SuperSoul Sunday
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In this SuperSoul Sunday conversation, Oprah asks Dr. Maya Angelou to reflect on whether she considers herself wise and what advice has mattered most in her life. Angelou answers with humility, saying she is “in root” and still learning, but now knows enough to try to live what she knows. When asked about the best advice she has given, she shares two powerful lessons she told her son: to get a friend, you must be a friend, and to keep an inviolable place inside yourself that no one has the right to violate. She explains that this inner boundary is sacred—perhaps even the place where one meets God—and that people must learn to say no and protect their own spirit. Asked about the best advice she has received, she says it is to forgive, but clarifies that forgiveness does not mean welcoming hurtful people back into close relationship. Instead, it means being finished with them while still protecting oneself and holding firm boundaries.
The conversation opens with a warm reflection on wisdom and aging, as Oprah revisits an earlier interview and asks Maya Angelou whether she now sees herself as wise. Angelou responds with characteristic humility, saying she is still in growth, still learning, and still trying to live what she knows. It’s a grounded, graceful reminder that wisdom isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about continuing to become.
When asked about the best advice she has ever given, Angelou points to two lessons she shared with her son. First, if you want a friend, you must be a friend. Second, every person must protect a sacred inner space that nobody has the right to invade. She describes this space as pristine and inviolable, a deeply personal boundary that must be defended with confidence and clarity.
The second half of the conversation turns to the best advice she has received, and Angelou names forgiveness. But she’s careful to define it: forgiving someone does not mean inviting them back into your life or letting them hurt you again. For her, forgiveness is a way of being done with harm while still protecting herself. The exchange closes with a powerful message: take care of yourself first so you have something real to give to others.