"I would never have done what I'd done if I'd considered my father as somebody I wanted to please"

This quote by Robert Mapplethorpe speaks to the concept of personal autonomy and the importance of making choices for oneself. It recommends that Mapplethorpe was not motivated by a desire to please his father, but rather by his own internal compass. He suggests that if he had actually taken his daddy's viewpoint into factor to consider, he would not have done what he did. This quote talks to the concept that it is important to make decisions based on one's own worths and beliefs, instead of those of others. It likewise suggests that it is essential to be real to oneself and to make choices that remain in line with one's own values and beliefs. Ultimately, this quote motivates us to be independent and to make decisions that are right for us, instead of trying to please others.