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We’re all guilty of judging others. Whether it’s intentional or otherwise, assumptions are easily made. And people are pigeonholed as if they were paperwork that needed filing into an old cabinet.
But, have you ever wondered why we rush to label the woman at the checkout with a hard-to-place accent? Or, why we look down on the family with an unkept front yard and overflowing trashbin?
Think about it: there's no way of knowing their life story. And yet, it's all too easy to come up with some elaborate tale to fit our notions.
Surely it's time to challenge these preconceived opinions and embrace the diversity and uniqueness of every individual; to open our minds and hearts to truly see people for who they are, rather than the labels we unfairly give them.
And celebrate all of our beautiful differences!
Why Do We Need to Prioritize More Inclusion?
If you’ve ever moved to a new area, you’ll likely remember the fish-out-of-water feeling that surfaced every time you stepped outside your front door.
The neighborhood was different. The people were different. Everything was different. And, depending on the community you stepped into, that feeling was either put to rest or ignited.
You were either welcomed, with eagerness as they embraced you into the community. Or, you were treated like an outcast; a disruption. And seen as an unsightly smudge on their picture-perfect existence.
Only, no one’s life is perfect. We all have our flaws and imperfections – things we should've done differently or paths we shouldn't have walked.
And for people who choose to shy away from diversity, this is especially true.
Being narrow-minded and defensive over our differences not only limits our growth and understanding but it also invites hatred and negativity into our lives. It becomes a war of sides, a constant battle of differences. And from it, no one can truly win.
But it doesn't have to be that way. By prioritizing inclusion, and embracing our varying skin colors, religions, genders, and so on, we can celebrate our differences and recognize the beauty that comes from diversity.
We can admire someone's job title, their body art, their choice to have children or not, or any other part of their life. And we can welcome them with open arms and an open mind.
Because when we choose to embrace diversity, we’re also choosing new ideas, perspectives, and possibilities.
So let's break free from the chains of narrow-mindedness and celebrate being different. Let’s choose inclusion over exclusion and create a world where everyone feels valued and accepted for who they are.
And let’s start with these inspiring diversity quotes.
71 Diversity Quotes to Prioritize More Inclusion
- “To me, beauty is inclusion– every size, every color– that’s the world I live in.” – Prabal Gurung
- “Diversity is about all of us and about us having to figure out how to walk through this world together.” – Jacqueline Woodson
- “Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible – the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.” – Virginia Satir
- “Diversity and inclusion, which are the real grounds for creativity, must remain at the center of what we do.” – Marco Bizzarri
- “Diversity is about creating an environment where a person can bring their whole self to work.” -Lauria Miller
- “Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.” – Jane Goodall
- “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Martin Luther King, Jr
- “We have a very diverse environment and a very inclusive culture, and those characteristics got us through the tough times. Diversity generated a better strategy, better risk management, better debates, and better outcomes.” – Alan Joyce
We have a very diverse environment and a very inclusive culture, and those characteristics got us through the tough times. Diversity generated a better strategy, better risk management, better debates, and better outcomes.” – Alan Joyce
- “We are all different, which is great because we are all unique. Without diversity, life would be very boring.” – Catherine Pulsifer
- “Diversity is about all of us, and about us having to figure out how to walk through this world together.” – Jacqueline Woodson
- “The path to diversity begins with supporting, mentoring, and sponsoring diverse women and men to become leaders and entrepreneurs.” – Denise Morrison
- “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “Inclusivity means not ‘just we’re allowed to be there,’ but we are valued. I’ve always said: smart teams will do amazing things, but truly diverse teams will do impossible things.” – Claudia Brind-Woody
- “The human heart is too grand to be wasted in the gutter of cultural exclusivity.” – Abhijit Naskar
- “To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater.” – Bono
- “When everyone is included, everyone wins.” – Jesse Jackson
- “A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.” – Sundar Pichai
- “Unity, not uniformity, must be our aim. We attain unity only through variety. Differences must be integrated, not annihilated, not absorbed.” – Mary Parker Follett
- “Sometimes we are separated by differences, and sometimes we are united by common ideals of respect and compassion.” – Paul Watson
- “Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another’s uniqueness.” – Ola Joseph
- “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” – Audre Lorde
- “To get real diversity of thought, you need to find the people who genuinely hold different views and invite them into the conversation.” – Adam Grant
- “Inclusion and fairness in the workplace… is not simply the right thing to do; it's the smart thing to do.” – Alexis Herman
- “No matter who we are or what we look like or what we may believe, it is both possible and, more importantly, it becomes powerful to come together in common purpose and common effort.” – Oprah Winfrey
No matter who we are or what we look like or what we may believe, it is both possible and, more importantly, it becomes powerful to come together in common purpose and common effort.” – Oprah Winfrey
- “Inclusion is not a matter of political correctness. It is the key to growth.” – Jesse Jackson
- “Learn to enjoy and respect each other’s differences.” – Fred Meijer
- “Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.” – Malcolm Forbes
- “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” – Stephen R. Covey
- “When we listen and celebrate what is both common and different, we become wiser, more inclusive, and better as an organization.” – Pat Wadors
- “Diversity may be the hardest thing for a society to live with and perhaps the most dangerous thing for a society to be without.” – William Sloane Coffin Jr.
- “I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort where we overlap.” – Ani DiFranco
- “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb
- “When we listen and celebrate what is both common and different, we become a wiser, more inclusive, and better organization.” – Pat Wadors
- “We all have the ability to promote a culture of acceptance and inclusion — and that is something I believe every leader has a responsibility to do. It starts with having a dialogue until we are all comfortable and no longer have the fear of saying the wrong thing.” – Inga Beale
- “Diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice, and belonging is having that voice be heard.” – Liz Fosslien
- “I do think that treating everyone equally no matter where they come from, no matter who they are and what role they have is a big key because you never know who you’re talking to, really. You never know where they’ve been. You never know where they’re going. So, it just makes a lot of good sense to treat everyone the same and treat them well.” – Arlan Hamilton
- “Diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice we make every day. As leaders, we have to put out the message that we embrace and not just tolerate diversity.” – Nellie Borrero
- “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” – Maya Angelo
- “The key to community is the acceptance, in fact the celebration of our individual and cultural differences. It is also the key to world peace.” – M. Scott Peck
- “I’ve traveled around the world, and what’s so revealing is that, despite the differences in culture, politics, language, how people dress, there is a universal feeling that we all want the same thing. We deeply want to be respected and appreciated for our differences.” – Howard Schultz
I’ve traveled around the world, and what’s so revealing is that, despite the differences in culture, politics, language, how people dress, there is a universal feeling that we all want the same thing. We deeply want to be respected and appreciated for our differences.” – Howard Schultz
- “We allow our ignorance to prevail upon us and make us think we can survive alone, alone in patches, alone in groups, alone in races, even alone in genders.” – Maya Angelou
- “You either believe that people respond to authority, or that they respond to kindness and inclusion. I’m obviously in the latter camp. I think that people respond better to reward than punishment.” – Brian Eno
- “Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day.” – Winston Churchill
- “What we have to do… is to find a way to celebrate our diversity and debate our differences without fracturing our communities.” – Hillary Clinton
- “Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.” – Mahatma Gandhi
- “Our diversity is our strength. What a dull and pointless life it would be if everyone was the same.” – Angelina Jolie
- “The fact that societies are becoming increasingly multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multi-religious is good. Diversity is a strength, not a weakness.” – Antonio Guterres
- “Diversity doesn't look like anyone. it looks like everyone.” – Karen Draper
- “In order to be great, you just have to care. You have to care about your world, community, and equality.” – Katori Hall
- “I can tell you, without diversity, creativity remains stagnant.” – Edward Enninful
- “You have a responsibility to make inclusion a daily thought, so we can get rid of the word ‘inclusion.’ ” – Theodore Melfi
- “Diversity really means becoming complete as human beings – all of us. We learn from each other. If you're missing on that stage, we learn less. We all need to be on that stage.” – Juan Felipe Herrera
- “To me, beauty is inclusion – every size, every color – that's the world I live in.” – Prabal Gurung
- “Nurturing an inclusive culture begins in the family. Home is the first place to foster openness and a culture of inclusion.” – Alain Dehaze
- “Let’s stop believing that our differences make us superior or inferior to one another.” – Con Miguel Ruiz
- “Embrace a diversity of ideas. Embrace the fact that you can disagree with people and not be disagreeable. Embrace the fact that you can find common ground – if you disagree on nine out of 10 things, but can find common ground on that 10th, maybe you can make progress. If you can find common ground, you can accomplish great things.” – David Boies
Embrace a diversity of ideas. Embrace the fact that you can disagree with people and not be disagreeable. Embrace the fact that you can find common ground – if you disagree on nine out of 10 things, but can find common ground on that 10th, maybe you can make progress. If you can find common ground, you can accomplish great things.” – David Boies
- “In crucial things, unity. In important things, diversity. In all things, generosity.” – George H. W. Bush
- “Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle.” – George R.R. Martin
- “We will all profit from a more diverse, inclusive society, understanding, accommodating, even celebrating our differences, while pulling together for the common good.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- “If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.” – John F. Kennedy
- “We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” – Jimmy Carter
- “We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion.” – Max de Pree
- “Our concern is to heal. Our concern is to bring together.” – Harold Washington
- “Share our similarities, celebrate our differences.” – M. Scott Peck
- “I think diversity can also be a resource, an asset, especially in a world that is becoming globalized, to deal with difference, to deal with variety, to deal with complexity.” – Jose Manuel Barroso
- “No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.” – Mahatma Gandhi
- “Too many of us still believe our differences define us.” – John Lewis
- “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” – Verna Myers
- “When we’re talking about diversity, it’s not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us.” – Ava DuVernay
- “We have no hope of solving our problems without harnessing the diversity, the energy, and the creativity of all our people.” – Roger Wilkins
- “We know that diversity can sometimes be more uncomfortable because things are less familiar—but it gets the best results.” – Megan Smith
Final Thoughts on Prioritizing More Inclusion
We all want to feel included; to be part of something and accepted for who we are. And by making a conscious effort to embrace our differences and celebrate diversity, we can create a sense of belonging for everyone.
It’s not too much to ask. And the impact it can have on someone's life is immeasurable. So let's all do our part and make the world a more inclusive and accepting place.
And for more inspiring quotes, be sure to check out these blogs:
- 81 Truth Quotes About Seeking the Right Answer
- 157 Short Quotes & Sayings to Inspire Your Life
- 67 Humility Quotes About Being Free from Vanity
Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success.
