"When anyone tells me I can't do anything... I'm just not listening any more"
About this Quote
There is a particular kind of defiance that doesn’t bother arguing, and Florence Griffith Joyner nails it. “I’m just not listening any more” isn’t a cinematic clapback; it’s a boundary. The line shifts the power struggle from the outside world to the inner channel selector. If you can’t control what people say about you, you can control whether their judgment gets to live rent-free in your head.
The intent is practical, almost procedural: remove the distraction, keep the work. Athletes live inside a constant feedback loop coaches, media, rivals, even well-meaning friends. Flo-Jo’s phrasing suggests she learned that some voices don’t deserve debate because debate is still participation. Not listening is how you stop opponents from turning your attention into their leverage.
The subtext carries extra voltage given her era and her image. Griffith Joyner was not only fast; she was conspicuous. The nails, the one-legged suits, the unapologetic glamour made her a target for the old suspicion that seriousness has to look a certain way. Add the scrutiny that followed her record-setting performances and you get a life spent under a microscope that rarely feels neutral. In that context, “can’t” isn’t just about athletic limits; it’s about who gets to be believed, who gets to be celebrated, and who is told to shrink.
The genius of the quote is its calm finality. It doesn’t promise that haters will vanish. It promises she will.
The intent is practical, almost procedural: remove the distraction, keep the work. Athletes live inside a constant feedback loop coaches, media, rivals, even well-meaning friends. Flo-Jo’s phrasing suggests she learned that some voices don’t deserve debate because debate is still participation. Not listening is how you stop opponents from turning your attention into their leverage.
The subtext carries extra voltage given her era and her image. Griffith Joyner was not only fast; she was conspicuous. The nails, the one-legged suits, the unapologetic glamour made her a target for the old suspicion that seriousness has to look a certain way. Add the scrutiny that followed her record-setting performances and you get a life spent under a microscope that rarely feels neutral. In that context, “can’t” isn’t just about athletic limits; it’s about who gets to be believed, who gets to be celebrated, and who is told to shrink.
The genius of the quote is its calm finality. It doesn’t promise that haters will vanish. It promises she will.
Quote Details
| Topic | Motivational |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
More Quotes by Florence
Add to List



