--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can only be tall because someone…" description: "\"If you can only be tall because someone else is on their knees, then you have a serious problem. And white people have a very, very serious problem.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/toni-morrison-271_ifs_if-you-can-only-be-tall-because-someone_1968512.jpg" --- # If you can only be tall because someone else is on their… ![“If you can only be tall because someone else is on their knees, then you have a serious problem. And white people have a very, very serious problem.” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/toni-morrison-271_ifs_if-you-can-only-be-tall-because-someone_1968512.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/toni-morrison-271_ifs_if-you-can-only-be-tall-because-someone_1968512.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/toni-morrison-271_ifs_if-you-can-only-be-tall-because-someone_1968512.jpg) > “If you can only be tall because someone else is on their knees, then you have a serious problem. And white people have a very, very serious problem.” [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The belief that one’s stature depends on others’ subjugation reveals deep racial injustice and moral failure. **In simple terms:** True greatness isn’t built on others’ suffering. Key Takeaway Promote equality and reject superiority mind. Themes race justice power dynamics Mood provocative urgent Type social humanitarian When to use this quote - education - policy reform - community building - personal reflection Key Concepts critical theory social ethics Questions to Reflect On - What does equality mean to you? - How can you support those marginalized? A Different Perspective Changing entrenched attitudes requires systemic effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knees/) [Knees Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knees-problem-3291977/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-problem/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problem White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-white-3291978/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/) [Tall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tall/) [Tall Knees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tall-knees-3291976/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [White people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-people/) ## Related quotes > [If I marry: He must be so tall that when he is on his knees, as one has said he reaches all the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bell/if-i-marry-he-must-be-so-tall-that-when-he-is-on-his-knees-as-one-has/) [Ruth Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bell/) > [The Honorable Elijah Muhammad says that the way to solve this problem is for the white man to give us some territory of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/the-honorable-elijah-muhammad-says-that-the-way-to-solve-this-problem/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [My problem is white comfort with Black death. I am personally tired of white comfort with black death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaal-bowman/my-problem-is-white-comfort-with-black-death-i-am-personally-tired-of/) [Jamaal Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaal-bowman/) > [This is really skin privilege, the ranking of color in terms of its closeness to white people or white-skinned people and its devaluation according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/this-is-really-skin-privilege-the-ranking-of-color-in-terms-of-its/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Regular people are the problem. It's not the government, it's not the invasive Big Brother, it's the fact that we're a nation of snitches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/regular-people-are-the-problem-it-s-not-the-government-it-s-not-the/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [I don't necessarily think the way people do, but that's not my problem. My problem is not to reinforce or destroy any ideas anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-p/i-don-t-necessarily-think-the-way-people-do-but-that-s-not-my-problem/) [El-P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-p/) > [For now, capitalism is working to produce more money but does not see the people. This problem is getting worse across the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lech-walesa/for-now-capitalism-is-working-to-produce-more-money-but-does-not-see/) [Lech Walesa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lech-walesa/) > [People have a problem with how I deal with things...if the problem to them is so bad then they should stop try and stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-have-a-problem-with-how-i-deal-with-things-if-the-problem-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If people have a problem with you, always remember, it is THEIR problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paresh-markandeya/if-people-have-a-problem-with-you-always-remember-it-is-their-problem/) [Paresh Markandeya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paresh-markandeya/) > [“The technology is here; it’s never been easier to communicate and collaborate with people anywhere, any time. But that still leaves a fundamental people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/the-technology-is-here-it-s-never-been-easier-to-communicate-and/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. To summarize the summary of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anyone-who-is-capable-of-getting-themselves-made-president-should-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think drugs and alcohol aren't a wrestling problem, it's a life problem, it's a people problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cm-punk/i-think-drugs-and-alcohol-aren-t-a-wrestling-problem-it-s-a-life/) [CM Punk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cm-punk/) > [People who can't be alone have a problem. Loneliness is a luxury for people like me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/people-who-can-t-be-alone-have-a-problem-loneliness-is-a-luxury-for/) [Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/) > [To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/to-summarize-the-summary-of-the-summary-people-are-a-problem/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [A hundred people will show up when you have a party, but only a few people will show up when you have a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/a-hundred-people-will-show-up-when-you-have-a-party-but-only-a-few/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) ## More by Toni Morrison > [Perhaps that's what all human relationships boiled down to: Would you save my life? or would you take it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/perhaps-that-s-what-all-human-relationships-boiled-down-to-would-you/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Not know it was hard;knowing it was harder”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/not-know-it-was-hard-knowing-it-was-harder/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Didn’t everything on God’s earth have or acquire defense?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/didn-t-everything-on-god-s-earth-have-or-acquire-defense/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You looked at them and wondered why the were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-looked-at-them-and-wondered-why-the-were-so-ugly-you-looked/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [All she saw, down in the cellar well beneath the stoop, was a light yellow feather with a tip of green. And she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/all-she-saw-down-in-the-cellar-well-beneath-the-stoop-was-a-light/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [For me, Art is the restoration of order. It may discuss all sort of terrible things, but there must be satisfaction at the end.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/for-me-art-is-the-restoration-of-order-it-may-discuss-all-sort-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“To Sethe, the future was a matter of keeping the past at bay”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/to-sethe-the-future-was-a-matter-of-keeping-the-past-at-bay/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Hate does that. Burns off everything but itself, so whatever your grievance is, your face looks just like your enemy's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/hate-does-that-burns-off-everything-but-itself-so-whatever-your/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You know how a star is supposed to twinkle? 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Its threat gave her direction, clarity, audacity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/she-was-fierce-in-the-presence-of-death-heroic-even-as-she-was-at-no/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) [Explore all 774 Toni Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. 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And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. 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