Logo - Feel The Words

Discriminating Quotes

On the word's two faces: sharp judgment and unfair treatment.

This collection shows how differently "discriminating" gets used, from an older sense of sharp, discerning judgment to the modern meaning of treating people unfairly based on race or nationality.

It is impossible for a lover of cats to banish these alert, gentle, and discriminating friends, who give us just enough of their regard and complaisance to make us hunger for more.

Quotes by Agnes Repplier

A multitude of causes unknown to former times are now acting with a combined force to blunt the discriminating powers of the mind, and unfitting it for all voluntary exertion to reduce it to a state of almost savage torpor.

Quotes by William Wordsworth

We should recognize that nationalism does not mean discriminating against people of a different nationality. It simply means not allowing such people to seize our political power, for only when we Han are in control politically do we have a...

Quotes by Sun Yat-sen

I don't believe we ought to be discriminating against people for their private lives.

Quotes by Scott Tipton

Against Quotes

For me, writing for kids is harder because they're a more discriminating audience. While adults might stay with you, if you lose your pacing or if you have pages of extraneous description, a kid's not going to do that. They...

Quotes by Rick Riordan

I don't think we should be discriminating against anyone. Transgender people are people and deserve the best we can do for them.

Quotes by Orrin Hatch

We must make the government accept that at a time when we are expected to look ahead, we cannot afford to start discriminating against our own people in the name of 'ethos.'

Quotes by Kapil Sibal

The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.

Quotes by John Roberts

The better the coverage, the more discriminating the viewer.

Quotes by Jessica Savitch

Circumstances Quotes

Anyone who is awake and aware knows that these quote-unquote bathroom bills or any legislation discriminating against LGBTQ citizens is horrible.

Quotes by Jack Antonoff

It has always been a sign of desperation that racial-preference supporters argue that the government can honor the constitutional mandate not to discriminate on the basis of race only by discriminating on the basis of race.

Quotes by Heather Mac Donald

When I was in the Senate, I worked to pass Women's Health and Wellness Act, which bars insurance companies from discriminating against the health care needs of women.

Quotes by Eric Schneiderman

Circumstances give in reality to every political principle its distinguishing color and discriminating effect. The circumstances are what render every civil and political scheme beneficial or noxious to mankind.

Quotes by Edmund Burke

We shouldn't be discriminating against each other. The whole 'light skin versus dark skin' is an idea we need to break down.

Quotes by Dee Rees

Distinguishing Quotes

Circumstances give in reality to every political principle, its distinguishing colour, and discriminating effect. The circumstances are what render every civil and political scheme beneficial or noxious to mankind.

Quotes by David Trimble

I wasn't a very discriminating reader. I read just about everything that came along.

Quotes by Charles Kuralt

I'm a very discriminating shoe shopper. I only look for something special. In fact, I don't think I've ever bought two pairs at the same time.

Quotes by Bill Pullman

Although federal law prohibits companies with 15 or more employees from discriminating against pregnant job seekers, it can be quite hard for an ordinary woman to land a job if she lets prospective bosses know she is pregnant.

Quotes by Alissa Quart

People have become less discriminating listeners, which is tragic, really. There's a lot of emperor's new clothes out there, whether they're female or male solo acts. That bothers me. It's hard to break through, and it's like climbing Mount Everest...

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Discriminating quotes collection explore?
These quotes use "discriminating" in two different senses: the older meaning of careful judgment and mental discernment, and the more modern meaning of unfair treatment based on group identity. Both uses appear side by side here.
Why would someone search for discriminating quotes?
People look for these quotes either to describe sharp, careful judgment, a "discriminating" mind or taste, or to find commentary on discrimination and how societies address it. This collection serves both searches.
Is there a quote about mental discernment rather than discrimination against people?
Yes, one quote laments forces that blunt the discriminating powers of the mind, using the word in its classic sense of sharp, careful judgment. For more on that sense of careful judgment, see Distinguishing.
Do the quotes address discrimination based on nationality?
Yes, one quote argues that nationalism doesn't mean discriminating against people of a different nationality, distinguishing between protecting political power and treating outsiders unfairly. It frames the distinction as a matter of principle rather than prejudice.
Is there a quote proposing a solution to racial discrimination?
Yes, one quote argues plainly that the way to stop discrimination based on race is to stop discriminating based on race, a widely cited line about ending group-based treatment altogether. It's one of the more direct, often-quoted statements in this collection.

One quote makes the logic explicit, arguing that ending racial bias requires refusing to treat race as a factor in decisions at all, rather than trying to correct for it indirectly. See the Against and Government collections for related themes.