"For everyone of us that succeeds, it's because there's somebody there to show you the way out"
About this Quote
Oprah's intent is motivational, but not in the empty "believe in yourself" mode. It's a reframing designed to make gratitude actionable. If someone helped you exit, you're implicated in helping someone else find the door. That fits her cultural brand: personal transformation packaged as public service, empathy turned into infrastructure through scholarships, schools, platforms, and philanthropy.
The subtext also protects against a quieter cruelty: when success is treated as proof of moral superiority, failure becomes personal blame. By emphasizing "somebody there", Oprah offers a gentler accounting that still preserves agency. You can succeed, but you don't get to pretend you did it alone.
Context matters: Winfrey's own biography - a Black woman rising from poverty and trauma into media power - makes this sound less like platitude and more like testimony. It's a credo for a career built on turning private survival into a communal playbook.
Quote Details
| Topic | Motivational |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Winfrey, Oprah. (2026, January 18). For everyone of us that succeeds, it's because there's somebody there to show you the way out. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/for-everyone-of-us-that-succeeds-its-because-1129/
Chicago Style
Winfrey, Oprah. "For everyone of us that succeeds, it's because there's somebody there to show you the way out." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/for-everyone-of-us-that-succeeds-its-because-1129/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"For everyone of us that succeeds, it's because there's somebody there to show you the way out." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/for-everyone-of-us-that-succeeds-its-because-1129/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.









