61 Respect Yourself Quotes to Empower Your Life

We aren’t always kind to ourselves. Sometimes, our needs are put aside for the sake of other people; other commitments. And, as a consequence, our well-being suffers.

We may lose sight of our feelings, our values, and boundaries. And misplace our own worth and self-respect.

From here, it can be hard to turn things around. But regaining that respect can empower you in the most amazing ways.

You can take control of your life and make it what you want it to be. And these respect yourself quotes will help you to see that.

Why Should You Respect Yourself More?

You can probably think back to a time when you didn’t show yourself the respect you deserved. It happens to us all now and then, and sometimes, without us even realizing it.

Maybe you’ve laughed with colleagues over your own insecurities, and let them become a standing joke. Or brushed off a compliment, because what you did wasn’t a big deal and didn’t need a fuss.

Perhaps you’re prone to blaming yourself for things going wrong, even though the situation is often out of your hands. And fail to see how far you’ve come, or how much you’ve achieved.

For some people, the feelings of inadequacy become so normal, that they’re hard to see past. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

Self-respect is undoubtedly one of the most empowering characteristics you can have. From it, you’ll unearth confidence, self-esteem, and the ability to make positive decisions, not only for yourself but for those around you.

Recognizing the signs of low self-respect, such as being overly critical about yourself, or thinking other people are better than you, is the first step in addressing this issue and taking steps toward a healthier outlook on life. You can also try:

It’s time to empower your life. And there’s no better place to start than with these respect yourself quotes.

So let’s begin.

61 Respect Yourself Quotes to Empower Your Life

1. “Everyone should be their own biggest fan.” – Kanye West
2. “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
3. “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” – Lao Tzu
4. “Never ever compromise on self-respect, and do not lose yourself in the process of chasing others.” – Unknown
5. “Self-respect cannot be hunted. It cannot be purchased. It is never for sale.” – Alfred Whitney Griswold
6. “Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky

Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky

7. “Everyone is a star and deserves the right to twinkle.” – Marilyn Monroe
8. “Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.” – M. Scott Peck
9. “Know yourself. Feel yourself. Love yourself. Respect yourself. Take good care of yourself. You are your most precious possession on Earth.” – Robert Muller
10. “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
11. “Your sense of self-worth comes from you alone — never the opinion of others.” – Robert Greene
12. “I would rather be alone with dignity than in a relationship that requires me to sacrifice my self-respect.” – Unknown
13. “Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content without oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” – Lao Tzu
14. “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha
15. “I may not be good enough for you, but I am good enough for me.” –  Akiroq Brost

16. “Self-respect, self-worth and self-love all starts with self. Stop looking outside of yourself for your value.” – Rob Liano
17. “Perhaps the surest test of an individual's integrity is his refusal to do or say anything that would damage his self-respect.” – Thomas S. Monson
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. “Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.” – Robert Tew
20. “I cannot compromise my respect for your love. You can keep your love, I will keep my respect.” – Amit Kalantri
21. “With self-respect, you can accomplish anything.” – David Barbour
22. “Never violate the sacredness of your individual self-respect.” – Theodore Parker
23. “That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong.” – William J. H. Boetcker

That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong.” – William J. H. Boetcker

24.  “Walk tall, or baby don't walk at all.” – Bruce Springsteen
25. “To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.“ – Thich Nhat Hanh
26. “Be honest with who you are. Be honest with who you are not.” – Unknown
27. “Do not tolerate disrespect, not even from yourself.” – Unknown
28. “Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and self-respect is the chief element in courage.” – Thucydides
29. “Our self-respect does not have a price tag.” – Nawaz Sharif
30. “Our relationship with ourselves forms the blueprint for all the relationships in our life.” – Susyn Reeve
31. “Work to improve yourself, not prove yourself.” – Joshua Becker

32. “Being honest with yourself is the highest form of self-respect. If you’re not feeling something, don’t do it.” – DailyZen
33. “We don't need bigger cars or fancier clothes. We need self-respect, identity, community, love, variety, beauty, challenge and a purpose in living that is greater than material accumulation.” – Donella Meadows
34. “Self-respect is personal empowerment.” – Yocheved Golani
35. “Compassion is essential, but it’s not a substitute for self-expression, or self-respect, or self-compassion. Emotional self-care is also essential, but gently soothing our wounds does not replace communicating about them.” – Vironika Tugaleva
36. “Don’t put yourself down just to avoid criticism, to please others, or to show your “kindness”. The world needs light, not mediocrity.” – Paulo Coelho
37. “No one is going to value you more than you value yourself.” – Naval Ravikant
38. “No one can diminish our value unless we let them.” – Rosalind Sedacca
39. “Would that there were an award for people who come to understand the concept of enough. Good enough. Successful enough. Thin enough. Rich enough. Socially responsible enough. When you have self-respect, you have enough.” – Gail Sheehy

Would that there were an award for people who come to understand the concept of enough. Good enough. Successful enough. Thin enough. Rich enough. Socially responsible enough. When you have self-respect, you have enough.” – Gail Sheehy

40. “The person who deserves your gratitude more than anyone else is you.” – Rhonda Byrne
41. “Self-respect is nothing to hide behind. When you need it most it isn't there.” – May Sarton
42. “The most important, difficult and rewarding thing to work on is yourself.” – Sven Schnieders
43. “Self-care is not self-indulgence. Self-care is self-respect.” – Unknown
44. “Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work.” – Adrienne Rich
45. “The great thing in the world is not so much to seek happiness as to earn peace and self-respect.” – Thomas Huxley
46. “Dare to love yourself as if you were a rainbow with gold at both ends.” – Aberjhani
47. “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle

48. “Happiness is the highest form of self-respect. A person who allows himself to be happy shows his self-respect.” – Maery Rubin
49. “For your own self-respect and sanity, your creative freedom, you have to be careful that you don't rely too much on other people's opinions of what you do because it can stunt and inhibit you.” – Luke Evans
50. “Self-respect is the noblest garment with which a man may clothe himself, the most elevating feeling with which the mind can be inspired.” – Samuel Smiles
51. “Only make decisions that support your self-image, self-esteem, and self-worth.” – Oprah Winfrey
52. “Your integrity, your dignity, your honor – they aren't for sale. Not ever. Not to anyone.” – James Patterson
53. “Self-respect, dignity and grace are very important. You may look a certain way or come from a certain background but when you have these three qualities you stand apart from the crowd.” – Esha Deol
54. “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 Dostoyevsky
55. “You will encounter misguided people from time to time. That's part of life. The challenge is to educate them when you can, but always to keep your dignity and self-respect and persevere in your personal growth and development.” – Bernice King

You will encounter misguided people from time to time. That's part of life. The challenge is to educate them when you can, but always to keep your dignity and self-respect and persevere in your personal growth and development.” – Bernice King

56.  “‘Self-Respect' respects boundaries, yours or other's. ‘Ego' is so full of self, it sees no boundaries.” – Wordions
57. “All at once it occurs to me that I'm the one who needs to give myself the break, to accept myself for who I am.” – Liza M. Wiemer
58. “Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.” – Maya Angelou
59. “When you know that you can overcome challenges, you do gain that self-respect, and then you won't end up in a situation that you regret later on.” – Danica McKellar
60. “Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.” – Abraham Joshua Heschel
61. “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” – Jack Kornfield

Final Thoughts on these Quotes About Respecting Yourself

We often talk about gaining respect from our parents, our colleagues, and even our friends. But the one person whose respect we should value the most is our own.

Respect for how we feel. Respect for what we need. And respect for who we are, as individuals, with values, ambitions, and the ability to achieve anything we put our minds to.

For more inspirational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:

• 35 Keep Living Simple Quotes and Sayings
• 43 Inspiring Moving Forward Quotes to Let Go of the Past
• 47 Fate Quotes About Embracing Your Future

Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success.