I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.… People think pleasing God is all God care about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.

About Alice Walker

Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was awarded for her novel The Color Purple. Over the span of her career,...

More quotations from Alice Walker

How simple a thing it seems to me that to know ourselves as we are, we must know our mothers' names.

—Alice Walker

parents

The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men.

—Alice Walker

In the Baemba tribe of South Africa, when a person acts irresponsibly or unjustly, he is placed in the center of the village, alone and unfettered. All work ceases, and every man, woman, and child in the village gathers in a large circle around the accused individual. Then each person in the tribe speaks to the accused, one at a time, about all the good things the person… has done in his lifetime. All his positive attributes, good deeds, strengths, and kindnesses are recited carefully and at length. The tribal ceremony often lasts several days. At the end, the tribal circle is broken, a joyous celebration takes place, and the person is symbolically and literally welcomed back into the tribe.

—Alice Walker

In search of my mother's garden, I found my own.

—Alice Walker

I had assumed that the earth, the spirit of the earth, noticed exceptions—those who wantonly damage it and those who do not. But the earth is wise. It has given itself into the keeping of all, and all are therefore accountable.

—Alice Walker

wisdom earth

More quotations tagged with “care”

Knowing he was suffering pained me. That's the way love tangles you up. I couldn't stop loving him, and couldn't shut off the feelings of wanting to care for him—but I also didn't have to run to answer his letters. I was hurting, too, and no one was running to me.

—Paula McLain in The Paris Wife

love suffering care

If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.

—Maya Angelou

success care

Care and diligence bring luck.

—Thomas Fuller

effort luck care diligence

The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided. It's more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly lighthearted, yet everyone takes the happy person for granted. No one is careful of his feelings or tries to keep his spirits high. He seems self-sufficient; he becomes a cushion for others. And because happiness seems unforced, that person usually gets no credit.

—Gretchen Rubin in The Happiness Project

happiness belief effort generosity feelings discipline energy unhappiness selfishness care selflessness lightheartedness

I often pray, though I'm not really sure Anyone's listening; and I phrase it carefully, just in case He's literary.

—Mignon McLaughlin

God listening prayer care

History

8 Nov 2015 Added
26 Oct 2026 Wording changed

Previous wording

I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it. . . . People think pleasing God is all God care about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.