Quote of the day by Glenn Close: 'I never wanted to be a man. I feel sorry for them.' Life lessons from motivational quote on self-acceptance, comfort, empathy, total contentment, true confidence, expectations and compassion

Quote of the day by Glenn Close is: “I never wanted to be a man. I feel sorry for them.” The remark by American actress Glenn Close uses humour to discuss identity, expectations and the different pressures associated with being a man or a woman. The quote can be read as an expression of comfort with her own identity. It also points to the social expectations that have traditionally been placed on men. The quote has been presented as a personal remark by Close and is listed among her personal quotes and in biographical material. Its tone is direct and uses dry humour. Close has also worn menswear-inspired pantsuits and has played characters who cross or challenge expectations around gender. However, her clothing and acting roles did not mean that she wanted to be male.

Quote of the day today: What did Glenn Close say?

The quote reads:


“I never wanted to be a man. I feel sorry for them.”

The first part of the statement is about being comfortable with one's own identity. Close does not suggest that becoming a man would give her a better life. Instead, she presents her own identity as something she accepts without wishing to change it because of perceived social advantages.

The second part changes the direction of the statement. Rather than expressing envy towards men, Close says that she feels sorry for them. This can be understood as a reference to the expectations that traditional ideas of masculinity can place on men.

The supplied material connects the statement with expectations such as suppressing emotions, being expected to provide for others and following ideas about toughness. These expectations can affect how people express themselves and how they understand their roles in society.

Meaning and relevance of the saying

The meaning of the quote is linked to self-acceptance and empathy. Close presents her own identity without treating another identity as something that she needs to possess. The saying also questions the idea that one gender automatically has an easier or better position in life. Social roles can create responsibilities and expectations for everyone. Some people may experience pressure because of what society expects from them.

The statement therefore has two connected ideas. The first is that people can feel comfortable with who they are. The second is that people should understand the pressures faced by others instead of assuming that another person's life is easier. This makes the quote relevant to discussions about confidence, identity, expectations and compassion.

Glenn Close and her acting career

Glenn Close was born on March 19, 1947, in Greenwich, Connecticut. She is an American actress who has worked in film, television and theatre. She has received eight Academy Award nominations and has also received awards for work across different forms of acting.

Close spent part of her childhood in Africa after her father, a surgeon, moved to the Belgian Congo, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to open a medical clinic. She also attended boarding schools in Switzerland before returning to Connecticut. She later attended Rosemary Hall and spent several years travelling through Europe and the United States with the musical group Up with People.

In 1970, she enrolled at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. She graduated in 1974 with a degree in drama and a Phi Beta Kappa key. She then joined the New Phoenix Repertory Company and made her Broadway debut in the same year.

From Broadway to Hollywood

Close built her reputation through theatre before moving into films. In 1980, she received a Tony Award nomination for Barnum. The performance drew the attention of director George Roy Hill, who offered her a role in The World According to Garp in 1982. She received an Academy Award nomination for the film.

She was later nominated for Academy Awards for The Big Chill in 1983 and The Natural in 1984. She received Best Actress nominations for Fatal Attraction in 1987 and Dangerous Liaisons in 1989.

Her other film work includes Hamlet, Reversal of Fortune, The House of the Spirits, The Paper, Mars Attacks!, 101 Dalmatians and Air Force One. She also appeared in The Stepford Wives and Evening.

In Albert Nobbs in 2011, Close played a woman who disguises herself as a man to find work in 19th-century Ireland. She also cowrote the film and received an Academy Award nomination for her performance.

Her later film work included Guardians of the Galaxy, Crooked House, Father Figures and The Wife. For The Wife, she received an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award. She also appeared in Hillbilly Elegy and Swan Song. The supplied material says she played a role in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery in 2025 and is set to appear in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, scheduled for 2026.

Her work on stage and television

Close has also maintained a career in theatre. She won Tony Awards in 1984 for The Real Thing and in 1992 for Death and the Maiden. In 1995, she played Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard on Broadway and won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She later appeared in a Broadway revival of A Delicate Balance in 2014–15 and returned to the role of Norma Desmond in the 2017 Broadway revival of Sunset Boulevard.

On television, Close earned Emmy Awards for Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story and Damages. She played attorney Patty Hewes in Damages, which ran from 2007 to 2012. She also received Golden Globe Awards for her television work, including performances in Damages and The Lion in Winter.

Life lessons from the quote

The saying offers several points about self-acceptance, confidence and empathy.

• Accept who you are: Confidence can come from being comfortable with your own identity instead of wanting the advantages associated with someone else.
• Look beyond perceived advantages: Another person's position may appear easier, but every social role can involve pressure and responsibility.
• Understand expectations: Traditional expectations can influence how people behave and what they believe they should do.
• Allow emotional expression: Expectations that men must always appear tough or hide emotions can make it harder for them to express what they feel.
• Show empathy: Understanding the pressure faced by other people can replace envy with compassion.
• Question social roles: The quote encourages people to think about whether expectations are helping people or limiting them.

What makes the quote relevant today?

The quote remains relevant because conversations about identity and social expectations continue. People often compare their lives with others and assume that another group has fewer problems. Close's remark presents another way of looking at that comparison.

Instead of wishing for another identity, the quote focuses on being comfortable with oneself. At the same time, it asks people to consider the pressures that others may experience.

The statement also shows how humour can be used to discuss social expectations. A short remark can raise questions about confidence, identity, masculinity, emotional expression and compassion.

Close's career also adds context to the quote. She has played characters with different identities and social roles throughout her career. Her work in Albert Nobbs, for example, involved a character who disguises herself as a man for employment. That role shows how questions around gender and social expectations have also appeared in her acting work.