"It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity"

This quote by W. E. B. Du Bois talks to the experience of double-consciousness, a term he created to describe the sensation of being both an expert and an outsider in one's own society. It is a feeling of constantly being evaluated and assessed by the outside world, of needing to determine one's soul versus the requirements of a society that searches with contempt and pity. This feeling of being an outsider can be especially strong for those who are members of minority groups, as they are often viewed as various and not belonging. This quote talks to the battle of needing to constantly prove oneself to a society that might not accept them, and the sensation of being evaluated and misunderstood. It is an effective reminder of the significance of understanding and approval, and of the need to produce a society where everyone is viewed as equivalent.