From: In the Heat of the Night
Genre: Movies
Who said it?: Virgil Tibbs
The story behind the quote: The quote comes from the classic 1967 film In the Heat of the Night. The movie was based on the book of the same name and the film won the Oscar for Best Picture for the year as well. The movie follows Philadelphia homicide detective Virgil Tibbs, who was wrongfully arrested while passing through the backwater town of Sparta because of the color of his skin. He eventually assists the local and prejudiced police force in solving the murder of Philip Cobert, the very crime for which he was arrested for in the first place.
The quote comes after Virgil Tibbs (played by Sidney Poitier) is “cleared.” The local police bring in Harvey Oberst, who happens to have Philip Cobert’s wallet in his possession. The Philadelphia detective examines the suspect and notices the man is left-handed. He attempts to talk to the Police Chief Bill Gillespie (played by Rod Steiger, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role) rebuffs him and feels insulted that a black detective is questioning him in the first place. Gillespie then insults Virgil which is when Mr. Tibbs delivers the quote.
Geek wisdom: There are going to be people in the world who are going to try to bring you down. They will insult you and call you strange because of the things that make you unique. You shouldn’t let them get to you ever. You are who you are and that’s perfectly alright. You should always be proud of who you are.