The truth is that since childhood I had cultivated an existential independence. It came from perceiving the adults around me as unreliable, and without it I felt I wouldn’t have survived. I cared deeply for everyone in my family, but in the end I depended on myself.
SONIA SOTOMAYORI think that even someone who got into an institution through affirmative action could prove they were qualified by what they accomplished there.
More Sonia Sotomayor Quotes
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I have never had to face anything that could overwhelm the native optimism and stubborn perseverance I was blessed with.
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Don’t be shy about making a teacher of any willing party who knows what he or she is doing.
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A role model in the flesh provides more than inspiration; his or her very existence is confirmation of possibilities one may have every reason to doubt, saying, “Yes, someone like me can do this.”
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My judicial philosophy is fidelity to the law.
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I was fifteen years old when I understood how it is that things break down: people can’t imagine someone else’s point of view.
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The challenges I have faced – among them material poverty, chronic illness, and being raised by a single mother – are not uncommon, but neither have they kept me from uncommon achievements.
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You know, failure hurts. Any kind of failure stings. If you live in the sting, you will – undoubtedly – fail. My way of getting past the sting is to say no, I’m just not going to let this get me down.
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I have come to believe that in order to thrive, a child must have at least one adult in her life who shows her unconditional love, respect, and confidence.
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I savor life. When you have anything that threatens life it prods you into stepping back and really appreciating the value of life and taking from it what you can.
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Although I grew up in very modest and challenging circumstances, I consider my life to be immeasurably rich.
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I don’t believe we should bend the Constitution under any circumstance. It says what it says. We should do honor to it.
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As you discover what strength you can draw from your community in this world from which it stands apart, look outward as well as inward. Build bridges instead of walls.
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Although wisdom is built on life experiences, the mere accumulation of years guarantees nothing.
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Some people choose not to engage the battle and then don’t seek out that kind of success. And others do.
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I do believe that every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge regardless of their background or life experiences.
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