If you don't like something change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain.

The saying distills a pragmatic ethic of agency often associated with Angelou’s public persona: first attempt to alter unjust or unsatisfying conditions; if external change is impossible, reclaim control over one’s inner response. The final injunction—“Don’t complain”—frames complaint as a substitute for action or for the harder work of reframing. Read charitably, it encourages resilience and responsibility: energy should go toward effective change, not rumination. Read critically, it can be misused to silence legitimate protest; Angelou’s broader work frequently affirms speaking out against injustice, so the line is best understood as advice against powerless grumbling rather than against advocacy.