works-of/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [Christianity must be regarded not as a final revelation but as a phase of revelation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/christianity-must-be-regarded-not-as-a-final-revelation-but-as-a/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [Art and propaganda have this much connection, that if a propaganda makes art impossible, it is clearly damned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/art-and-propaganda-have-this-much-connection-that-if-a-propaganda/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [The American struggle for the vote was much more difficult than the English for the simple reason that it was much more easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/the-american-struggle-for-the-vote-was-much-more-difficult-than-the/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [ Like all bad drivers, he \[Henry Andrews\] thought he was the best driver in the world... ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/like-all-bad-drivers-he-henry-andrews-thought-he-was-the-best-driver/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [The childhood of the individual and the race is full of fears, and panic-stricken attempts to avert what is feared by placating the gods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/the-childhood-of-the-individual-and-the-race-is-full-of-fears-and/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [Humanity is never more sphinxlike than when it is expressing itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/humanity-is-never-more-sphinxlike-than-when-it-is-expressing-itself/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [ \[On Jane Austen:\] To believe her limited in range because she was harmonious in method is as sensible as to imagine that when the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/on-jane-austen-to-believe-her-limited-in-range-because-she-was/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [a good oyster cannot please the palate as acutely as a bad one can revolt it, and a good oyster cannot make him who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/a-good-oyster-cannot-please-the-palate-as-acutely-as-a-bad-one-can/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [If there is a God, I don't think He would demand that anyone bow down or stand up to Him. I often have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/if-there-is-a-god-i-don-t-think-he-would-demand-that-anyone-bow-down/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [Any authentic work of art must start an argument between the artist and his audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/any-authentic-work-of-art-must-start-an-argument-between-the-artist/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [... there has never been a period in history when there have been necessary killings which has not been instantly followed by a period…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/there-has-never-been-a-period-in-history-when-there-have-been/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) [Explore all 264 Rebecca West quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rebecca West" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/i-myself-have-never-been-able-to-find-out-precisely-what-feminism-is-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/i-myself-have-never-been-able-to-find-out-precisely-what-feminism-is-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbc/rebecca-west-1248_able_i-myself-have-never-been-able-to-find-ou_1606238.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbc/rebecca-west-1248_able_i-myself-have-never-been-able-to-find-ou_1606238.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbc/rebecca-west-1248_able_i-myself-have-never-been-able-to-find-ou_1606238.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a…” — Rebecca West", "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": "Rebecca West", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I myself have never been able...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/i-myself-have-never-been-able-to-find-out-precisely-what-feminism-is-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/i-myself-have-never-been-able-to-find-out-precisely-what-feminism-is-2/#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 } } ] } ```