James Baldwin "The Black Boy Looks at the White Boy" in Esquire (May 1961); republished in Nobody Knows My Name: More Notes of a Native Son (1961)
“
The price one pays for pursuing any profession or calling is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side.
— James Baldwin on Professional
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The price one pays for pursuing any profession or calling is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side." in the context of "James Baldwin "The Black Boy Looks at the White Boy" in Esquire (May 1961); republished in Nobody Knows My Name: More Notes of a Native Son (1961)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Professional" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About James Baldwin
James Arthur Baldwin (2 August 1924 – 1 December 1987) was an American novelist, short story writer, playwright, essayist, and social critic.
About James Baldwin
James Arthur Baldwin (2 August 1924 – 1 December 1987) was an American novelist, short story writer, playwright, essayist, and social critic.
View all quotes →