I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences.
Sonia SotomayorRead
I want to state upfront, unequivocally and without doubt: I do not believe that any racial, ethnic or gender group has an advantage in sound judging. I do believe that every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge, regardless of their background or life experiences.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Judgment should be based on merit, not background.
In this quote, Sonia Sotomayor asserts her belief that all individuals, regardless of their racial, ethnic, or gender background, possess the capacity to be fair and wise judges. She emphasizes the importance of equality in the opportunity to make sound judgments, suggesting that personal experiences and backgrounds do not dictate one's ability to judge wisely.
Themes
JudgingEqualityWisdomOpportunityJustice
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on diversity in the judiciary, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of equal opportunity.
More from Sonia Sotomayor
All quotes →This wealth of experiences, personal and professional, have helped me appreciate the variety of perspectives that present themselves in every case that I hear.
Sonia SotomayorRead
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.
Sonia SotomayorRead
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 SotomayorRead
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.
Sonia SotomayorRead
There are uses to adversity, and they don't reveal themselves until tested. Whether it's serious illness, financial hardship, or the simple constraint of parents who speak limited English, difficulty can tap unexpected strengths.
Sonia SotomayorRead
Similar quotes
He who cannot find time to consult his Bible will one day find he has time to be sick; he who has no time to pray must find time to die; he who can find no time to reflect is most likely to find time to sin; he who cannot find time for repentance will find an eternity in which repentance will be of no avail; he who cannot find time to work for others may find an eternity in which to suffer for himself.
Hannah MoreRead
Great men cultivate love and only little men cherish a spirit of hatred; assistance given to the weak makes the one who gives it strong; oppression of the unfortunate makes one weak.
Booker T. WashingtonRead
It's all too easy to dismiss the future. People confuse what's impossible today with what's impossible tomorrow.
George M. ChurchRead
There is nothing with which every man is so afraid as getting to know how enormously much he is capable of doing and becoming.
Soren KierkegaardRead
Facing difficulties is inevitable. Learning from them is optional.
John C. MaxwellRead
My dear brothers, never forget, when you hear the progress of enlightenment vaunted, that the devil's best trick is to persuade you that he doesn't exist!
Charles BaudelaireRead