"Never, never rest contented with any circle of ideas, but always be certain that a wider one is still possible"
About this Quote
Bailey’s line lands like backstage advice disguised as philosophy: don’t get too comfortable with the version of the world that’s currently applauding you. Coming from an actress who moved between Broadway, Hollywood, nightclubs, television, and activism, the warning against “any circle of ideas” isn’t abstract self-help. It’s survival strategy in an industry that loves to typecast, then punishes you for not evolving.
The phrase “rest contented” is doing quiet work. It names a temptation that looks like success: the familiar roles, the reliable crowd, the social circle that keeps your edges smooth. Bailey isn’t celebrating hustle for hustle’s sake; she’s suspicious of comfort because comfort can become a cage, especially for performers whose public image gets treated as their whole identity. “Circle” also implies something closed, self-reinforcing. You can hear an implicit critique of echo chambers before we had a word for them.
Then she pivots to “be certain that a wider one is still possible.” Not “likely,” not “available,” but possible. That’s the subtext: permission to outgrow your own received wisdom, even if the gatekeepers don’t grant it. It’s a statement about curiosity as agency. In the mid-20th-century entertainment world, a Black woman’s “circle” was often pre-drawn by racism and respectability politics; insisting on a wider one is both artistic ambition and political insistence.
The intent is gently radical: keep expanding your mental stage, because someone else is always trying to shrink it for you.
The phrase “rest contented” is doing quiet work. It names a temptation that looks like success: the familiar roles, the reliable crowd, the social circle that keeps your edges smooth. Bailey isn’t celebrating hustle for hustle’s sake; she’s suspicious of comfort because comfort can become a cage, especially for performers whose public image gets treated as their whole identity. “Circle” also implies something closed, self-reinforcing. You can hear an implicit critique of echo chambers before we had a word for them.
Then she pivots to “be certain that a wider one is still possible.” Not “likely,” not “available,” but possible. That’s the subtext: permission to outgrow your own received wisdom, even if the gatekeepers don’t grant it. It’s a statement about curiosity as agency. In the mid-20th-century entertainment world, a Black woman’s “circle” was often pre-drawn by racism and respectability politics; insisting on a wider one is both artistic ambition and political insistence.
The intent is gently radical: keep expanding your mental stage, because someone else is always trying to shrink it for you.
Quote Details
| Topic | Wisdom |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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