--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't worry about how folks want to…" description: "\"I don't worry about how folks want to characterize me.\" — Susan Rice" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/susan-rice-4480_characterize_i-don-t-worry-about-how-folks-want-to-ch_627603.png" --- # I don't worry about how folks want to characterize me. ![“I don't worry about how folks want to characterize me.” quote by Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/susan-rice-4480_characterize_i-don-t-worry-about-how-folks-want-to-ch_627603.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/susan-rice-4480_characterize_i-don-t-worry-about-how-folks-want-to-ch_627603.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/susan-rice-4480_characterize_i-don-t-worry-about-how-folks-want-to-ch_627603.png) > “I don't worry about how folks want to characterize me.” [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She dismisses concerns about others’ labels, focusing on personal authenticity rather than external categorization. **In simple terms:** She doesn’t care how others label her. Key Takeaway Prioritize self‑definition over external opinions. Themes identity autonomy public perception self‑acceptance Mood confident assertive Type personal political When to use this quote - media interviews - social media presence - leadership roles - personal decision‑making Key Concepts social labeling political image personal branding Questions to Reflect On - What labels have you embraced or rejected? - How does external perception affect your choices? A Different Perspective May ignore constructive feedback. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Characterize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characterize/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [Today, war of necessity is used by critics of military action to describe unavoidable response to an attack like that on Pearl Harbor that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/today-war-of-necessity-is-used-by-critics-of-military-action-to/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [I would absolutely characterize myself as ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/i-would-absolutely-characterize-myself-as-ambitious/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [“The only thing that comes close to defining me correctly is my love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/the-only-thing-that-comes-close-to-defining-me-correctly-is-my-love/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [I think the way to be an influential journalist is to be accurate and to be fair and to get things right and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-swisher/i-think-the-way-to-be-an-influential-journalist-is-to-be-accurate-and/) [Kara Swisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-swisher/) > [Junk, redundancy, and inefficiency characterize astrophysical signals. It seems they characterize cells and sea lions, too. These biological constructions have lots of superfluous and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/junk-redundancy-and-inefficiency-characterize-astrophysical-signals/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [There are so many ways to characterize evolutionary success. If one criterion is the number of millions of years that the species persists, we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/there-are-so-many-ways-to-characterize-evolutionary-success-if-one/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [It's hard for me to label myself or characterize myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/velveteen-dream/it-s-hard-for-me-to-label-myself-or-characterize-myself/) [Velveteen Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/velveteen-dream/) > [Duke came to us. They volunteered to come to us and made a number of suggestions to some people on my staff. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gray-davis/duke-came-to-us-they-volunteered-to-come-to-us-and-made-a-number-of/) [Gray Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gray-davis/) > [Characterize people by their actions, and you'll never be fooled by their words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/characterize-people-by-their-actions-and-you-ll-never-be-fooled-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There are at least five different ways to characterize: Through physical attributes. With clothing or the manner of wearing clothing. Through psychological attributes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-at-least-five-different-ways-to-characterize-through/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [By the '50s and '60s, war movies had become big and impersonal. They almost never bothered to characterize the Japanese enemy as particularly evil;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hunter/by-the-50s-and-60s-war-movies-had-become-big-and-impersonal-they/) [Stephen Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hunter/) > [Political folk talk a lot these days about 'messaging' - a neologism designed to describe the way in which parties and politicians consciously characterize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/political-folk-talk-a-lot-these-days-about-messaging-a-neologism/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [If I would characterize my life, I would say that I was a very lucky actor who came into very lucky times, and got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/efrem-zimbalist-jr/if-i-would-characterize-my-life-i-would-say-that-i-was-a-very-lucky/) [Efrem Zimbalist, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/efrem-zimbalist-jr/) > [I don't want to, in any way, characterize a race or a people or get accused of racial profiling, but the Irish, as lyrical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-lang/i-don-t-want-to-in-any-way-characterize-a-race-or-a-people-or-get/) [Stephen Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-lang/) > [Our choices characterize who we are as a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/our-choices-characterize-who-we-are-as-a-person/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) ## More by Susan Rice > [Since I've had a career, my hair has been more or less professional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/since-i-ve-had-a-career-my-hair-has-been-more-or-less-professional/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [What I learned is that policymakers have to force consideration of actions that may not have occurred to them at the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/what-i-learned-is-that-policymakers-have-to-force-consideration-of/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [I've taken my knocks here and there, but I believe my intentions are good. Doesn't mean everything I do is perfectly executed or I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/i-ve-taken-my-knocks-here-and-there-but-i-believe-my-intentions-are/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [I'm not watching any TV shows, frankly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/i-m-not-watching-any-tv-shows-frankly/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [The United States really only accounts for about 3 percent of the economic engagement with Russia. Europe is 40 percent, and so Europe's contribution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/the-united-states-really-only-accounts-for-about-3-percent-of-the/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [I am very aware of being black and female because that's what I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/i-am-very-aware-of-being-black-and-female-because-that-s-what-i-am/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [Well, Nigeria has played a constructive role in peacekeeping in various parts of West Africa. But unless and until Nigeria itself is democratic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/well-nigeria-has-played-a-constructive-role-in-peacekeeping-in/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [I'm apologetic when I feel like I've made a mistake. And when I have done a disservice to myself or someone else. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/i-m-apologetic-when-i-feel-like-i-ve-made-a-mistake-and-when-i-have/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [People are consuming the news that is comfortable for them, not necessarily the news that is real or that they need to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/people-are-consuming-the-news-that-is-comfortable-for-them-not/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [I think it's very, very important that in foreign policy and national security decision making, as in any other realm, that there be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/i-think-it-s-very-very-important-that-in-foreign-policy-and-national/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [There was a hateful video that was disseminated on the internet. It had nothing to do with the United States government and it's one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/there-was-a-hateful-video-that-was-disseminated-on-the-internet-it/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [Well, I think by any expectation South Africa has come a tremendously long way. We've seen a society that many people thought couldn't withstand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/well-i-think-by-any-expectation-south-africa-has-come-a-tremendously/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [Can I be blunt? Yes. Can I be diplomatic? Yes. Can I concoct a mixture of vinegar and honey when the circumstances warrant? Yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/can-i-be-blunt-yes-can-i-be-diplomatic-yes-can-i-concoct-a-mixture-of/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [When my son was a mere three months old, I started working at the State Department. I was not only the youngest Assistant Secretary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/when-my-son-was-a-mere-three-months-old-i-started-working-at-the/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [I was conscious of the fact that it could be to my disadvantage to marry a white guy - that some folks would hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/i-was-conscious-of-the-fact-that-it-could-be-to-my-disadvantage-to/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) [Explore all 110 Susan Rice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) ## More Characterize quotes > [Today, war of necessity is used by critics of military action to describe unavoidable response to an attack like that on Pearl Harbor that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/today-war-of-necessity-is-used-by-critics-of-military-action-to/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [I don't want to, in any way, characterize a race or a people or get accused of racial profiling, but the Irish, as lyrical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-lang/i-don-t-want-to-in-any-way-characterize-a-race-or-a-people-or-get/) [Stephen Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-lang/) > [If I would characterize my life, I would say that I was a very lucky actor who came into very lucky times, and got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/efrem-zimbalist-jr/if-i-would-characterize-my-life-i-would-say-that-i-was-a-very-lucky/) [Efrem Zimbalist, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/efrem-zimbalist-jr/) > [Political folk talk a lot these days about 'messaging' - a neologism designed to describe the way in which parties and politicians consciously characterize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/political-folk-talk-a-lot-these-days-about-messaging-a-neologism/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [By the '50s and '60s, war movies had become big and impersonal. They almost never bothered to characterize the Japanese enemy as particularly evil;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hunter/by-the-50s-and-60s-war-movies-had-become-big-and-impersonal-they/) [Stephen Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hunter/) > [“There are at least five different ways to characterize: Through physical attributes. With clothing or the manner of wearing clothing. Through psychological attributes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-at-least-five-different-ways-to-characterize-through/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Characterize people by their actions, and you'll never be fooled by their words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/characterize-people-by-their-actions-and-you-ll-never-be-fooled-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Duke came to us. They volunteered to come to us and made a number of suggestions to some people on my staff. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gray-davis/duke-came-to-us-they-volunteered-to-come-to-us-and-made-a-number-of/) [Gray Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gray-davis/) > [It's hard for me to label myself or characterize myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/velveteen-dream/it-s-hard-for-me-to-label-myself-or-characterize-myself/) [Velveteen Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/velveteen-dream/) > [There are so many ways to characterize evolutionary success. If one criterion is the number of millions of years that the species persists, we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/there-are-so-many-ways-to-characterize-evolutionary-success-if-one/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [Junk, redundancy, and inefficiency characterize astrophysical signals. It seems they characterize cells and sea lions, too. These biological constructions have lots of superfluous and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/junk-redundancy-and-inefficiency-characterize-astrophysical-signals/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [I think the way to be an influential journalist is to be accurate and to be fair and to get things right and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-swisher/i-think-the-way-to-be-an-influential-journalist-is-to-be-accurate-and/) [Kara Swisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-swisher/) > [“The only thing that comes close to defining me correctly is my love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/the-only-thing-that-comes-close-to-defining-me-correctly-is-my-love/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [I would absolutely characterize myself as ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/i-would-absolutely-characterize-myself-as-ambitious/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [Our choices characterize who we are as a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/our-choices-characterize-who-we-are-as-a-person/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) [Browse all 21 Characterize quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characterize/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't worry about how folks want to characterize me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susan Rice" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/i-don-t-worry-about-how-folks-want-to-characterize-me/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Characterize" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/i-don-t-worry-about-how-folks-want-to-characterize-me/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/susan-rice-4480_characterize_i-don-t-worry-about-how-folks-want-to-ch_627603.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/susan-rice-4480_characterize_i-don-t-worry-about-how-folks-want-to-ch_627603.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b9/susan-rice-4480_characterize_i-don-t-worry-about-how-folks-want-to-ch_627603.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't worry about how folks want to characterize me.” — Susan Rice", "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": "Susan Rice", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't worry about how folks...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/i-don-t-worry-about-how-folks-want-to-characterize-me/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/i-don-t-worry-about-how-folks-want-to-characterize-me/#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 } } ] } ```