Quotes About Independence

We all have to work for happiness. And you cannot listen to other people. That is the worst mistake you can make.

I live at home and, if I want to start work at 11 o'clock, I can.

I've been lucky enough to primarily work for myself over the years.

I don't think I'm defying stereotypes on purpose. If it so appears that way, so be it. For me, I've been brought up that way.

My parents weren't stereotypical and pressuring me to go to college. They mentioned it a lot and constantly, but it wasn't a do or die thing, like, 'You have to do this or you're done.'

I don't really have routines or follow what my coaches tell me or how people want me to be: this stereotypical 'sleep on time and set good examples' person. I don't really know what setting a good example is.

We need no messiah and no sterile conception of a god menacing us with hell and purgatory.

A lot of women have low self-esteem. I was just brought up around a lot of women and they were stern. Like, you don't need a man to do anything; you gotta take care of yourself, believe in yourself. My mom was like, go get it. And now I'm just a strong person, and I don't believe in giving up.

They just expected it to you know... Paul, Steve and I could have hired our own publicist, if we wanted to, but I kind of liked the way it was more of a cult thing and those that liked it, liked it, you know what I mean?

I remember my oldest son, Steve, saying to me once, 'I don't ever remember seeing you with an apron on.' And I thought, that's right, honey, you did not. That was his concept of what a mother should be.

I worked with Steven Spielberg on Amistad... he seemed so very secure in himself that he let me do things.

I love producing, writing. I rarely write with other writers unless I have a real great respect for them. Like Burt Bacharach, or Carole Sager, or Stevie Wonder. Somebody like Smokey - like that. Otherwise, I choose to write alone.

Academia is ruled by a pathological herd mentality. Stick out, and be prepared to get ostracized.

Always know your merit and how special you are, and don't let someone else's qualifications make you feel small. If you stick to this, you will always deserve their respect.

People always say that Randy Moss can't stick to the rules. Even my own rules.

The two lines from 'Roots' that stick out to me are, 'You no more in Africa. You in America now,' and what I said after Kunta escaped: 'What is it like to be free, Kunta? It must be something.'

We all stick up for ourselves and I think that's why we stand out, because we really don't care what other people think.

I just don't like to do a lot of the normal things expected of other artists. I'm not trying to be difficult; I'm just trying to stick with what it is I want to do.

Under the Healthy Americans Act, you're in charge of your health care - not your employer. If you lose your job, change jobs or just can't find a job, your health insurance is guaranteed to stick with you.

Raised Roman Catholic up until 11 or 12, didn't stick. Went out into the world and did my own thing.

I'm going to be 80, walking with a stick down the runway.

It's funny, but no matter how good an artist is, it's not until he stands on his own two feet and sticks to his guns that things are going to come together.

You put as much effort as you can when they're young into trying to teach them to be good people or make them the best they can be, and they're older now, my kids. I'm at that stage where I let them go, and you just hope that all that nurturing you did earlier on sticks, and you launched good people out there.

I'm a man who makes his own decisions and sticks with them; I think there's a lot of integrity in that.