--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is said that Obama speaks…" description: "\"It is said that Obama speaks 'professorially,' a fact that understates the quickness and agility of his mind.\" — Ta-Nehisi Coates" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/ta-nehisi-coates-733_agility_it-is-said-that-obama-speaks-professoria_2277406.png" --- # It is said that Obama speaks 'professorially,' a fact that… ![“It is said that Obama speaks 'professorially,' a fact that understates the quickness and agility of his mind.” quote by Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/ta-nehisi-coates-733_agility_it-is-said-that-obama-speaks-professoria_2277406.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/ta-nehisi-coates-733_agility_it-is-said-that-obama-speaks-professoria_2277406.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/ta-nehisi-coates-733_agility_it-is-said-that-obama-speaks-professoria_2277406.png) > “It is said that Obama speaks 'professorially,' a fact that understates the quickness and agility of his mind.” [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Obama’s intellect is quick and agile, despite being described as overly academic. **In simple terms:** Obama is sharp and fast-thinking. Key Takeaway Recognize substance over style. Themes leadership intellect perception Mood analytical critical Type observational insightful When to use this quote - political analysis - media commentary - leadership assessment Key Concepts cognitive agility public image Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape perception of leaders? - What qualities matter most in leadership? A Different Perspective May overlook other traits like empathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agility/) [His](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/his/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Obama Speaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-speaks-3922496/) [Professorially](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professorially-5301934/) [Professorially Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professorially-fact-5301935/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Quickness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quickness/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Said Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-obama-923947/) [Speaks Professorially](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speaks-professorially-5301933/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [When President Obama speaks about raising taxes on the rich, he speaks about high-income employees and small business owners, not entrepreneurs who build big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/when-president-obama-speaks-about-raising-taxes-on-the-rich-he-speaks/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [ONLY UK STUDENTS UNDERSTAND : KNOWLEDGE IS POWER SAID BY OBAMA :D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gk/only-uk-students-understand-knowledge-is-power-said-by-obama-d/) [Gk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gk/) > [He loves basketball. And I said Obama loves basketball. Let's start there, all right. Start there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/he-loves-basketball-and-i-said-obama-loves-basketball-let-s-start/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) > [“The president has put in place an organization that contains a kind of database that no one has ever seen before in life that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-waters/the-president-has-put-in-place-an-organization-that-contains-a-kind/) [Maxine Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-waters/) > [Aside from being bad sportsmanship - Romney basically said Obama won by cheating - he was displaying the same obtuseness about the wants and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/aside-from-being-bad-sportsmanship-romney-basically-said-obama-won-by/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [“The agility of prime, not the stability of maturity, is the ideal goal for healthy organizations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-moore/the-agility-of-prime-not-the-stability-of-maturity-is-the-ideal-goal/) [Steve Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-moore/) > [“agility is relative and time-based. If your software team can’t deliver software and keep pace with changes in the environment, your team is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/agility-is-relative-and-time-based-if-your-software-team-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I took obedience, agility, and shepherding with my dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/i-took-obedience-agility-and-shepherding-with-my-dog/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > ['Failing fast' is an important component of cultivating the agility needed for a development project along with continually rebalancing your innovation portfolio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-doughtie/failing-fast-is-an-important-component-of-cultivating-the-agility/) [Lynne Doughtie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-doughtie/) > [I've got power and agility. I don't care if I'm not the biggest keeper; I've got the power and agility to get around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-pickford/i-ve-got-power-and-agility-i-don-t-care-if-i-m-not-the-biggest-keeper/) [Jordan Pickford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-pickford/) > [Of all animals, the outward form of the Lion is the most striking ; his look is bold and confident; his gait proud; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pinnock/of-all-animals-the-outward-form-of-the-lion-is-the-most-striking-his/) [William Pinnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pinnock/) > [I think my gymnastic background helped a great deal with my agility when I took up football seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/i-think-my-gymnastic-background-helped-a-great-deal-with-my-agility/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [Strength without agility is a mere mass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/strength-without-agility-is-a-mere-mass/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“Your encounters will be more successful when you slow down, pay attention, and become more mindfully aware of the world around you. Heightening your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/your-encounters-will-be-more-successful-when-you-slow-down-pay/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [We are organized by territories, whereas terrorists are organized into networks. States are very slow and terrorists are extremely fast. Intelligence sharing needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-are-organized-by-territories-whereas-terrorists-are-organized-into/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) ## More by Ta-Nehisi Coates > [“To Trump whiteness is neither notional nor symbolic but is the very core of his power. In this, Trump is not singular. But whereas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/to-trump-whiteness-is-neither-notional-nor-symbolic-but-is-the-very/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“The focus on one sector of Trump voters—the white working class—is puzzling, given the breadth of his white coalition. Indeed, there is a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-focus-on-one-sector-of-trump-voters-the-white-working-class-is/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [The greatest reward of this constant interrogation, confrontation with the brutality of my country, is that it has freed me from hosts and myths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-greatest-reward-of-this-constant-interrogation-confrontation-with/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [What I am telling you is that you do not need to know to love, and it is right that you feel it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/what-i-am-telling-you-is-that-you-do-not-need-to-know-to-love-and-it/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [I think 'Dear White People,' the show, is a tremendous artistic achievement. It's always hinting that there is something beyond the pleading and wokeness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-think-dear-white-people-the-show-is-a-tremendous-artistic/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [ \[Winning the White House was an achievement\], but as an African-American, \[Barack Obama\], I think the symbolism is in how he conducted himself. The… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/winning-the-white-house-was-an-achievement-but-as-an-african-american/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [What sets black people apart is not some deficit in personal responsibility. It's the weight on our shoulders. That is what's actually different. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/what-sets-black-people-apart-is-not-some-deficit-in-personal/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [Like a lot of people, I'm very, very concerned about Senator Clinton's record. I'm very, very concerned about where her positions were in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/like-a-lot-of-people-i-m-very-very-concerned-about-senator-clinton-s/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“I drove away, as always, thinking of you. I do not believe that we can stop them, Samori, because they must ultimately stop themselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-drove-away-as-always-thinking-of-you-i-do-not-believe-that-we-can/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [What I’m talking about is more than recompense for past injustices—more than a handout, a payoff, hush money, or a reluctant bribe. What I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/what-i-m-talking-about-is-more-than-recompense-for-past-injustices/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [The mainstream sort of presentation of the civil rights movement was not something that I directly inherited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-mainstream-sort-of-presentation-of-the-civil-rights-movement-was/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [ \[Grew up in Hawaii\] that gave \[Barack Obama\] a kind of optimism, an ability to see things, you know, and frankly, an ability to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/grew-up-in-hawaii-that-gave-barack-obama-a-kind-of-optimism-an/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“I sensed the schools were hiding something, drugging us with false morality so that we would not see, so that we did not ask:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-sensed-the-schools-were-hiding-something-drugging-us-with-false/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [You don't make a case for reparations thinking, 'Oh yeah, people are gonna love this.' I didn't see that coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/you-don-t-make-a-case-for-reparations-thinking-oh-yeah-people-are/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“And I know that there are black boys and black girls out there lost in a Bermuda triangle of the mind or stranded in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/and-i-know-that-there-are-black-boys-and-black-girls-out-there-lost/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) [Explore all 388 Ta-Nehisi Coates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) ## More Agility quotes > [We are organized by territories, whereas terrorists are organized into networks. States are very slow and terrorists are extremely fast. Intelligence sharing needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-are-organized-by-territories-whereas-terrorists-are-organized-into/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [“Your encounters will be more successful when you slow down, pay attention, and become more mindfully aware of the world around you. Heightening your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/your-encounters-will-be-more-successful-when-you-slow-down-pay/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [Strength without agility is a mere mass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/strength-without-agility-is-a-mere-mass/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [I think my gymnastic background helped a great deal with my agility when I took up football seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/i-think-my-gymnastic-background-helped-a-great-deal-with-my-agility/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [Of all animals, the outward form of the Lion is the most striking ; his look is bold and confident; his gait proud; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pinnock/of-all-animals-the-outward-form-of-the-lion-is-the-most-striking-his/) [William Pinnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pinnock/) > [I've got power and agility. I don't care if I'm not the biggest keeper; I've got the power and agility to get around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-pickford/i-ve-got-power-and-agility-i-don-t-care-if-i-m-not-the-biggest-keeper/) [Jordan Pickford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-pickford/) > ['Failing fast' is an important component of cultivating the agility needed for a development project along with continually rebalancing your innovation portfolio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-doughtie/failing-fast-is-an-important-component-of-cultivating-the-agility/) [Lynne Doughtie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-doughtie/) > [I took obedience, agility, and shepherding with my dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annaleigh-ashford/i-took-obedience-agility-and-shepherding-with-my-dog/) [Annaleigh Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annaleigh-ashford/) > [“agility is relative and time-based. If your software team can’t deliver software and keep pace with changes in the environment, your team is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/agility-is-relative-and-time-based-if-your-software-team-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The agility of prime, not the stability of maturity, is the ideal goal for healthy organizations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-moore/the-agility-of-prime-not-the-stability-of-maturity-is-the-ideal-goal/) [Steve Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-moore/) > [I have always had good strength in my legs from working out with weights. I have also been riding a bike of some sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-paul-gosselaar/i-have-always-had-good-strength-in-my-legs-from-working-out-with/) [Mark-Paul Gosselaar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-paul-gosselaar/) > [The game of business used to be like football: size mattered. Then it changed to basketball: speed and agility. Today, business is more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-slywotzky/the-game-of-business-used-to-be-like-football-size-mattered-then-it/) [Adrian Slywotzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-slywotzky/) > [Success today requires the agility and drive to constantly rethink, reinvigorate, react, and reinvent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/success-today-requires-the-agility-and-drive-to-constantly-rethink/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [We've watched film in years past where I was getting beat and it wasn't always because of the lack of agility and foot speed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-huerter/we-ve-watched-film-in-years-past-where-i-was-getting-beat-and-it-wasn/) [Kevin Huerter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-huerter/) > [Large organizations cannot be versatile. A large organization is effective through its mass rather than through its agility. Fleas can jump many times their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/large-organizations-cannot-be-versatile-a-large-organization-is/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) [Browse all 96 Agility quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agility/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is said that Obama speaks 'professorially,' a fact that understates the quickness and agility of his mind.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ta-Nehisi Coates" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/it-is-said-that-obama-speaks-professorially-a-fact-that-understates/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agility" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/it-is-said-that-obama-speaks-professorially-a-fact-that-understates/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/ta-nehisi-coates-733_agility_it-is-said-that-obama-speaks-professoria_2277406.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/ta-nehisi-coates-733_agility_it-is-said-that-obama-speaks-professoria_2277406.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/ta-nehisi-coates-733_agility_it-is-said-that-obama-speaks-professoria_2277406.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is said that Obama speaks 'professorially,' a fact that understates the quickness and agility of his mind.” — Ta-Nehisi Coates", "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": "Ta-Nehisi Coates", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is said that Obama speaks...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/it-is-said-that-obama-speaks-professorially-a-fact-that-understates/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/it-is-said-that-obama-speaks-professorially-a-fact-that-understates/#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 } } ] } ```