The self-esteem , that is, the value we make of ourselves , is one of the most important factors influencing our personal well-being. Having high self-esteem is key to relating with others, and makes us resilient in the face of adversity.

What determines whether we have high or low self-esteem depends basically on four factors: our history of triumphs and the position we achieve through the recognition they bring, the areas associated with these triumphs (if they are significant for us), the respect and interest we receive from others, and the external or internal attribution we make of the negative events we encounter every day.

The different types of self-esteem

Self-esteem is a topic that is of great interest from the point of view of psychology. Professionals in this discipline are well aware of the importance that this variable has in the appearance of emotional and psychological problems .

Psychologists have been interested in this subject, and from Psychology and Mind we have made several articles that deal with it. If you want to deepen your knowledge of self-esteem, you can read our articles:

  • The 4 types of self-esteem: do you value yourself?
  • 10 keys to increase your self-esteem in 30 days
  • Low self-esteem? When you become your own worst enemy

Top 50 self esteem quotes

Throughout history, many well-known characters have referred to this psychological variable in their works, self-esteem. In today’s article, I will review the 50 best quotes that refer to the ability to know oneself , improve self-esteem and enhance self-love.

Let’s get started!

1. When you recover or discover something that feeds your soul and brings you joy, make sure you love yourself enough and make room for it in your life (Jean Shinoda Bolen)

Sometimes, the things that make us really happy go through our life without us even noticing . Loving ourselves includes valuing those things or people around us that, for different reasons, we may not take into account. In this way we will regret it in the future.

2. You yourself, as much as anyone else in the entire universe, deserve his love and affection (Buddha)

Buddha tells us in this sentence that no one will love us as much as we do, and that, although sometimes it is hard for us to see it, we all deserve our own love and affection.

  • More Buddha phrases. “10 Buddhist phrases for finding inner peace”

3. Always remember that you not only have the right to be an individual, but you have an obligation to be one (Eleanor Roosevelt)

Although we are sometimes blinded by the negative, Roosevelt reminds us that we must be aware that we are unique and valuable people .

4. If only you would realize, how important you are to the lives of those you know, how important you could be to the people you have not yet dreamed of meeting. There is something about you that you leave in every person you meet (Fred Rogers)

You need to know that you leave a mark on the people you know. We all have qualities that are valued by other people .

5. Low self-esteem is like driving through life with the hand brake on (Maxwell Maltz)

This sentence by Maxwell Maltz says that low self-esteem is our worst enemy , it’s like carrying a backpack full of stones.

6. What lies ahead of us and behind us are but trifles compared to what lies within us (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Happiness is not found outside, but within us. We often make a mistake when we think that others will make us happy or that by buying things we will be satisfied. That is not true, because what really makes us happy is to be well off with ourselves and to be satisfied with what we need .

7. Until you value yourself, you don’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it (M. Scott Peck)

The first step to do something in this life is to value yourself , because when we have low self-esteem, we become immobilized.

8. A person cannot be comfortable without his own approval (Mark Twain)

It is impossible for a person to be happy if they do not value themselves positively and if they do not love themselves enough. It is necessary to love oneself in order to be happy.

9. Never be silently harassed. Never allow yourself to become a victim. Don’t accept anyone’s definition of your life; define yourself (Harvey Fierstein)

Treating yourself badly is the worst thing we can do. It is also not good to let others guide us and decide what we have to do in this life. Personal development starts by defining yourself and fighting for what you want.

10. Love yourself first and everything else falls into place. You have to love yourself to do anything in this world (Lucille Ball)

Loving oneself is the first step to do anything in this life . If we don’t love ourselves no one will respect us and we will be in constant suffering.

11. Self-care is not a selfish act, it is simply the proper handling of the only gift I have, the gift by which I am in the world to offer others (Parker Palmer)

Treating oneself well does not mean that we are selfish people , in fact, it is necessary for personal well-being. So, in order not to suffer more than you have to take time for yourself and treat yourself with love.

12. When you take the view that any criticism you make is a self-criticism, that any judgment you make is a self-judgment, you wisely develop in yourself an unconditional love that will be the light of the world (Harry Palmer)

This phrase means that we should not waste time criticizing others and judging them. We must spend that time on ourselves, on getting better every day.

13. Why should we care what others think of us, we have more confidence in their opinions than in our own? (Brigham Young)

Constantly thinking about what others think about us is not good from the point of view of emotional balance. As already said, happiness is in oneself .

  • If you want to stop thinking about what others think about you, here are some tips in this article: “Tips to stop thinking about what others think about you”

14. To establish true self-esteem we must focus on our successes and forget about the failures and negative events in our lives (Denis Waitley)

Our successes, or rather, our perception of our successes will be key in the development of our self-esteem . Taking away the iron from our failures and seeing them as opportunities to learn is the best way for a healthy development of self-esteem.

15. Healthy self-esteem means that we do not have to justify to ourselves or others when we go on vacation, when we stay up late, when we buy new shoes, when we give ourselves a prize from time to time. We feel comfortable doing things that add quality of life to our daily lives (Andrew Matthews)

We must be tolerant with ourselves, accept ourselves as we are and treat us with love in order to have a healthy self-esteem . This can be easy, but we tend to be hard on ourselves, something that does not benefit us.

16. Our self-respect marks our choices. Every time we act in harmony with our authentic self and heart, we earn respect.It is that simple. Every choice matters (Dan Coppersmith)

We choose to treat each other with love and respect . If we don’t, we run the risk of suffering too much. In the end, the choice is ours.

17. People flatter themselves, thinking that their failures are always present in other people’s minds, as if they believe that the world is always looking at their individual charms and virtues (Elizabeth Gaskell)

We tend to have the perception that others are aware of our mistakes and failures. This is not the case, since others may not see things that happen to us in such a pessimistic way .

18. Don’t depend on someone else to make you happy and to value you. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can’t love and respect yourself, no one can make that happen (Stacey Charter)

No one is going to love you more than yourself . There are many individuals who depend on other people to make them happy, and in reality they are empty. You have to empower yourself in the face of life, to love and respect yourself every day.

19. Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes it come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs to be alive. Then go and do that. Because the world needs people who want to be alive (Howard Washington Thurman)

To be able to give to others it is essential to have covered one’s own needs . If you have a void in your life or something you are not comfortable with, you will hardly be able to help others.

20. Too many people overestimate what they are not and underestimate what they are (Malcolm S. Forbes)

It is very common that people value little what we are and aspire to be what we are not . We have to start valuing what we have, which I’m sure is a lot.

21. Have faith in what is in there (André Gide)

This phrase reminds us that we should believe in ourselves because we are all valuable people . We all have virtues and abilities that characterize us and that we can offer to the world.

22. Regardless of which way you decide to take, there is always someone who will tell you that you are wrong. There are always derived difficulties that tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To chart a course of action and follow it to its end requires courage (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

It is difficult not to be influenced by what others tell us . But the real well-being lies in finding our own way, the one we want.

23.Never bow your head. Always hold it up high. Look the world straight in the eye (Helen Keller)

If you go through life with your head down you will not be able to see the path you want to follow . Although it is not easy sometimes, you need to look ahead and pull yourself together.

24. You’ve been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try flattering yourself and see what happens (Louise L. Hay)

It’s easy to criticize yourself when things aren’t going well. It is better to change strategy and accept and love yourself .

25. Loving oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance (Oscar Wilde)

Loving oneself, as Oscar Wilde says, is essential for success in life. When you love yourself, you don’t need anyone’s approval .

26. Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does (William James)

We don’t always value the things we do . But if we do them with the best intention, they will surely be well done.

27. The most incredible people we have known are those who have known defeat, suffering, struggle, loss, and have found their way from the depths. These people have an appreciation, sensitivity, and understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and deep loving concern. Incredible people do not just happen (Elizabeth Kubler-Ross)

Having suffered and had a bad time in life makes us grow . When wounds heal you become stronger.

28. You are always with yourself, so you could enjoy your own company (Diane Von Furstenberg)

It is not easy to accept loneliness and spend time alone . But it is also not bad to take time to get to know yourself. It is a time to grow.

29. Who looks outside, dreams: who looks inside, wakes up (Carl Gustav Jung)

You have to live in the present and be in the here and now to be realistic . That is one of the keys to happiness.

30. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent (Eleanor Roosevelt)

You decide if you want to be happy or not , if you want what others think of you to affect you. You know, it’s up to you, exclusively.

31. The better you feel about yourself, the less you need to teach it (Robert Hand)

If you are good with yourself, you don’t need the approval of others and you don’t need to prove anything to anyone.

32. I think everyone’s weird. We should all celebrate our individuality and not be ashamed of it (Johnny Depp)

We are all perfectly imperfect, so don’t worry about it or take it the wrong way You are unique in the world!

33. You are very powerful, as long as you know how powerful you are (Yogi Bhajan)

Self-knowledge is power . The problem is in always doubting your potential. You have to believe in yourself.

34. It’s not what they call you, it’s what you answer (W.C. Fields)

Sometimes you may not like some things about others . But people will remember how you behave about it. For example, if someone gets on your nerves and you insult them, they will surely remember your insult.

35. There are days when I drop flattering words on myself like leaves falling from a tree and I remember that it is enough to take care of myself (Brian Andreas)

We tend to forget to flatter ourselves because it is easier to criticize ourselves . When we do this, we realize that it is really simple.

36. Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do (Benjamin Spock)

We must trust ourselves , although we may underestimate ourselves many times.

37. Because if you believe in yourself, you don’t try to convince others. Because if one is happy with oneself, one does not need the approval of others. Because if one accepts himself, the whole world accepts him too (Lao-Tzu)

When one is at ease with oneself no matter what others say . You feel strong and ready to face the day to day.

38. People who need the most approval from others get little. And those who don’t need approval from others get more (Wayne Dyer)

If you are looking for the approval of others you will probably not find it . Instead, when you trust yourself, people look for you.

39. There is nothing noble about being superior to other men. True nobility is being superior to your previous self (Hindu proverb)

This Hindu proverb reminds us that the truly noble thing is to surpass oneself continuously. If you want to, you can!

40. I found in my own research that the biggest reason people are not self-pitying is that they are afraid to become self-indulgent. They believe that self-criticism is what keeps them in line. Many people think so because our culture says that being hard on yourself is the right way to be (Kristen Neff)

This sentence refers to the cultural influence and how this society demands so much from us . You have to re-educate yourself to be happy.

41. Your problem is that you are… so busy clinging to your guilt (Ram Dass)

Guilt is a backpack that accompanies us everywhere and that weighs too much . Better to get rid of it.

42. The prize of conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself (Rita Mae Brown)

Conformity is synonymous with immobility , and therefore, in the long run it does not make you feel good.Leaving the comfort zone puts you to the test and allows you to grow and develop.

43. She has no confidence in herself, she craves insatiably admiration. She lives in the reflections of herself in the eyes of others. She does not dare to be herself (Anais Nin)

It is sad not to dare to be oneself . This causes unhappiness, because personal development is intimately related to self-confidence and to knowing oneself and fighting for one’s goals.

44. People are like glasses. They shine when the sun rises, but when darkness comes they reveal true beauty only if there is an inner light (Elisabeth Kübler-Ross)

The true beauty of each is within . But it only emerges when one is aware of it.

45. It took me a long time not to judge myself through the eyes of others (Sally Field)

It is common for us to judge ourselves only by how others think of us . But in time one can learn to overcome this and focus only on what one wants in life.

46.To want to be someone else is to waste the person you are (Marilyn Monroe)

Phrase of the great American diva. Don’t waste time trying to be someone else, love yourself as you are, you are worth a lot .

47.Other people’s opinions about yourself should not become your reality (Les Brown)

We are all influenced by what others think of us. But should never affect us more than .

48. I don’t know the key to success but the key to failure is trying to please everyone (Woody Allen)

The great filmmaker and actor Woody Allen gives in the key: if you try to make everyone happy, you will completely lose your essence as a human being .

49.Fate decides who enters your life, but only you decide who stays (Anonymous)

A sentence by an unknown author that emphasizes each person’s criteria for rational selection of the company .

50.The religion of all people should be to believe in themselves (Jiddu Krishnamurti)

This phrase from the Indian philosopher and writer reveals the importance of believing in our dreams.