--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What surprises me is-even though…" description: "\"What surprises me is-even though discrimination against women and racial discrimination still exist, they have improved a lot, especially among artists..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/yoko-ono-726_age_what-surprises-me-is-even-though-discrim_1618519.png" --- # What surprises me is-even though discrimination against… ![“What surprises me is-even though discrimination against women and racial discrimination still exist, they have improved a lot, especially among artists. And just when I felt I could finally take a break, I encounter the age discrimination. I turned 72 and started noticing a drastic difference in…” quote by Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/yoko-ono-726_age_what-surprises-me-is-even-though-discrim_1618519.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/yoko-ono-726_age_what-surprises-me-is-even-though-discrim_1618519.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/yoko-ono-726_age_what-surprises-me-is-even-though-discrim_1618519.png) > “What surprises me is-even though discrimination against women and racial discrimination still exist, they have improved a lot, especially among artists. And just when I felt I could finally take a break, I encounter the age discrimination. I turned 72 and started noticing a drastic difference in people's attitudes. I started with racism and sexism in the beginning and fought them so hard and was finally ready to relax. Then, here comes ageism, and I feel like, "Give me a break!"” [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Age bias persists despite progress on gender and race, highlighting ongoing societal blind spots. **In simple terms:** Age discrimination remains a hidden problem. Key Takeaway Advocate for inclusive attitudes across all ages. Themes ageism discrimination social justice Mood reflective determined Type personal social commentary When to use this quote - workplace hiring - media representation - policy making Key Concepts Intersectionality bias awareness Questions to Reflect On - How can we make ageism as visible as sexism? - What steps can institutions take to value older contributors? A Different Perspective Age bias often goes unrecognized compared to other forms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Ageism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ageism/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) [Encounters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Racial discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial-discrimination/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Sexism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexism/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) ## Related quotes > [The only way to avoid age discrimination in Hollywood is to die young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/the-only-way-to-avoid-age-discrimination-in-hollywood-is-to-die-young/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [I can't say I'm not guilty of age discrimination when it comes to animals. Like most people I've walked into a shelter more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-morasca/i-can-t-say-i-m-not-guilty-of-age-discrimination-when-it-comes-to/) [Jenna Morasca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-morasca/) > [“Less mutable qualities, like age, may have worked against me too. My résumé revealed only that I was probably over forty. But even that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/less-mutable-qualities-like-age-may-have-worked-against-me-too-my-r/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [I think that the big age problem in the job market today is really on the part of employers and that they don't seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-corcodilos/i-think-that-the-big-age-problem-in-the-job-market-today-is-really-on/) [Nick Corcodilos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-corcodilos/) > [I really don't think that an older worker can stop age discrimination, but you can successfully distract the employer from that issue if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-corcodilos/i-really-don-t-think-that-an-older-worker-can-stop-age-discrimination/) [Nick Corcodilos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-corcodilos/) > [There is age discrimination, but I think there are two kinds. One is when the employer is discriminating for specific reasons and doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-corcodilos/there-is-age-discrimination-but-i-think-there-are-two-kinds-one-is/) [Nick Corcodilos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-corcodilos/) > [Age discrimination is illegal. But when compared with discrimination against racial minorities and women, it is a second-class civil rights issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cohen/age-discrimination-is-illegal-but-when-compared-with-discrimination/) [Adam Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cohen/) > [Every discrimination against women in the constitutions and laws of the several States is today null and void, precisely as in every one against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-b-anthony/every-discrimination-against-women-in-the-constitutions-and-laws-of/) [Susan B. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-b-anthony/) > [Now, since I'm a husband and father, discrimination against women isn't just political, it's personal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/now-since-i-m-a-husband-and-father-discrimination-against-women-isn-t/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [I live in a war zone. I would never have imagined 37 years ago when I started practicing law that there would still be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-allred/i-live-in-a-war-zone-i-would-never-have-imagined-37-years-ago-when-i/) [Gloria Allred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-allred/) > [We need to put an end to discrimination against women, and the power to bring about this change lies in our hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shruti-haasan/we-need-to-put-an-end-to-discrimination-against-women-and-the-power/) [Shruti Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shruti-haasan/) > [Freedom from discrimination for women, ensuring that female children can learn to read, these are human needs for half the human race, not western…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/freedom-from-discrimination-for-women-ensuring-that-female-children/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [Is there discrimination against women? Yes. There's no denying that the old boys' network is alive and well. But there's also discrimination against men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/is-there-discrimination-against-women-yes-there-s-no-denying-that-the/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [We have been suckered into believing that, because there are more men at the top than women at the top, that this is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/we-have-been-suckered-into-believing-that-because-there-are-more-men/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [We have restricted humans from giving 'free' food to bears and dolphins because we know that such feeding would make them dependent and lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/we-have-restricted-humans-from-giving-free-food-to-bears-and-dolphins/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) ## More by Yoko Ono > [Our public officials have forgotten that they are ultimately accountable to the people who put them in office, that the information they keep in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/our-public-officials-have-forgotten-that-they-are-ultimately/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you'll start to see a big difference in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/smile-in-the-mirror-do-that-every-morning-and-you-ll-start-to-see-a/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [Think of the Earth as a turning point in eternity. Think of the Earth as a meeting point in infinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/think-of-the-earth-as-a-turning-point-in-eternity-think-of-the-earth/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [If your life changes, we can change the world, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/if-your-life-changes-we-can-change-the-world-too/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [ When people get cynical about love, they should look at us \[Yoko and John Lennon\] and see it is possible ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/when-people-get-cynical-about-love-they-should-look-at-us-yoko-and/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [True artists are prophets. I don't want to be that prophetic in that sense because it's so lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/true-artists-are-prophets-i-don-t-want-to-be-that-prophetic-in-that/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [The first idea, the first art piece I ever did, was when I was four. I cut the seed of a pear in half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/the-first-idea-the-first-art-piece-i-ever-did-was-when-i-was-four-i/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [John wrote with a very deep love for the human race and a concern for its future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/john-wrote-with-a-very-deep-love-for-the-human-race-and-a-concern-for/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [I always believed that my work should be unfinished in the sense that I encourage people to add their creativity to it, either conceptually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/i-always-believed-that-my-work-should-be-unfinished-in-the-sense-that/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [Losing my daughter was a very serious pain. There was always some empty space in my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/losing-my-daughter-was-a-very-serious-pain-there-was-always-some/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [People don't remember each tree in a park but all of us benefit from the trees. And in a way, artists are like trees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/people-don-t-remember-each-tree-in-a-park-but-all-of-us-benefit-from/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [Marriage is a gamble, let's be honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/marriage-is-a-gamble-let-s-be-honest/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [It's difficult to explain love. You want to explain water? You need a book for it. There are many different ways to explain what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/it-s-difficult-to-explain-love-you-want-to-explain-water-you-need-a/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [Being alone is very difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/being-alone-is-very-difficult/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [Many people do remember their births, but they deny it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/many-people-do-remember-their-births-but-they-deny-it/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) [Explore all 391 Yoko Ono quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What surprises me is-even though discrimination against women and racial discrimination still exist, they have improved a lot, especially among artists. And just when I felt I could finally take a break, I encounter the age discrimination. I turned 72 and started noticing a drastic difference in people's attitudes. I started with racism and sexism in the beginning and fought them so hard and was finally ready to relax. Then, here comes ageism, and I feel like, \"Give me a break!\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Yoko Ono" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/what-surprises-me-is-even-though-discrimination-against-women-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Age" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/what-surprises-me-is-even-though-discrimination-against-women-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/yoko-ono-726_age_what-surprises-me-is-even-though-discrim_1618519.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/yoko-ono-726_age_what-surprises-me-is-even-though-discrim_1618519.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/yoko-ono-726_age_what-surprises-me-is-even-though-discrim_1618519.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What surprises me is-even though discrimination against women and racial discrimination still exist, they…” — Yoko Ono", "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": "Yoko Ono", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What surprises me is-even though discrimination...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/what-surprises-me-is-even-though-discrimination-against-women-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/what-surprises-me-is-even-though-discrimination-against-women-and/#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 } } ] } ```