Respecting oneself is the cornerstone of a healthy self-image and a fulfilling life. This collection of quotes about respecting yourself is curated to inspire you to hold yourself in high esteem, recognize your worth, and never settle for less than you deserve.
Let these words empower you to embrace your value and live with dignity and strength.
Quotes About Respecting Yourself
1. “Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.” – Robert Tew
2. “Your self-respect has to be stronger than your feelings.” – Unknown
3. “Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself.” – Harvey Fierstein
4. “Self-respect is the cornerstone of all virtue.” – John Herschel
5. “A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” – Mark Twain
6. “To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves – there lies the great, singular power of self-respect.” – Joan Didion
7. “Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.” – Abraham Joshua Heschel
8. “Respecting yourself means listening to your body and emotions continuously. Then acting beyond a linear logic to achieve one’s goals.” – Unknown
9. “The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.” – Michel de Montaigne
10. “Self-respect knows no considerations.” – Mahatma Gandhi
11. “Character — the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life — is the source from which self-respect springs.” – Joan Didion
12. “Respect yourself and others will respect you.” – Confucius
13. “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.” – Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
14. “He that respects himself is safe from others; he wears a coat of mail that none can pierce.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
15. “If you want to be respected by others, the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky
16. “You punch me, I punch back. I do not believe it’s good for one’s self-respect to be a punching bag.” – Edward Koch
17. “Self-respect permeates every aspect of your life.” – Joe Clark
18. “Our self-respect tracks our choices. Every time we act in harmony with our authentic self and our heart, we earn our respect. It is that simple. Every choice matters.” – Dan Coppersmith
19. “Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power.” – Clint Eastwood
20. “The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” – Steve Maraboli
21. “Respect yourself if you would have others respect you.” – Baltasar Gracian
22. “They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them.” – Mahatma Gandhi
23. “Self-respect is something that can’t be killed. The worst thing is to kill a man’s pretense at it.” – Ayn Rand
24. “Your problem is you’re… too busy holding onto your unworthiness.” – Ram Dass
25. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James
26. “The greatest respect an individual can have is to respect yourself.” – Robert C. Pollock
27. “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” – Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
28. “I must respect the opinions of others even if I disagree with them.” – Herbert H. Lehman
29. “One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.” – Shannon L. Alder
30. “Respecting yourself means understanding your value, and understanding your value means understanding the risks you’re willing to take to protect that value.” – Unknown
31. “Cutting people out of your life is easy, keeping them in is hard.” – Walter Dean Myers
32. “Self-respect is not a function of size, age, or wealth. Breathe deep, sing loud and sweet, ‘I am me, I am unique, I am magnificent.'” – Jonathan Lockwood Huie
33. “I would rather be alone with dignity than in a relationship that requires me to sacrifice my self-respect.” – Mandy Hale
34. “You cannot respect others without respecting yourself first.” – Unknown
35. “To establish true self-esteem we must concentrate on our successes and forget about the failures and the negatives in our lives.” – Denis Waitley
36. “Dignity will only happen when you realize that having someone in your life doesn’t validate your worth.” – Shannon L. Alder
37. “The most important relationship in your life is the relationship you have with yourself. Because no matter what happens, you will always be with yourself.” – Diane Von Furstenberg
38. “Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power.” – Clint Eastwood
39. “Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.” – Beyoncé
40. “As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is ‘AUTHENTICITY’.” – Charlie Chaplin
41. “Never be ashamed of a scar. It simply means you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you.” – Unknown
42. “Once you embrace your value, talents, and strengths, it neutralizes when others think less of you.” – Rob Liano
43. “I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” – Carl Jung
44. “Do not undervalue what you are ultimately worth because you are at a momentary disadvantage.” – Sherry Thomas
45. “You find your worth within yourself.” – Anonymous
46. “Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.” – Abraham Joshua Heschel
47. “Never violate the sacredness of your individual self-respect.” – Theodore Parker
48. “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha
49. “We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us.” – Virginia Satir
50. “You are very powerful, provided you know how powerful you are.” – Yogi Bhajan
Conclusion
Embracing self-respect is a transformative journey that empowers us to live with integrity, dignity, and authenticity.
These quotes serve as reminders that respecting ourselves is fundamental to our well-being and the foundation upon which we build relationships with others.
As we cultivate self-respect, we learn to navigate life’s challenges with grace and strength, honoring our true selves in every decision we make.