Classy Quote logo
  • Home
  • Categories
  • Authors
  • Topics
  • Who said

James A. Baldwin Quotes

James A. Baldwin quote from classy quote

Pessimists are the people who have no hope for themselves or for others. Pessimists are also people who think the human race is beneath their notice, that they're better than other human beings.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin People Better Think

To be sensual, I think, is to respect and rejoice in the force of life, of life itself, and to be present in all that one does, from the effort of loving to the making of bread.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Life Effort Loving

The young think that failure is the Siberian end of the line, banishment from all the living, and tend to do what I then did - which was to hide.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin End Living Think

I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin America World Her

Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Fear Live Know

Love him and let him love you. Do you think anything else under heaven really matters?

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Think Heaven You

Fires can't be made with dead embers, nor can enthusiasm be stirred by spiritless men. Enthusiasm in our daily work lightens effort and turns even labor into pleasant tasks.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Daily Men Effort

It is very nearly impossible... to become an educated person in a country so distrustful of the independent mind.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Mind Impossible Country

I am what time, circumstance, history, have made of me, certainly, but I am also, much more than that. So are we all.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin History I Am Me

There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment the time is always now.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Work Future Challenge

To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Country Rage Almost

People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin People Trapped Them

American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Beautiful American Said

It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Justice Ignorance Enemy

The power of the white world is threatened whenever a black man refuses to accept the white world's definitions.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Man World Black

The only thing that white people have that black people need, or should want, is power-and no one holds power forever.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin People Black Want

The price one pays for pursuing any profession, or calling, is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Ugly Price Profession

The questions which one asks oneself begin, at least, to illuminate the world, and become one's key to the experience of others.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin World Questions Key

Every legend, moreover, contains its residuum of truth, and the root function of language is to control the universe by describing it.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Language Universe Control

I've always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Negative Think You

Money, it turned out, was exactly like sex, you thought of nothing else if you didn't have it and thought of other things if you did.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Thought Nothing You

The paradox of education is precisely this - that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Society Educated Paradox

Education is indoctrination if you're white - subjugation if you're black.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Black White You

If the relationship of father to son could really be reduced to biology, the whole earth would blaze with the glory of fathers and sons.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Father Son Earth

The future is like heaven, everyone exalts it, but no one wants to go there now.

~ James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin Heaven Everyone Now
  • Classy Quote

    ClassyQuote has been providing 500000+ famous quotes from 40000+ popular authors to our worldwide community.

  • Other Pages

    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
  • Our Products

    • Chrome Extention
    • Microsoft Edge Add-on
  • Follow Us

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
Copyright © 2025 ClassyQuote. All rights reserved.