“The most important lesson I learned during my career was from Maya Angelou, actually, when I was first meeting her,” Oprah recalled backstage at the 2018 Golden Globes. She said to Oprah, “After you’ve known her for awhile, you’ll believe people the first time you meet them. But, the problem is that it can take you 29 times to learn the same lesson, in a different dress or with a different pair.
She continued, “So I think that has been one of my greatest wisdom teachings, is to asses from people’s behavior, their actions—not just towards me, but towards other people—who they are and how they behave, because if people talk about other people, they’ll talk about you. This has been my most valuable lesson, both in personal and professional relationships. It’s been great to stay grounded.