---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you have an opportunity to use your…"
description: "\"If you have an opportunity to use your voice you should use it.\" — Samuel L. Jackson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e02/samuel-l-jackson-3595_opportunity_if-you-have-an-opportunity-to-use-your-v_358178.jpg"
---

#  If you have an opportunity to use your voice you should…

![“If you have an opportunity to use your voice you should use it.” quote by Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e02/samuel-l-jackson-3595_opportunity_if-you-have-an-opportunity-to-use-your-v_358178.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e02/samuel-l-jackson-3595_opportunity_if-you-have-an-opportunity-to-use-your-v_358178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e02/samuel-l-jackson-3595_opportunity_if-you-have-an-opportunity-to-use-your-v_358178.jpg)

> “If you have an opportunity to use your voice you should use it.”

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Speak up when you can influence; your voice matters.

**In simple terms:** Use your voice when you can.

Key Takeaway

Act when you can be heard.

Themes

courage responsibility activism

Mood

determined empowering

Type

motivational call‑to‑action

When to use this quote

- political rallies
- workplace meetings
- community forums

Key Concepts

civic engagement self‑advocacy

Questions to Reflect On

- When have you stayed silent?
- What impact could your voice have?

A Different Perspective

May not be heard or may cause conflict.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Use Your Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-your-voice/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/)

## Related quotes

> [If you have the ability to use your voice, then you have to use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-consani/if-you-have-the-ability-to-use-your-voice-then-you-have-to-use-it/)

[Alex Consani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-consani/)

> [I think it's very important to use your voice and use your voice responsibly. But, having said that, I think you should have all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananya-panday/i-think-it-s-very-important-to-use-your-voice-and-use-your-voice/)

[Ananya Panday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananya-panday/)

> [or those who have one, please use your voice. So many of us don't have that ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-turlington/or-those-who-have-one-please-use-your-voice-so-many-of-us-don-t-have/)

[Christy Turlington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-turlington/)

> [Find your own voice &amp; use it, / use your own voice &amp; find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayne-cortez/find-your-own-voice-use-it-use-your-own-voice-find-it/)

Jayne Cortez

> [Use your voice for kindness, your ears for compassion, your hands for charity, your mind for truth, and your heart for love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/use-your-voice-for-kindness-your-ears-for-compassion-your-hands-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Be not scared to use your voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logic/be-not-scared-to-use-your-voice/)

[Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logic/)

> [Use your voice on the local level where it has the potential to be more widely heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gillibrand/use-your-voice-on-the-local-level-where-it-has-the-potential-to-be/)

[Kirsten Gillibrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-gillibrand/)

> [Being part of social movements like Black Lives Matter or organizations like NAACP, or any group representing a cause, gives you more resources, knowledge,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-browning/being-part-of-social-movements-like-black-lives-matter-or/)

[Logan Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-browning/)

> [How you use your voice is really important, and it's really driven by context more than anything else, and your tone of voice will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/how-you-use-your-voice-is-really-important-and-it-s-really-driven-by/)

[Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/)

> [I think the most clear, direct way to empowerment is to really know yourself and to really use your voice and to not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-think-the-most-clear-direct-way-to-empowerment-is-to-really-know/)

[Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/)

> [It’s not about finding your voice, it’s about giving yourself permission to use your voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-carr/it-s-not-about-finding-your-voice-it-s-about-giving-yourself/)

[Kris Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-carr/)

> [There are so many people who will try and make you feel like your opinion doesn't matter, and I've learned how important it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jurnee-smollett/there-are-so-many-people-who-will-try-and-make-you-feel-like-your/)

[Jurnee Smollett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jurnee-smollett/)

> [As a comic, you learn to use your voice because you don't have the benefit of visual things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-foxworthy/as-a-comic-you-learn-to-use-your-voice-because-you-don-t-have-the/)

[Jeff Foxworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-foxworthy/)

> [If you don’t use your voice, there’s someone waiting behind you who will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-cole/if-you-don-t-use-your-voice-there-s-someone-waiting-behind-you-who/)

[Kat Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-cole/)

> [Step forward, use your voice, get out in the world, and live!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/step-forward-use-your-voice-get-out-in-the-world-and-live/)

[Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/)

## More by Samuel L. Jackson

> [I'm sure there are a lot of Italians who refer to themselves as goombahs and greaseballs and whatever. That's what people do. It gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/i-m-sure-there-are-a-lot-of-italians-who-refer-to-themselves-as/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [Take a stand for what's right. Raise a ruckus and make a change. You may not always be popular, but you'll be part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/take-a-stand-for-what-s-right-raise-a-ruckus-and-make-a-change-you/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [Quentin Tarantino was talking about Ordell a little bit, and I was like, "I'm sure Ordell is one of those people who thought Superfly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/quentin-tarantino-was-talking-about-ordell-a-little-bit-and-i-was/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [ I grew up in the South with guns everywhere and we never shot anyone. This \[shooting\] is about people who aren't taught the value… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/i-grew-up-in-the-south-with-guns-everywhere-and-we-never-shot-anyone/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [“Hold on to your butts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/hold-on-to-your-butts/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [I was desperate on Coming To America set - not to buy drugs or anything, but I had a person at home, a girlfriend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/i-was-desperate-on-coming-to-america-set-not-to-buy-drugs-or-anything/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [Jackson doesn't bother to read the scripts anymore. He just checks to make sure he has one loud scene where he gets to shout,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/jackson-doesn-t-bother-to-read-the-scripts-anymore-he-just-checks-to/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [Because of where I come from, I never thought I'd see in my life a black candidate running for President.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/because-of-where-i-come-from-i-never-thought-i-d-see-in-my-life-a/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [When you start to talk about comic books, a lot of the time, people forget about the comic part of it. They need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/when-you-start-to-talk-about-comic-books-a-lot-of-the-time-people/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [I guess the worst day I have had was when I had to stand up in rehab in front of my wife and daughter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/i-guess-the-worst-day-i-have-had-was-when-i-had-to-stand-up-in-rehab/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [I understood, through rehab, things about creating characters. I understood that creating whole people means knowing where we come from, how we can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/i-understood-through-rehab-things-about-creating-characters-i/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [When the riots happened in L.A., they didn't go to Beverly Hills to trash Rodeo Drive. They trashed their own neighborhoods. It's one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/when-the-riots-happened-in-l-a-they-didn-t-go-to-beverly-hills-to/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [What kills me is that everybody thinks I like Jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/what-kills-me-is-that-everybody-thinks-i-like-jazz/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [I think the biggest challenges for franchises are keeping them fresh and exciting, and most times, you need a good bad guy to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/i-think-the-biggest-challenges-for-franchises-are-keeping-them-fresh/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [Just 'cause you pour syrup on something doesnt make it pancakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/just-cause-you-pour-syrup-on-something-doesnt-make-it-pancakes/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

[Explore all 126 Samuel L. Jackson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

## More Opportunity quotes

> [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/)

[Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/)

> [So many times in television, you get cancelled arbitrarily as a result of your ratings in the off season, and you don't have an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-wyle/so-many-times-in-television-you-get-cancelled-arbitrarily-as-a-result/)

[Noah Wyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-wyle/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [On stage, you can bring all those strong emotions that you don't have the opportunity to live. You don't want to die for love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/on-stage-you-can-bring-all-those-strong-emotions-that-you-don-t-have/)

[Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/)

> [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/)

> [Opportunities change, strategies change, but people and psychology do not change. If trend-following systems don’t work well, something else will. There’s always money being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-blake/opportunities-change-strategies-change-but-people-and-psychology-do/)

[Gil Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-blake/)

> [People in great groups have blinders on. Their work is all they see. They value failures as learning opportunities. They are optimistic, not realistic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/people-in-great-groups-have-blinders-on-their-work-is-all-they-see/)

[Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/)

> [I was contacted by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, MP, through the Pune Film Institute and offered the post in the NFDC. I accepted it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/i-was-contacted-by-rajyavardhan-singh-rathore-mp-through-the-pune/)

[Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/)

> [I was really excited to have the opportunity to make Fiddler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-jewison/i-was-really-excited-to-have-the-opportunity-to-make-fiddler/)

[Norman Jewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-jewison/)

> [I feel excited about getting older as an actress, too. I think there are some amazing opportunities around the corner and I don't need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sutton-foster/i-feel-excited-about-getting-older-as-an-actress-too-i-think-there/)

[Sutton Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sutton-foster/)

> [If someone has the opportunity to become a model, I would say, 'Do it.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-russell/if-someone-has-the-opportunity-to-become-a-model-i-would-say-do-it/)

[Cameron Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-russell/)

> [I struggled and I did theater for 10 years, for 15 years, I tried to get little parts here and there in TV shows.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-tupper/i-struggled-and-i-did-theater-for-10-years-for-15-years-i-tried-to/)

[James Tupper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-tupper/)

> [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [There's a richness that reading gives you, an opportunity to probe more than any other medium I know of. Reading is about not being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/there-s-a-richness-that-reading-gives-you-an-opportunity-to-probe/)

[Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/)

[Browse all 14,820 Opportunity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If you have an opportunity to use your voice you should use it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Samuel L. Jackson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/if-you-have-an-opportunity-to-use-your-voice-you-should-use-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Opportunity"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/if-you-have-an-opportunity-to-use-your-voice-you-should-use-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e02/samuel-l-jackson-3595_opportunity_if-you-have-an-opportunity-to-use-your-v_358178.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e02/samuel-l-jackson-3595_opportunity_if-you-have-an-opportunity-to-use-your-v_358178.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e02/samuel-l-jackson-3595_opportunity_if-you-have-an-opportunity-to-use-your-v_358178.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If you have an opportunity to use your voice you should use it.” — Samuel L. Jackson",
                "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": "Samuel L. Jackson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If you have an opportunity to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/if-you-have-an-opportunity-to-use-your-voice-you-should-use-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/if-you-have-an-opportunity-to-use-your-voice-you-should-use-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
