"I can be extremely vulnerable. People are tough on me because they think I can handle it"
About this Quote
The intent is defensive and clarifying at once. Butler is drawing a boundary around a version of herself the audience (and maybe the industry) has authored: the actress as durable surface. Underneath is a plea for accurate empathy. "Extremely vulnerable" is a deliberately blunt phrase, almost unglamorous, pushing against the expectation that women in public must either be unshakeable or performatively broken in a consumable way.
The subtext is also about power. "People are tough on me" isn't only about random critics; it gestures toward workplaces where harshness is framed as professionalism, where scrutiny is justified as a compliment: you can take it. That logic launders cruelty into a kind of respect, and it lets others feel righteous while doing damage.
Context matters because actresses are trained to make emotions legible while hiding their own. Butler flips that asymmetry: the performance isn't the proof of toughness. It's the job.
Quote Details
| Topic | Sadness |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Butler, Yancy. (2026, January 16). I can be extremely vulnerable. People are tough on me because they think I can handle it. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-can-be-extremely-vulnerable-people-are-tough-on-92039/
Chicago Style
Butler, Yancy. "I can be extremely vulnerable. People are tough on me because they think I can handle it." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-can-be-extremely-vulnerable-people-are-tough-on-92039/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I can be extremely vulnerable. People are tough on me because they think I can handle it." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-can-be-extremely-vulnerable-people-are-tough-on-92039/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.









