Empowering Quotes for Self Respect

I believe the core of self-love is self-respect. Sometimes, self-respect is an aspect that is even more important than self-love. If there are times when you find it hard to love yourself, then the minimum thing you can do for yourself, which you can never lose, is to maintain your self-respect. That’s the fundamental element that determines how we treat ourselves, how we make decisions in life, and how we choose the people to have in our lives.

Self-respect is a continuous journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance that we need to embrace it, nurture it and let it guide you in living an authentic life.

In this post, I want to share with you a list of my favorite empowering quotes for self-respect. You can keep these as reminders for yourself or as motivations to help you practice self-respect better in life.

quotes for self respect: the word "self esteem"

Empowering Quotes for Self Respect: A few words on self resect

Before getting into the quotes for self respect, I want to provide you with some information about the topic of self-respect. 

Abraham Maslow is a widely recognized psychologist for his hierarchy of needs and his contributions to humanistic psycholog. Maslow emphasized that self-respect is a fundamental aspect of self-actualization, which is the highest level of psychological development according to his hierarchy of needs. He believed that a person who have self-actualized possess a strong sense of self-respect and self-worth.

Maslow described self-respect as a form of esteem that comes from within, rather than being dependent on external validation or approval.

quotes for self respect: picture of Abraham Maslow

And I absolutely love that definition from him. As humans, we often have a strong desire to be accepted by others, making it easy for us to forget our true worth and value. Consequently, we end up losing our self-respect. Our primary focus shifts from prioritizing our own happiness to trying to make others happy or seeking constant approval without even realizing it.

I sincerely hope that my quotes for self respect will inspire you and encourage you to take a step back, reflect on yourself, and make better choices that honor and respect your own worth.

This is a short clip about traits and habits of highly respectable people that you may want to take a look at:

Empowering Quotes for Self Respect

“Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.” – Robert Tew

“Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.” – Abraham Joshua Heschel

“Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” – Unknown

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” – Lao Tzu

“Self-respect is the cornerstone of all virtue.” – John Herschel

“Respect yourself and others will respect you.” – Confucius

“Self-respect is the first step toward gaining respect from others.” – Unknown

quotes for self respect: the word "love yourself"

“Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.” – Helen Keller

“Self-respect knows no considerations.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“Self-respect is a reflection of your inner worth. Don’t let anyone define your value.” – Unknown

“The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” – Steve Maraboli

“Self-respect is not a function of size, age, or wealth. It is a state of mind.” – Unknown

“Never sacrifice your self-respect for the sake of someone else’s approval.” – Unknown

quotes for self respect: a woman is pondering by the window

“Respect yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how you use it. You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won’t accept.” – Anna Taylor

“Remember, self-respect is not selfishness; it’s a necessary foundation for healthy relationships and personal growth.” – Unknown

“Self-respect is a declaration of your own worth.” – Unknown

“Don’t lower your standards for anyone or anything. Self-respect is everything.” – Unknown

“Your self-worth is determined by you. Don’t let anyone else’s opinion of you define who you are.” – Sophia Loren

“Self-respect is not about perfection, but about honoring your authentic self.” – Unknown

“Respecting yourself means listening to your inner voice and following your intuition.” – Unknown

My favourite quotes for self respect

The self respect quotes that I find the most resonate and also the one that I keep reminding myself is :

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945 and a prominent advocate for human rights. Her quote reminds us that our self-worth should not be determined by others and that we have the power to reject any negative opinions or judgments that may come our way.

It highlights the idea that our self-respect is within our control, and we have the choice to not let anyone diminish our sense of value and dignity. 

This simple quote has helped me tremendously in various life situations where I had to make bold choices. It guided me when I faced the decision between compromising with others and maintaining my self-respect. It provided me with mental support, affirming that I am always good enough and empowering me to shield myself from negative or toxic influences from others.

quotes for self respect: a book and a cup of tea

How to practice self respect:

Beside giving you my top Empowering Quotes for Self Respect, I want to write a few words here on how you can practice self respect based on my personal experiences:

Set healthy boundaries:

It’s very important to establish your boundaries. Each person has their own standards, limits, and tolerance levels. It’s perfectly okay to have specific boundaries in various aspects of your life. Your boundaries are meant to serve and protect you from being taken advantage of or becoming exhausted. Your boundaries don’t need to “make sense” or conform to other socially accepted standards. 

They are personal to you and should align with your values and needs.

Identify your limits and communicate them clearly to others. Learn to say “no” when necessary and prioritize your own well-being. Respect your own time, energy, and personal space.

quotes for self-respect: a man is saying "no"

Practice self-care

Prioritize self-care activities that nurture your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Engage in activities that bring you joy, relaxation, and fulfillment. 

Take care of your physical health through exercise, proper nutrition, and adequate rest. You can check out my ultimate self care routine here.

Treat yourself with kindness and understanding. Embrace self-compassion by acknowledging your mistakes, learning from them, and offering yourself forgiveness and support. You can also practice positive self-talk and challenge negative self-criticism within you ( yeah, you will find out that most of your negative self talk just doesn’t make sense).

Quotes for Self Respect: a woman is enjoying her time at home

In conclusion, self-respect is a vital aspect of our well-being and personal growth. I hope that my empowering Quotes for Self Respect will inspire you to nuturing the journey of self love and self respect. 

Remember, practicing self-respect is an ongoing journey that requires self-awareness, self-care, and the courage to set boundaries. By nurturing our self-respect, we pave the way for personal growth, healthy relationships, and a fulfilling life.

2 thoughts on “Empowering Quotes for Self Respect”

  1. I love this!

    30 years ago, I was reading Louise Hay.  She said that every single problem we have in life is the result of not loving ourselves enough.  “Ugh!” I thought, “I’m a lot more complicated than THAT!”  And I threw the book across the room in disgust.

    Now, of course, I know she’s right.  I’m getting better and better at loving and respecting myself all the time.

    The complex PTSD from my totally broken childhood left me without an iota of self-respect.  And the ways this manifested throughout my life were increasingly worse.  It had to get REALLY bad before I even noticed.  It just went without saying that nothing I tried would ever work and having nothing was the default.

    But I’m on the mend.

    By using a multitude of modalities, I have been coming around quite well.  These days, I am constantly having these memories come up of one situation or another where I completely disregarded myself and what I needed.  And it makes me so sad. Sad to see the denial of myself.  Sad to realize how many years of my precious life I wasted on a lie.  But seeing it, is healing it.  And I’m making excellent progress!

    Great quotes!

    These three are the ones that I resonate with the most—

    “Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.” – Helen Keller

    “The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” – Steve Maraboli

    “Self-respect is a declaration of your own worth.” – Unknown

    Thanks so much for this!

    xxoo,

    Anna

    1. Thank you for sharing your story here.
      I agree with you that it seems too simple when we think that most of our problems in life can be traced to the main reason: that we are not loving ourselves enough.
      But self-love and self-respect did change my life as well.
      It’s great to see how you overcame your own challenges and became a better version of yourself every day. Progress is the most important thing!
      Thank you again for visiting my blog!

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