Quotes from Whoopi Goldberg

I think the idea that you know who your inner self is on a daily basis, because... you know. What's good for you 25 years ago may not be good for you now. So, to keep in touch with that, I think that's the first ingredient for success. Because if you're a successful human being, everything else is gravy, I think.

You couldn't always trust the history books. They told a diluted truth, a truth by committee.

It bums me out tremendously what the church has become, and if it's got me bummed, imagine what Jesus Christ must be feeling.

When I listen to these women, it makes what I thought were my hard knocks feel like little nudges.

I'm fighting the label of 'Black' actress simply because it's very limiting in people's eyes, especially people who are making movies.

[On her monologue as the thief 'Fontaine':] People always got things. People always want things. So I provide a service.

I am the American Dream. I am the epitome of what the American Dream basically said. It said you could come from anywhere and be anything you want in this country. That's exactly what I've done.

No matter what you say to yourself, you do want to win. You try to look casual, like you're not thinking, 'oh, please pick me.'

You know, be an actor because you love to act. Don't be an actor because you think you're going to get famous, because that's luck.

Things happen to you out of luck, and if you get to stick around it's because you're talented.

I've learned to take time for myself and to treat myself with a great deal of love and respect 'cause I like me.... I think I'm kind of cool.

The people who can be helping to make movies that have blacks and Latinos and women and all that - that movie doesn't come to you. Because the idea is that there's no place for black movies.

And I don't believe that I have to stay on one side of the fence or the other. I don't believe that there is any good career move or bad career move. I believe there are only the things that make me happy.

Normal is in the eye of the beholder.

All I really want to do is just keep acting, and some of it will stink, and some of it will be really good, and maybe when I'm 85 and presenting an Oscar like Bette Davis did, I can look back and say, 'It was okay, I did all right.'

I'm a big old egotistical baby and that's okay. I can accept it.

I am where I am because I believe in all possibilities.

Art and life are subjective. Not everybody's gonna dig what I dig, but I reserve the right to dig it.

We're here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.

I don't have pet peeves like some people. I have whole kennels of irritation.

Normal is just a cycle on the washing machine.

Now, I've always known that there were bullies in the world. We've seen a lot of it in politics lately as well as in daily life. You see it where people who may be stronger, or bigger, or better with verbiage than other folks... show off. To me, that's what bullying is, showing off. It's saying, I'm better than you, I can take you down. Not just physically, but emotionally.

I would love to teach every kid to say fuck. Hang on, now, hang on, listen to why. The reason is because to me, that is a word that doesn't have any effect. But stupid and dummy? You can say it to someone who is six and you can say it to someone who is a hundred and six and they will hunch their shoulders and it will be like somebody kicked them in the stomach because they are harsh, ugly words.

It you want to be somebody, If you want to go some where, you've got to wake up and pay attention