I'm always drawn to stories that people don't know about, particularly when they're inside of a story that everyone knows about.
Robert RedfordRead
When people start thinking of you more as a persona, they are less inclined to allow you to move into different areas. Sometimes they're wrong. Sometimes they're just very stereotypical or restricted in their own thinking of what they'll allow you to do.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People often limit others based on their perceptions, which can restrict personal growth and exploration.
This quote by Robert Redford highlights how individuals can be pigeonholed by society's perceptions and stereotypes. When people view someone primarily through the lens of a singular persona, it can restrict that person's opportunities for growth and exploration in different areas of life. Redford suggests that these limitations arise from both erroneous assumptions and the rigidity of others' thinking, which can prevent individuals from fully expressing themselves and pursuing diverse paths.
Themes
PerceptionStereotypesGrowthIdentityFreedom
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech to college students about embracing change and pursuing diverse interests.
More from Robert Redford
All quotes →People say I've gone against Hollywood, but I've tried to be independent within Hollywood, tried to be my own person.
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When I was a kid, all I knew was that I felt more comfortable sitting in one chair than in another. And now I realize it was because one chair was older. I still respond directly to the age of things.
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For me, the Sundance Institute is just an extension of something I believed in, which is creating a mechanism for new voices to have a place to develop and be heard.
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Storytelling was a way to see the world bigger than the one you were looking at, and that had great appeal for me. I think, since that was part of my upbringing, it became part of me, and I wanted to pass it along to my kids and my grandkids.
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Be careful of success; it has a dark side.
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