![]() Yeah, I know there is plenty of precedent in current song lyrics, political utterances and the like but if you know better you should do better and not drift along with the tide. In 1958 columnist Ernest Rogers of “The Atlanta Journal” in Georgia employed a version of the adage: 1958 February 14, The Atlanta Journal, English Language Is at Mercy Of Songwriters and Politicians by Ernest Rogers, Quote, Column 4, Atlanta, Georgia. Why don’t you do better? People seem to hate to use what little sense they have. In 1910 a newspaper in Topeka, Kansas acknowledged another newspaper in Kansas while expressing disappointment that many people do not learn from knowledge and experience: The following excerpt implicitly referenced the injunction: if you know better, do better: 1910 August 15, The Topeka State Journal, From Other Dens: Globe Sights, Quote, Column 4, Topeka, Kansas. ![]() There is a long history before 1995 for the general saying: if you know better, do better.īelow are additional selected citations in chronological order. Thus, Oprah Winfrey ascribed the memorably empathetic guidance to her friend and mentor Maya Angelou. ![]() Winfrey spoke to the audience of the shame she felt about her “dark secret” and how her friend, poet Maya Angelou, had once said to her, “You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better.” Boldface added to excerpts by QI: 1995 January 13, The Washington Post, How Oprah’s Confession Tumbled Out by Patrice Gaines (Washington Post Staff Writer), Quote Page B1, Column 4, Washington D.C. An article in “The Washington Post” about the television episode described Oprah’s remarks. Oprah stated that she had smoked crack cocaine when she was in her twenties. The frank confession from the guest inspired Winfrey to make her own revelation. Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1995 Oprah Winfrey’s television program featured a guest who discussed her drug abuse problems. This saying has been attributed to prominent memoirist and poet Maya Angelou and to famous television producer and entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey. (2) Do the best you can until you know better. (1) You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better. Here are two versions of a heartfelt response to setbacks: Question for Quote Investigator: Life requires a complicated incremental process of learning. Watch her story about meeting and mentoring Tupac (“six pack”).Maya Angelou? Oprah Winfrey? Phil McGraw? Gary Zukav? Ernest Rogers? Anonymous? During slavery, who was able to read or write or keep anything? The ability to have somebody to tell your story to is so important. Hold those things that tell your history and protect them. In so many ways, segregation shaped me, and education liberated me.Īny book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.Įlimination of illiteracy is as serious an issue to our history as the abolition of slavery. Until blacks and whites see each other as brother and sister, we will not have parity. We allow our ignorance to prevail upon us and make us think we can survive alone, alone in patches, alone in groups, alone in races, even alone in genders. Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible. ![]() It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.Īll of us knows, not what is expedient, not what is going to make us popular, not what the policy is, or the company policy – but in truth each of us knows what is the right thing to do. Will you say and do what needs to be done to protect public education…Ĭourage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. Whatever you want to do, if you want to be great at it, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college professors. My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Here are a few select Maya Angelou quotes: It is with a sad heart that I learn today of the passing of Maya Angelou. I’ll probably be writing when the Lord says, ‘Maya, Maya Angelou, it’s time.’ I don’t know how much longer I’ll be around. ![]()
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