---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes, I feel discriminated against…"
description: "\"Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/364/zora-neale-hurston-923_angry_sometimes-i-feel-discriminated-against-b_3049881.png"
---

#  Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not…

![“Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me.” quote by Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/364/zora-neale-hurston-923_angry_sometimes-i-feel-discriminated-against-b_3049881.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/364/zora-neale-hurston-923_angry_sometimes-i-feel-discriminated-against-b_3049881.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/364/zora-neale-hurston-923_angry_sometimes-i-feel-discriminated-against-b_3049881.png)

> “Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me.”

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Discrimination astonishes rather than angers; the speaker finds joy in their presence despite bias.

**In simple terms:** Discrimination is surprising, not enraging.

Key Takeaway

Find joy despite bias.

Themes

identity racism self‑esteem

Mood

reflective confident

Type

personal inspirational

When to use this quote

- public speaking
- creative writing
- activism
- self‑care

Key Concepts

Social perception personal resilience

Questions to Reflect On

- Why does the author feel astonishment?
- How can others respond?

A Different Perspective

Discrimination can also provoke anger.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Angry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Deny Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deny-pleasure-587865/) [Discriminated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discriminated/) [Discriminated Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discriminated-does-5067490/) [Discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Feel Discriminated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-discriminated-295431/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/)

## Related quotes

> [“At certain times I have no race. I am me. I belong to no race or time. I am the eternal feminine with its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/at-certain-times-i-have-no-race-i-am-me-i-belong-to-no-race-or-time-i/)

[ZORA NEALE HURSTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [As a woman in this organization, I can say that I don't ever feel that I was discriminated against or prevented from opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-walden/as-a-woman-in-this-organization-i-can-say-that-i-don-t-ever-feel-that/)

[Dana Walden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-walden/)

> [People often ask me if I feel discriminated against as a black female director. I don't. I'm actually offered a ton of stuff. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/people-often-ask-me-if-i-feel-discriminated-against-as-a-black-female/)

[Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/)

> [“Not only did I not win the sweepstakes, but I didn’t even bother to enter. I feel discriminated against.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/not-only-did-i-not-win-the-sweepstakes-but-i-didn-t-even-bother-to/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/how-can-any-deny-themselves-the-pleasure-of-my-company-it-s-beyond-me/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [“It speaks volumes when people who are discriminated against go on to discriminate against others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/it-speaks-volumes-when-people-who-are-discriminated-against-go-on-to/)

[DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/)

> [Once labeled a felon, you are ushered into a parallel social universe. You can be denied the right to vote, automatically excluded from juries,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/once-labeled-a-felon-you-are-ushered-into-a-parallel-social-universe/)

[Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/)

> [As a mom, I just can't imagine having a child who would feel discriminated against for any reason, and I would want my child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/as-a-mom-i-just-can-t-imagine-having-a-child-who-would-feel/)

[Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/)

> [I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/i-am-a-jew-and-every-single-one-of-my-ancestors-was-jewish-and-it/)

[Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/)

> [We've been taught, "Deny yourself pleasure." But moderation is harder because it requires really committing to balance. When I tell my trainer I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-shields/we-ve-been-taught-deny-yourself-pleasure-but-moderation-is-harder/)

[Brooke Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-shields/)

> [We are in this period now where we all are trying to be in shape physically and deny ourselves any pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-simon/we-are-in-this-period-now-where-we-all-are-trying-to-be-in-shape/)

[Carly Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-simon/)

> [“I could deny myself the pleasure of talking, but not to others the pleasure of listening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-could-deny-myself-the-pleasure-of-talking-but-not-to-others-the/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [It is odd how we sometimes deny ourselves the very pleasure we have longed for and which is finally within our reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rylant/it-is-odd-how-we-sometimes-deny-ourselves-the-very-pleasure-we-have/)

[Cynthia Rylant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rylant/)

> [Your conscience is no defense against you sins; however, it can unfortunately deny you the pleasure of enjoying them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-de-madariaga/your-conscience-is-no-defense-against-you-sins-however-it-can/)

[Salvador de Madariaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-de-madariaga/)

> [When we are unable to receive, we deny someone else the pleasure of giving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-we-are-unable-to-receive-we-deny-someone-else-the-pleasure-of/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

## More by Zora Neale Hurston

> [It seemed to me that the human beings I met reacted pretty much the same to the same stimuli. Different idioms,yes. Circumstances and conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/it-seemed-to-me-that-the-human-beings-i-met-reacted-pretty-much-the/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [“Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/ships-at-a-distance-have-every-man-s-wish-on-board-for-some-they-come/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [Please God, please suh, don't let him love nobody else but me. Maybe Ah'm is uh fool, Lawd, lak dey say, but Lawd, Ah…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/please-god-please-suh-don-t-let-him-love-nobody-else-but-me-maybe-ah/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [“But mostly she lived between her hat and her heels, with her emotional disturbances like shade patterns in the woods—come and gone with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/but-mostly-she-lived-between-her-hat-and-her-heels-with-her-emotional/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [Light came to me when I realized that I did not have to consider any racial group as a whole. God made them duck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/light-came-to-me-when-i-realized-that-i-did-not-have-to-consider-any/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [Gods always behave like the people who make them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/gods-always-behave-like-the-people-who-make-them/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [Love, I find, is like singing. Everyone can do enough to satisfy themselves, though it may not impress the neighbors as being very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/love-i-find-is-like-singing-everyone-can-do-enough-to-satisfy/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [“The woman took the faded shirt and muddy overalls and laid them away from remembrance. It was a weapon against her strength and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/the-woman-took-the-faded-shirt-and-muddy-overalls-and-laid-them-away/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [“They plan and they fix and they do, and then some kitchen-dwelling fiend slips a scorchy, soggy, tasteless mess into their pots and pans…So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/they-plan-and-they-fix-and-they-do-and-then-some-kitchen-dwelling/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [“Years ago, she had told her girl self to wait for her in the looking glass. It had been a long time since she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/years-ago-she-had-told-her-girl-self-to-wait-for-her-in-the-looking/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [“Ah jus lak uh chicken. Chicken drink water, but he don’t pee-pee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/ah-jus-lak-uh-chicken-chicken-drink-water-but-he-don-t-pee-pee/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [“Like the pecking-order in a chicken yard. Insensate cruelty to those you can whip, and groveling submission to those you can’t. Once having set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/like-the-pecking-order-in-a-chicken-yard-insensate-cruelty-to-those/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [The Haitian people are gentle and lovable except for their enormous and unconscious cruelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/the-haitian-people-are-gentle-and-lovable-except-for-their-enormous/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [Now, suppose a Negro does something really magnificent, and I glory, not in the benefit to mankind, but in the fact that the doer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/now-suppose-a-negro-does-something-really-magnificent-and-i-glory-not/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [Anybody depending on somebody else's gods is depending on a fox not to eat chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/anybody-depending-on-somebody-else-s-gods-is-depending-on-a-fox-not/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

[Explore all 326 Zora Neale Hurston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

## More Angry quotes

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [There's only so much for a man to take...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gilchrist/there-s-only-so-much-for-a-man-to-take/)

[Kirsten Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-gilchrist/)

> [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/)

[David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/)

> [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [When you're frustrated with people, when they've made you angry, it just may be because you haven't given them enough time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/when-you-re-frustrated-with-people-when-they-ve-made-you-angry-it/)

[Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/)

> [When I was writing 'Black Panther,' on one level, I was angry because DC would never let me write 'Batman,' so I was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/when-i-was-writing-black-panther-on-one-level-i-was-angry-because-dc/)

[Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/)

> [Another step had her backed up against the wall, and he braced his arms on both sides of her. "I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/)

[Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/)

> [I'm an angry guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gandolfini/i-m-an-angry-guy/)

[James Gandolfini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gandolfini/)

> [Apparently, I'm the angriest man. I don't know. It's just an interpretation. If it was someone else, they might be called focused or competitive.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alun-wyn-jones/apparently-i-m-the-angriest-man-i-don-t-know-it-s-just-an/)

[Alun Wyn Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alun-wyn-jones/)

> [In the 1998 Oscars, I found myself in the bathroom in a stall, next to Tom Selleck. So I leaned over and I said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/in-the-1998-oscars-i-found-myself-in-the-bathroom-in-a-stall-next-to/)

[Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/)

> [Of course I get angry, but I want to use my brain a little bit and not just smash things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacey-musgraves/of-course-i-get-angry-but-i-want-to-use-my-brain-a-little-bit-and-not/)

[Kacey Musgraves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kacey-musgraves/)

> [“Rather than being incensed by the nature of the bruise, maybe we should be inspired by the possibilities in the bruise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/rather-than-being-incensed-by-the-nature-of-the-bruise-maybe-we/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

[Browse all 3,857 Angry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Zora Neale Hurston"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/sometimes-i-feel-discriminated-against-but-it-does-not-make-me-angry/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Angry"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/sometimes-i-feel-discriminated-against-but-it-does-not-make-me-angry/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/364/zora-neale-hurston-923_angry_sometimes-i-feel-discriminated-against-b_3049881.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/364/zora-neale-hurston-923_angry_sometimes-i-feel-discriminated-against-b_3049881.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/364/zora-neale-hurston-923_angry_sometimes-i-feel-discriminated-against-b_3049881.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any…” — Zora Neale Hurston",
                "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": "Zora Neale Hurston",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/sometimes-i-feel-discriminated-against-but-it-does-not-make-me-angry/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/sometimes-i-feel-discriminated-against-but-it-does-not-make-me-angry/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
