100 Maya Angelou Quotes About Love, Life and Women

Last Updated on May 19, 2024 by Team FinderWheel

About Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou, an acclaimed American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist, left a lasting legacy through her powerful words. Her quotes cover a wide array of topics, providing wisdom, inspiration, and insight into life, love, strength, and courage. In this compilation, we present 100 of Maya Angelou’s most popular quotes, categorized by various topics, showcasing the depth of her wisdom and the enduring relevance of her words.

100 Top Quotes by Maya Angelou in English

Here is the list of famous, most popular and top quotes by Maya Angelou in English.

Maya Angelou Quotes on Life

Maya Angelou’s reflections on life offer timeless wisdom on embracing the present moment, overcoming challenges, and finding meaning in existence:

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” – Maya Angelou

“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” – Maya Angelou

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelou

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” – Maya Angelou

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou

“Nothing will work unless you do.” – Maya Angelou

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” – Maya Angelou

“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quotes on Love

Maya Angelou’s poetry and prose often explore the complexities and beauty of love, offering profound insights into romantic, familial, and self-love:

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” – Maya Angelou

“Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.” – Maya Angelou

“Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time.” – Maya Angelou

“If we lose love and self-respect for each other, this is how we finally die.” – Maya Angelou

“The love of family, the love of one person can heal. It heals the scars left by a larger society. A massive, powerful society.” – Maya Angelou

“Love is that condition in the healing spirit so profound that it allows us to forgive.” – Maya Angelou

“Loving someone liberates the lover as well as the beloved. And that kind of love comes with age.” – Maya Angelou

“You can’t forgive without loving. And I don’t mean sentimentality. I don’t mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, ‘I forgive. I’m finished with it.'” – Maya Angelou

“We can be better. We will be better. You can have love, no matter where you are.” – Maya Angelou

“Love liberates. It doesn’t bind.” – Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quotes on Strength and Courage

Maya Angelou’s words on strength and courage inspire resilience, determination, and the will to overcome adversity:

“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” – Maya Angelou

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” – Maya Angelou

“We have to confront ourselves. Do we like what we see in the mirror? And, according to our light, according to our understanding, according to our courage, we will have to say yea or nay and rise!” – Maya Angelou

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou

“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.” – Maya Angelou

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” – Maya Angelou

“We need much less than we think we need.” – Maya Angelou

“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.” – Maya Angelou

“Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.” – Maya Angelou

“I respect myself and insist upon it from everybody. And because I do it, I then respect everybody, too.” – Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quotes on Education and Learning

Maya Angelou emphasized the transformative power of education and lifelong learning, encouraging us to always seek knowledge and growth:

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou

“My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college professors.” – Maya Angelou

“When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” – Maya Angelou

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.” – Maya Angelou

“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” – Maya Angelou

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” – Maya Angelou

“We need to remember that we are all created creative and can invent new scenarios as frequently as they are needed.” – Maya Angelou

“We must be courageous and willing to use our minds to build a better, fairer world.” – Maya Angelou

“In diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” – Maya Angelou

“All great achievements require time.” – Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quotes on Humanity and Empathy

Maya Angelou’s thoughts on humanity emphasize empathy, kindness, and the shared human experience:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” – Maya Angelou

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” – Maya Angelou

“Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.” – Maya Angelou

“A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.” – Maya Angelou

“I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.” – Maya Angelou

“We are only as blind as we want to be.” – Maya Angelou

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” – Maya Angelou

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter their color.” – Maya Angelou

“The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise.” – Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quotes on Inspiration and Motivation

Maya Angelou’s words inspire us to dream big, pursue our goals, and believe in our own potential:

“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” – Maya Angelou

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou

“Whatever you want to do, if you want to be great at it, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it.” – Maya Angelou

“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou

“I work very hard, and I play very hard. I’m grateful for life. And I live it – I believe life loves the liver of it. I live it.” – Maya Angelou

“You can’t get too high for somebody to bring you down.” – Maya Angelou

“Determine to live life with flair and laughter.” – Maya Angelou

“I’ve learned that making a ‘living’ is not the same thing as ‘making a life.'” – Maya Angelou

“All great achievements require time.” – Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quotes on Freedom and Justice

Maya Angelou’s reflections on freedom and justice highlight the importance of equality, human rights, and the ongoing struggle for social justice:

“The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free.” – Maya Angelou

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter their color.” – Maya Angelou

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” – Maya Angelou

“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.” – Maya Angelou

“I am convinced that courage is the most important of all the virtues. Because without courage, you cannot practice any other virtue consistently.” – Maya Angelou

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter their color.” – Maya Angelou

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou

“We must be courageous and willing to use our minds to build a better, fairer world.” – Maya Angelou

“Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.” – Maya Angelou

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” – Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quotes on Women and Feminism

Maya Angelou’s thoughts on women and feminism celebrate the strength, resilience, and power of women, encouraging equality and empowerment:

“I am a woman, phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s me.” – Maya Angelou

“A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.” – Maya Angelou

“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.” – Maya Angelou

“Women should be tough, tender, laugh as much as possible, and live long lives.” – Maya Angelou

“I am grateful to be a woman. I must have done something great in another life.” – Maya Angelou

“I’m interested in women’s health because I’m a woman. I’d be a darn fool not to be on my own side.” – Maya Angelou

“Courage allows the successful woman to fail and learn powerful lessons from the failure so that in the end, she didn’t fail at all.” – Maya Angelou

“A woman’s heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her.” – Maya Angelou

“I created myself. I have taught myself so much.” – Maya Angelou

“We need to remember that we are all created creative and can invent new scenarios as frequently as they are needed.” – Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quotes on Writing and Creativity

Maya Angelou’s reflections on writing and creativity encourage self-expression, artistic exploration, and the importance of sharing one’s voice:

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” – Maya Angelou

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou

“I believe that each of us comes from the creator trailing wisps of glory.” – Maya Angelou

“We write for the same reason that we walk, talk, climb mountains or swim the oceans – because we can.” – Maya Angelou

“Easy reading is damn hard writing.” – Maya Angelou

“The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.” – Maya Angelou

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” – Maya Angelou

“I make writing as much a part of my life as I do eating or listening to music.” – Maya Angelou

“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.” – Maya Angelou

“We need much less than we think we need.” – Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Quotes on Hope and Optimism

Maya Angelou’s words on hope and optimism provide encouragement, reminding us to stay positive and believe in a better future:

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” – Maya Angelou

“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” – Maya Angelou

“Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space. Invite one to stay.” – Maya Angelou

“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.” – Maya Angelou

“If we lose love and self-respect for each other, this is how we finally die.” – Maya Angelou

“We need joy as we need air.” – Maya Angelou

“I do my best because I’m counting on you counting on me.” – Maya Angelou

“We need much less than we think we need.” – Maya Angelou

“Nothing will work unless you do.” – Maya Angelou

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou

Conclusion

Maya Angelou’s quotes continue to inspire and resonate with people across cultures and generations, reminding us of the enduring power of love, wisdom, strength, and hope. Through her timeless words, Maya Angelou’s legacy lives on, offering guidance, comfort, and inspiration to all who seek it.

FAQs:

Who was Maya Angelou?

Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist known for her powerful writings and impactful contributions to literature and social justice.

What are some of Maya Angelou’s most famous works?

Some of Maya Angelou’s most famous works include her memoir “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” her poetry collections “And Still I Rise” and “Phenomenal Woman,” among others.

What themes are commonly found in Maya Angelou’s quotes?

Common themes in Maya Angelou’s quotes include love, strength, courage, resilience, education, humanity, and the importance of self-respect and empathy.

How did Maya Angelou impact the world?

Maya Angelou impacted the world through her literary works, her activism in the civil rights movement, and her advocacy for equality, justice, and human rights.

Why is Maya Angelou considered an influential figure?

Maya Angelou is considered an influential figure due to her profound insights, eloquent writing, and unwavering commitment to social justice, which continue to inspire and empower people worldwide.