MOTIVATING TIPS

Margaret Cho

Born 1974 · American comedian and actress

1 verified quote1 topicAll with editorial commentary

[ Life ]

The daughter of Korean immigrants, Margaret Cho was born in San Francisco in 1974 and grew up in a working-class neighborhood where her parents ran a bookstore. She started performing stand-up comedy as a teenager, hitting open mics at Bay Area clubs while still in high school. At 24, she became the star of *All-American Girl* (1994–1995), a sitcom that made her the first Asian American woman to headline her own network television show—a milestone that came with suffocating network demands to lose weight and conform.

[ Words & Works ]

Cho's comedy albums *I'm the One That I Want* (1997) and *Notorious C.H.O.* (2002) cemented her as a fearless voice on sexuality, identity, and body politics. Her one-woman shows and stand-up tours, particularly her mid-2000s work, tackled LGBTQ+ rights and immigration policy with specificity and rage. She mattered because she refused the template offered to her, transforming humiliation into material and making spaces for voices the industry deemed unmarketable. Her comedy proved that authenticity—messy, unapologetic, angry—outsells polish.

Frequently asked

What are the best Margaret Cho quotes?

Margaret Cho is best known for quotes on On the Working Life. Among the most cited: "I'm not going to die because..." from I'm the One That I Want.

How many Margaret Cho quotes does MotivatingTips have?

MotivatingTips has 1 verified Margaret Cho quote, each with editorial commentary and source verification. Quotes are organized across On the Working Life.

What book are Margaret Cho's quotes from?

Quotes on MotivatingTips are sourced from I'm the One That I Want.

Are these Margaret Cho quotes verified?

Every Margaret Cho quote on MotivatingTips includes verified attribution with source, book, chapter, or speech reference where available.

Best Margaret Cho Quotes

Hand-picked, verified, and explained.

I'm not going to die because I failed as someone else. I'm going to succeed as myself.

VerifiedI'm the One That I Want, Chapter 11, Ballantine Books, 2001
Why This Matters

The real sting here isn't about accepting yourself—it's about recognizing that imitation offers no safety net. When you chase someone else's blueprint, you're not just risking failure; you're guaranteeing it, because you've surrendered the one advantage you actually possess: your particular way of seeing and doing things. A middle manager who spends years trying to be the charismatic visionary her boss is will eventually exhaust herself, while her actual talents for building trust and solving procedural problems go dormant. Margaret Cho's wisdom cuts deeper than the usual self-help platitude because it frames authenticity not as noble but as practical—the only wager with real odds.

Read full quote →
Margaret Cho quotes by topic

Works cited

Authors you might also like

Cite This Page

Use the following citations to reference this page in academic or professional work.

APA Style

Margaret Cho Quotes. (n.d.). MotivatingTips. Retrieved May 13, 2026, from https://www.motivatingtips.com/authors/margaret-cho

Chicago Style

Margaret Cho Quotes. MotivatingTips, DSS Media, 2026. https://www.motivatingtips.com/authors/margaret-cho, accessed May 13, 2026.

MLA Style

"Margaret Cho Quotes." MotivatingTips. DSS Media, 2026. 13 May 2026. https://www.motivatingtips.com/authors/margaret-cho

By Email

One quote. Every morning. No fluff.

Join 100,000+ readers who start their day with a carefully chosen quote and brief reflection. Unsubscribe anytime.

By WhatsApp

Same quote. On WhatsApp. Reply and it talks back.

Get your daily quote delivered to WhatsApp. Ask questions, get related quotes, or just reply to share your thoughts.

Open in WhatsApp