--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One could get locked in by the Pulitzer…" description: "\"One could get locked in by the Pulitzer, thinking, 'This is who I am.' Doors open with it, but doors in your mind could close.\" — Suzan-Lori Parks" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/suzan-lori-parks-20794_am_one-could-get-locked-in-by-the-pulitzer_871041.png" --- # One could get locked in by the Pulitzer, thinking, 'This… ![“One could get locked in by the Pulitzer, thinking, 'This is who I am.' Doors open with it, but doors in your mind could close.” quote by Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/suzan-lori-parks-20794_am_one-could-get-locked-in-by-the-pulitzer_871041.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/suzan-lori-parks-20794_am_one-could-get-locked-in-by-the-pulitzer_871041.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/suzan-lori-parks-20794_am_one-could-get-locked-in-by-the-pulitzer_871041.png) > “One could get locked in by the Pulitzer, thinking, 'This is who I am.' Doors open with it, but doors in your mind could close.” [Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzan-lori-parks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identity can become a cage when defined by external accolades; true freedom comes from inner self‑definition. **In simple terms:** Fame can trap you; inner self frees you. Key Takeaway Seek self‑knowledge beyond external validation. Themes identity freedom self‑perception celebrity Mood reflective thoughtful cautious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career advancement - public recognition - personal relationships - creative work Key Concepts psychology existentialism social pressure Questions to Reflect On - What parts of your identity are tied to others’ opinions? - How can you nurture inner confidence? A Different Perspective External praise may not reflect personal values or growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/am/) [Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close/) [Could](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/could/) [Doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors/) [Doors Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors-mind-953087/) [Doors Open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors-open/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [I am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-am/) [Locked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locked/) [Locked Pulitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locked-pulitzer-953086/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Pulitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulitzer/) [Pulitzer Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulitzer-thinking-953085/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/) ## Related quotes > [“The physical memory blunders through the doors the mind has tried to seal. ... Wisdom says forget, the body howls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/the-physical-memory-blunders-through-the-doors-the-mind-has-tried-to/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I felt the pressure of imagination against the doors of my mind was so great that they were going to burst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-felt-the-pressure-of-imagination-against-the-doors-of-my-mind-was/) [J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/) > [“PERHAPS THE GREATEST FACULTY our minds possess is the ability to cope with pain. Classic thinking teaches us of the four doors of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/perhaps-the-greatest-faculty-our-minds-possess-is-the-ability-to-cope-3/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [The main object of teaching is not to give explanations, but to knock at the doors of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/the-main-object-of-teaching-is-not-to-give-explanations-but-to-knock/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [For the longest time I studied revenge to the exclusion of all else. I built my first torture chamber in the dark vaults of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/for-the-longest-time-i-studied-revenge-to-the-exclusion-of-all-else-i/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [“If he found her, he thought it might be a fine idea to lock the doors and take her mind off work, as ordered.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/if-he-found-her-he-thought-it-might-be-a-fine-idea-to-lock-the-doors/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Knowledge and perception are the two main doors of the mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/knowledge-and-perception-are-the-two-main-doors-of-the-mind/) [Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/) > [When you sleep, you entertain no visitors at your house, and your windows and doors are closed. When you want to enjoy peace of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-sleep-you-entertain-no-visitors-at-your-house-and-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I try and open a few doors to the mind, encourage people to embrace change and to stretch their capabilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-walker/i-try-and-open-a-few-doors-to-the-mind-encourage-people-to-embrace/) [Max Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-walker/) > [“Perhaps the greatest faculty our minds possess is the ability to cope with pain. Classic thinking teaches us of the four doors of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/perhaps-the-greatest-faculty-our-minds-possess-is-the-ability-to-cope/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > ['To Kill a Mockingbird' appeared to highly favorable reviews and quickly climbed to the top of bestseller lists, where it remained for more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-j-shields/to-kill-a-mockingbird-appeared-to-highly-favorable-reviews-and/) [Charles J. Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-j-shields/) > [You become a great composer when you win a Pulitzer. But I think that now it's a completely meaningless award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corigliano/you-become-a-great-composer-when-you-win-a-pulitzer-but-i-think-that/) [John Corigliano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corigliano/) > [I knew from experience at the Negro Ensemble Company that it wasn't until there was a place controlled by black artists... that Pulitzer Prize-winning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schultz/i-knew-from-experience-at-the-negro-ensemble-company-that-it-wasn-t/) [Michael Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schultz/) > [Winning the Pulitzer is wonderful and it's an honor and I feel so humbled and so grateful, but I think that I'll think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhumpa-lahiri/winning-the-pulitzer-is-wonderful-and-it-s-an-honor-and-i-feel-so/) [Jhumpa Lahiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhumpa-lahiri/) > [The Pulitzer Prize was established when Joseph Pulitzer died in 1911, leaving a bequest to create the eponymous award. An immigrant from Hungary, Pulitzer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-scovell/the-pulitzer-prize-was-established-when-joseph-pulitzer-died-in-1911/) [Nell Scovell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-scovell/) ## More by Suzan-Lori Parks > [“The plays should have the half-life of plutonium.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzan-lori-parks/the-plays-should-have-the-half-life-of-plutonium/) [Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzan-lori-parks/) > [I like to give and get basically anything (I love to read) but especially fiction and poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzan-lori-parks/i-like-to-give-and-get-basically-anything-i-love-to-read-but/) [Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzan-lori-parks/) > [Be bold. Envision yourself living a life that you love. Believe, even if you can only muster your faith for just this moment, believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzan-lori-parks/be-bold-envision-yourself-living-a-life-that-you-love-believe-even-if/) [Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzan-lori-parks/) > [Quality is like quantity, but there's a lot less of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzan-lori-parks/quality-is-like-quantity-but-there-s-a-lot-less-of-it/) [Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzan-lori-parks/) > [I don't consciously start writing a play that involves issues. After it's done, I sit back like everyone else and think about what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzan-lori-parks/i-don-t-consciously-start-writing-a-play-that-involves-issues-after/) [Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzan-lori-parks/) > [The writer has two kinds of faith: actual writing and sitting openly. Have faith in your personal effort or sweat. And faith in God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzan-lori-parks/the-writer-has-two-kinds-of-faith-actual-writing-and-sitting-openly/) [Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzan-lori-parks/) > [My father was in the Army and we moved around a lot, and one of my favorite places was the library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzan-lori-parks/my-father-was-in-the-army-and-we-moved-around-a-lot-and-one-of-my/) [Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzan-lori-parks/) > [I learned that if we embrace what's happening, we are also embracing what is possible - and a road opens up for God to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzan-lori-parks/i-learned-that-if-we-embrace-what-s-happening-we-are-also-embracing/) [Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzan-lori-parks/) > [My plays are for the kind of black people who relate to funk music, to Parliament-Funkadelic. When those guys get out of a spaceship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzan-lori-parks/my-plays-are-for-the-kind-of-black-people-who-relate-to-funk-music-to/) [Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzan-lori-parks/) > [I knew that I was learning one of the most important lessons of my life: that instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzan-lori-parks/i-knew-that-i-was-learning-one-of-the-most-important-lessons-of-my/) [Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzan-lori-parks/) > [ The first time I went over to \[my director's\] house, he said to me, This is a very strange play. I was pleased that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzan-lori-parks/the-first-time-i-went-over-to-my-director-s-house-he-said-to-me-this/) [Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzan-lori-parks/) > [People ask me when I decided to become a playwright, and I tell them I decide to do it every day. 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Generally, Asian guys are more quiet - they study and have a good work ethic. Generally, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lee/i-think-i-am-against-stereotype-generally-asian-guys-are-more-quiet/) [Bobby Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lee/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [Any incarnation of 'Batman' I am delighted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/any-incarnation-of-batman-i-am-delighted-to-do/) [Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [I am on sabbatical as of right now, been too busy to think of about my OWN needs as of late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-diamond/i-am-on-sabbatical-as-of-right-now-been-too-busy-to-think-of-about-my/) [Jim Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-diamond/) > [I am strongly opposed to any form of amnesty, including, especially, executive amnesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-scalise/i-am-strongly-opposed-to-any-form-of-amnesty-including-especially/) [Steve Scalise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-scalise/) > [I am no different from a lot of people. 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