--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wanted to look at them because I feel…" description: "\"I wanted to look at them because I feel, internally, that I am an ordinary person who has had an extraordinary life.\" — Sidney Poitier" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/sidney-poitier-4270_extraordinary_i-wanted-to-look-at-them-because-i-feel_3030539.jpg" --- # I wanted to look at them because I feel, internally, that… ![“I wanted to look at them because I feel, internally, that I am an ordinary person who has had an extraordinary life.” quote by Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/sidney-poitier-4270_extraordinary_i-wanted-to-look-at-them-because-i-feel_3030539.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/sidney-poitier-4270_extraordinary_i-wanted-to-look-at-them-because-i-feel_3030539.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/sidney-poitier-4270_extraordinary_i-wanted-to-look-at-them-because-i-feel_3030539.jpg) > “I wanted to look at them because I feel, internally, that I am an ordinary person who has had an extraordinary life.” [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing oneself as ordinary yet having an extraordinary life invites humility and gratitude. **In simple terms:** Ordinary roots, extraordinary story. Key Takeaway Recognize humble beginnings. Themes humility gratitude self‑reflection Mood humble grateful Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - public speaking - mentoring - writing Key Concepts life narrative personal identity Questions to Reflect On - What everyday moments shaped you? - How to share your story authentically? A Different Perspective Humility may mask achievement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Extraordinary life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [Marvel is at its best when we see how an ordinary person has something extraordinary happen to them - whether it's Tony Stark or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-loeb/marvel-is-at-its-best-when-we-see-how-an-ordinary-person-has/) [Jeph Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-loeb/) > [Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hardship-often-prepares-an-ordinary-person-for-an-extraordinary/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“(...) every single person, has a story to tell. Every single ordinary person has an extraordinary story. 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I feel it internally when I'm singing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-porter/i-can-sing-the-blues-and-i-have-sung-the-blues-i-feel-it-internally/) [Gregory Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-porter/) > [When I was in my early 20s, I looked towards exterior things to make me feel sexy - guys, clothes, shoes, etc. Now it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-shahi/when-i-was-in-my-early-20s-i-looked-towards-exterior-things-to-make/) [Sarah Shahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-shahi/) > [“I am living proof that dreams come true. I am an ordinary person leading an extraordinary life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-living-proof-that-dreams-come-true-i-am-an-ordinary-person/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you are actually ordinary, the only way to give royal status meaning is to live an extraordinary life. 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I think my work has been representative of me as a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/in-my-case-the-body-of-work-stands-for-itself-i-think-my-work-has/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [You don't have to become something that you aren't to become better than you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/you-don-t-have-to-become-something-that-you-aren-t-to-become-better/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [So it's been kind of a long road, but it was a good journey altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/so-it-s-been-kind-of-a-long-road-but-it-was-a-good-journey-altogether/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [I'd seen my father. He was a poor man, and I watched him do astonishing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/i-d-seen-my-father-he-was-a-poor-man-and-i-watched-him-do-astonishing/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [If the image one holds of one's self contains elements that don't square with reality, one is best advised to let go of them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/if-the-image-one-holds-of-one-s-self-contains-elements-that-don-t/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [I think the way I want to think. I live the way I want to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/i-think-the-way-i-want-to-think-i-live-the-way-i-want-to-live/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [I had learned something of Miami from people who had visited there, so I knew what to expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/i-had-learned-something-of-miami-from-people-who-had-visited-there-so/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [We're all imperfect, and life is simply a perpetual, unending struggle against those imperfections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/we-re-all-imperfect-and-life-is-simply-a-perpetual-unending-struggle/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [I did not go into the film business to be symbolized as someone else's vision of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/i-did-not-go-into-the-film-business-to-be-symbolized-as-someone-else/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [I find myself, at this time in my life, no less challenged, no less plagued, no less intrigued by what I still don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/i-find-myself-at-this-time-in-my-life-no-less-challenged-no-less/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [Living consciously involves being genuine; it involves listening and responding to others honestly and openly; it involves being in the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/living-consciously-involves-being-genuine-it-involves-listening-and/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [Every new fashion is a form of rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/every-new-fashion-is-a-form-of-rebellion/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [I'll always be chasing you... Glory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/i-ll-always-be-chasing-you-glory/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [So I'm OK with myself, with history, my work, who I am and who I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/so-i-m-ok-with-myself-with-history-my-work-who-i-am-and-who-i-was/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) [Explore all 112 Sidney Poitier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) ## More Extraordinary quotes > [We released 400,000 classified documents, the most extraordinary history of a war to ever have been released in our civilization. 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Opening to what is around you will produce the most extraordinary experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-b-lewis/it-isn-t-necessary-to-seek-out-adventure-opening-to-what-is-around/) Edward B. Lewis > [Many people, including myself, thought of Jobs as an inventor, an Edison-like figure, but he wasn't. I did a documentary on James Brown recently;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/many-people-including-myself-thought-of-jobs-as-an-inventor-an-edison/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) Browse all 2,906 Extraordinary quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wanted to look at them because I feel, internally, that I am an ordinary person who has had an extraordinary life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sidney Poitier" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/i-wanted-to-look-at-them-because-i-feel-internally-that-i-am-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Extraordinary" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/i-wanted-to-look-at-them-because-i-feel-internally-that-i-am-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/sidney-poitier-4270_extraordinary_i-wanted-to-look-at-them-because-i-feel_3030539.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/sidney-poitier-4270_extraordinary_i-wanted-to-look-at-them-because-i-feel_3030539.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/sidney-poitier-4270_extraordinary_i-wanted-to-look-at-them-because-i-feel_3030539.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wanted to look at them because I feel, internally, that I am an ordinary person who has had an…” — Sidney Poitier", "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": "Sidney Poitier", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wanted to look at them...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/i-wanted-to-look-at-them-because-i-feel-internally-that-i-am-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/i-wanted-to-look-at-them-because-i-feel-internally-that-i-am-an/#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 } } ] } ```