Pearl Bailey? Apocryphal?
Dear Quote Investigator: When you look into a mirror your self-image may be altered, but you are not forced to see yourself objectively. You do not perceive yourself through the eyes of others, and you do not really understand your effect on others. The U.S. actress and singer Pearl Bailey once said something like this. Would you please help me to find a citation?
Quote Investigator: In 1976 Pearl Bailey published a collection of short essays titled “Hurry Up, America, & Spit”. The piece titled “We Look Into Mirrors” begins with the following statement. Boldface added to excerpts: 1
We look into mirrors but we only see the effects of our times on us—not our effect on others.
Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.
Notes:
- 1976, Hurry Up, America, & Spit by Pearl Bailey, Chapter: We Look Into Mirrors, Quote Page 52, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York. (Verified with scans) ↩