I'm grateful to intelligent people. That doesn't mean educated. That doesn't mean intellectual. I mean really intelligent. What black old people used to call 'mother wit' means intelligence that you had in your mother's womb. That's what you rely on. You know what's right to do. Maya Angelou blackcalleducate share on social
I'm considered wise, and sometimes I see myself as knowing. Most of the time, I see myself as wanting to know. And I see myself as a very interested person. I've never been bored in my life. Maya Angelou boreconsiderhave Change image and share on social
I love wisdom. And you can never be great at anything unless you love it. Not be in love with it, but love the thing, admire the thing. And it seems that if you love the thing, and you don't just want to possess it, it will find you. Maya Angelou admirefindgreat share on social
The thing to do, it seems to me, is to prepare yourself so you can be a rainbow in somebody else's cloud. Somebody who may not look like you. May not call God the same name you call God - if they call God at all. I may not dance your dances or speak your language. But be a blessing to somebody. That's what I think. Maya Angelou blesscallcloud share on social
Achievement brings its own anticlimax. Maya Angelou achievementanticlimaxbring Change image and share on social
Independence is a heady draught, and if you drink it in your youth, it can have the same effect on the brain as young wine does. It does not matter that its taste is not always appealing. It is addictive and with each drink you want more. Maya Angelou addictiveappealbrain share on social
All information belongs to everybody all the time. It should be available. It should be accessible to the child, to the woman, to the man, to the old person, to the semiliterate, to the presidents of universities, to everyone. It should be open. Maya Angelou accessiblebelongchild share on social
Modesty is a learned affectation. And as soon as life slams the modest person against the wall, that modesty drops. Maya Angelou affectationdroplearn Change image and share on social
It's still scary every time I go back to the past. Each morning, my heart catches. When I get there, I remember how the light was, where the draft was coming from, what odors were in the air. When I write, I get all the weeping out. Maya Angelou airbackcatch share on social
It's very important to know the neighbor next door and the people down the street and the people in another race. Maya Angelou doorimportantneighbor Change image and share on social