"People always ask me, 'Were you funny as a child?' Well, no, I was an accountant."

Family

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Thematic Reflection

This quotation examines the core nature of Family as articulated by Ellen DeGeneres. Within historical and literary traditions, reflections on Family provide actionable mental models, challenging individuals to evaluate personal ethics, self-discipline, and daily actions.

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About Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an American comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. She began her career in stand-up comedy in the early 1980s, gaining national attention with a 1986 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She starred in the television sitcoms Ellen (1994–1998) and The Ellen Show (2001–2002). She also hosted the syndicated television talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003–2022), for which she received 33 Daytime Emmy Awards.

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More by Ellen DeGeneres

"Nothing says holidays, like a cheese log."

— Ellen DeGeneres
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"Find out who you are and be that person. That's what your soul was put on this Earth to be. Find that truth, live that truth and everything else will come."

— Ellen DeGeneres
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"I like being busy and juggling a lot of things at the same time. I get bored easily, so I need to do a lot."

— Ellen DeGeneres
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"The first time probably people really were aware of me, I unfortunately had the title of Showtime's Funniest Person in America. And that's a really tough title to travel around with when you're not even known."

— Ellen DeGeneres
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More about Family

"My family... always had the value of the family table and these cultural influences of growing up."

— Emeril Lagasse
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"Italians come to ruin most generally in three ways, women, gambling, and farming. My family chose the slowest one."

— Pope John XXIII
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"I'm a Republican. I don't want to go to heaven and have to face my family up there and tell them I voted for a Democrat."

— T. Boone Pickens
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"A family is very special. So when a family splits up, it's not good, it's never good."

— Aung San Suu Kyi
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