Sonia Sotomayor Quotes

Success is its own reward, but failure is a great teacher too, and not to be feared.

Don't let fear stop you. Don't give up because you are paralyzed by insecurity or overwhelmed by the odds, because in giving up, you give up hope. Understand that failure is a process in life, that only in trying can you enrich yourself and have the possibility of moving forward. The greatest obstacle in life is fear and giving up because of it.

I do know one thing about me: I don't measure myself by others' expectations or let others define my worth.

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.

Experience has taught me that you cannot value dreams according to the odds of their coming true. Their real value is in stirring within us the will to aspire.

Remember that no one succeeds alone. Never walk alone in your future paths.

I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.

Don't mistake politeness for lack of strength.

When a young person, even a gifted one, grows up without proximate living examples of what she may aspire to become--whether lawyer, scientist, artist, or leader in any realm--her goal remains abstract. Such models as appear in books or on the news, however inspiring or revered, are ultimately too remote to be real, let alone influential. But a role model in the flesh provides more than inspiration; his or her very existence is confirmation of possibilities one may have every reason to doubt, saying, 'Yes, someone like me can do this.

The Latina in me is an ember that blazes forever.

Until we reach equality in education, we can't reach equality in the larger society.

Through reading, I escaped the bad parts of my life in the South Bronx. And, through books, I got to travel the world and the universe. It, to me, was a passport out of my childhood and it remains a way - through the power of words - to change the world.

The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply the Constitution with eyes open to the unfortunate effects of centuries of racial discrimination.

There are no bystanders in life [...] Our humanity makes us each a part of something greater than ourselves.

You can't dream unless you know what the possibilities are.

Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences...our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging.

As members of the judiciary tasked with intervening to carry out the guarantee of equal protection, we ought not sit back and wish away, rather than confront, the racial inequality that exists in our society.

I have come to believe that in order to thrive, a child must have at least one adult in her life who shows her unconditional love, respect, and confidence.

A surplus of effort could overcome a deficit of confidence.

In every position that I've been in, there have been naysayers who don't believe I'm qualified or who don't believe I can do the work. And I feel a special responsibility to prove them wrong.

I do believe that every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge regardless of their background or life experiences.

You make your life choices understanding that you might and do have to work harder to prove yourself.

The task of a judge is not to make the law - it is to apply the law.

. . . But experience has taught me that you cannot value dreams according to the odds of their coming true. Their real value is instirring within us the will to aspire. That will, wherever it finally leads, does at least move you forward. And after a time you may recognize That the proper measure of success is not how much you've closed the distance to some far-off goal but the quality of what you've done today.

I don't believe we should bend the Constitution under any circumstance. It says what it says. We should do honor to it.