Quotes about yourself
page 16

“You're going to get hurt yourself, and badly, if you take everything so hard.”

Madeleine L'Engle (1918–2007) American writer

Source: The Joys of Love

“Open yourself to an encounter with heaven, be as a little child. Release your desire to the winds of the universe. Trust your angels to catch your wish and bring it to you in a delightfully surprising way.”

Doreen Virtue (1958) American writer

Angels, Way, Universe

“If you reveal everything, bare every feeling, ask for understanding, you lose something crucial to your sense of yourself. You need to know things that others don't know. It's what no one knows about you that allows you to know yourself.”

Don DeLillo Point Omega

Source: Point Omega

Feeling, Understanding, Sense

“JACE WAYLAND," she said. "Explain yourself."
Jace was glaring at the cat. "I told you to bring me to Alec! Backstabing Judas."
Church rolled onto his back, purring contentedly.”

Cassandra Clare book City of Bones

Source: City of Bones

Cats

“When you write you tell yourself a story. When you rewrite you take out everything that is NOT the story.”

Stephen King (1947) American author

Variant: When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story,” he said. “When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story.
Source: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

“I noticed that once you realize
someone's watching you it's pretty hard not to find yourself
watching them back.”

Meg Rosoff book How I Live Now

Source: How I Live Now

“Watch, listen, and learn. You can't know it all yourself—anyone who thinks that they do is destined for mediocrity.”

Donald J. Trump (1946) 45th President of the United States of America

Trump: The Way to the Top: The Best Business Advice I Ever Received (2004), p. 20
2000s

Thinking, Learning

“Don't wait for a light to appear at the end of the tunnel, stride down there and light the bloody thing yourself.”

Sara Henderson (1936–2005) Australian writer

Light, Appearance, Waiting

“Never forget that once upon a time, in an unguarded moment, you recognized yourself as a friend.”

Elizabeth Gilbert (1969) American writer

Time, Forgetting

“Why do you do these things to yourself? Not just what you did to the window, but the way you talked to Clary. What are you punishing yourself for? You can't help how you feel.”

Cassandra Clare book City of Glass

Source: City of Glass

Way, Feeling, Help

“Desi, babe. Still playing your little games, I see. Now why don't you be a good Daimon and show yourself to me? (Kyrian)”

Sherrilyn Kenyon book Night Pleasures

Source: Night Pleasures

Game

“You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.”

Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American author

Source: Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller - Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century

“lies are curses you place on yourself.”

Kresley Cole book Dead of Winter

Dead of Winter

“I was foolish because I believed in you. You are a fool because you believe in yourself!”

J. California Cooper (1931–2014) American playwright, novelist. short story writer

Source: In Search of Satisfaction

Fools

“Never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details.”

Arthur Conan Doyle book The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Source: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Boy

“That’s when this warm feeling buzzes through you and you smile to yourself, knowing God’s watching you, knowing that He knows you’re trying to be strong to please Him.”

Randa Abdel-Fattah (1979) contemporary Australian writer of novels for young adults

Source: Does My Head Look Big In This?

God, Smile, Feeling, Strong

“You put yourself out there in the truest way you can and hope others do the same. You'll connect or you won't, but you did what you could.”

Chris Crutcher book Deadline

Source: Deadline

Hope, Way

“It takes courage to make a fool of yourself.”

Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977) British comic actor and filmmaker

Variant: Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself

Fools, Courage, Courageous

“People can be more forgiving than you can imagine. But you have to forgive yourself. Let go of what's bitter and move on.”

Bill Cosby (1937) American actor, comedian, author, producer, musician, activist

People, Imagination, Forgiveness, Moving On

“You belong neither to God nor the state nor me. You belong to yourself and no one else.”

Oriana Fallaci book Letter to a Child Never Born

Source: Letter to a Child Never Born

God

“She and I were still friends, but not best friends, not like we used to be. But we were still friends. She'd known me my whole life. It's hard to throw away history. It was like you were throwing away a part of yourself.”

Jenny Han (1980) American writer

Source: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Life, History, Parting

“The more you try to be interested in other people, the more you find out about yourself.”

Thea Astley (1925–2004) Australian novelist

People

“It is a disaster that wisdom forbids you to be satisfied with yourself and always sends you away dissatisfied and fearful, whereas stubbornness and foolhardiness fill their hosts with joy and assurance.”

Michel De Montaigne (1533–1592) (1533-1592) French-Occitan author, humanistic philosopher, statesman

Source: The Complete Essays

Wisdom, Fear, Joy

“It takes courage to push yourself to places you have never been before… to test yout limits… to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to stay tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossum.”

Anaïs Nin (1903–1977) writer of novels, short stories, and erotica

Pain, Courage

“Have no friends not equal to yourself.”

Confucius (-551–-479 BC) Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher

“When you beat up someone physically, you get excercise and stress relief; when you assault him verbally on the Internet, you just harm yourself.”

Nassim Nicholas Taleb book The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms

Source: The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms

“I don’t know, Sage. You threw yourself in the line of pepper spray for me. You must like me just a little bit.” “I— I figured it’d be a shame to ruin your pretty face,” I stammered.”

Richelle Mead book The Indigo Spell

Source: The Indigo Spell

“You can't blame anyone else,…, no one but yourself. You have to make your own choices and live every agonizing day with the consequences of those choices.”

Max Brooks book World War Z

Source: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

“Don't look pleased with yourself. When Will says 'enterprising, ' he means 'morally deficient. '" "No, I mean enterprising, " said Will. "When I mean morally deficient, I say, 'Now, that's something I would have done.”

Cassandra Clare The Mortal Instruments

Variant: When Will says 'enterprising', he means 'morally deficient.'"
"No, I mean enterprising," said Will. "When I mean morally deficient, I say, 'Now, that's something I would have done.
Source: The Mortal Instruments

“You have punished me long enough, you have punished yourself long enough. Return to me. I beg.”

Melissa de la Cruz Blue Bloods

Source: Blue Bloods

“life is to be lived. if you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don't do that by sitting around.”

Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003) film, stage, and television actress

Life, Way, Support

“You might as well make yourself fly as to make yourself love.”

Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962) American actress, model, and singer

Source: My Story

Love, Flying

“The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term, is the indispensable prerequisite for success.”

Brian Tracy (1944) American motivational speaker and writer

Success

“Blame unto others only as you would first blame yourself.”

T.D. Jakes (1957) American bishop

“But life isn’t about learning to forgive those who have hurt you or forgetting your past. It’s about learning to forgive yourself for being human and making mistakes.”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Time Untime

Life, Forgiveness, Learning, Past

“When you care more if someone else lives than you do about yourself- is that what [love is]?”

Jodi Picoult My Sister's Keeper

Source: My Sister's Keeper

Love

“Here's to opening and upward…
and to yourself and up with you and up with and up with laughing.”

E.E. Cummings (1894–1962) American poet

“This is my doctrine: Give every other human being every right you claim for yourself. Keep your mind open to the influences of nature. Receive new thoughts with hospitality. Let us advance.”

Robert G. Ingersoll (1833–1899) Union United States Army officer

Source: The Liberty of Man, Woman and Child

Nature

“You can’t immerse yourself in something,” Prof said softly, “without coming to respect it.”

Brandon Sanderson (1975) American fantasy writer

Source: Firefight

“In general, I feel if you can't say it clearly you don't understand it yourself.”

John Rogers Searle (1932) American philosopher

Feeling, Understanding

“When you fall in love, the natural thing to do is give yourself to it.”

Haruki Murakami book Norwegian Wood

Source: Norwegian Wood

Love, Nature

“If you don't have doubts you're either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.”

Frederick Buechner (1926) Poet, novelist, short story writer, theologian

Source: Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC (1973)

Faith

“There is this idea that you either read to escape or you read to find yourself.”

Matt Haig book Reasons to Stay Alive

Variant: There is this idea that you either read to escape or you read to find yourself. I don't really see the difference.
Source: Reasons to Stay Alive

Idea, Reading

“Did your mom ever tell you, ‘If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything’? She was right–and talking nicely also applies when you’re talking to yourself, even inside your head. (339)”

Victoria Moran (1950) American writer

Source: Younger by the Day: 365 Ways to Rejuvenate Your Body and Revitalize Your Spirit

Moms

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection”

Sharon Salzberg (1952) American writer

Love, Universe, Wise, Deep

“When you chase a dream, you learn about yourself. You learn your capabilities and limitations, and the value of hard work and persistence.”

Nicholas Sparks (1965) American writer and novelist

Nicholas Sparks, Chapter 11, p. 187
2000s, Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)
Source: Three Weeks With My Brother

Dreams, Learning

“Be Yourself. Life is precious as it is. All the elements for your happiness are already here. There is no need to run, strive, search, or struggle. Just Be.”

Thich Nhat Hanh (1926) Religious leader and peace activist

Life, Happiness, Search

“The corners of his lips curled. “You and your secrets. Ah,, just when I think I’ve solved one mystery about you, up comes another one. I will figure you out one day. Consider yourself warned.”

Kresley Cole American writer

Source: Poison Princess

Secret, Thinking

“If the guy you’re dating doesn’t seem to be completely into you, or you feel the need to start ‘figuring him out,’ please consider the glorious thought that he might just not be that into you. And then free yourself to go find someone that is.”

Greg Behrendt (1963) American comedian

Guy, Feeling

“Don't waste yourself in rejection, nor bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) American philosopher, essayist, and poet

Success
1870s, Society and Solitude (1870)

Beauty

“If you dont respect me what must you think of yourself?”

Cormac McCarthy book No Country for Old Men

Source: No Country for Old Men

Thinking

“How many times have I told you not to believe everything you hear? Seek truth for yourself.”

Isabel Allende book Kingdom of the Golden Dragon

Source: Kingdom of the Golden Dragon

Truth, Time

“Just because he has black fingernails doesn't mean he's a monster-that's how you've defended yourself for years.”

Ellen Schreiber (1967) American writer

Source: Dance with a Vampire

“Why bother? I was right all along: the second you make yourself vulnerable to someone, they start drawing blood.”

Poppy Z. Brite (1967) Novelist, short story writer, food writer

Drawing

“Sometimes you have to give yourself to somebody in order to see who you are. Sometimes you have to unravel things to get to the core”

Cecelia Ahern (1981) Irish novelist

Source: The Gift

“Don't let the old story repeat itself now. Arm yourself with all that's happened.”

Anne Rice (1941) American writer

“Once you told yourself a story enough times, it was so easy to keep on believing it.”

Scott Westerfeld (1963) American science fiction writer

Time

“Rule #3 - It's okay to believe yourself better than the rest of the planet, so long as you keep it to yourself.”

Bisco Hatori (1975) Japanese manga artist

Source: Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 6

“If you're crazy, there's two things you can do to make yourself feel better: One is to get yourself cured. The other is to make everyone you have to deal with crazy.”

Alan Dean Foster (1946) American fiction writer

Feeling

“You know you're going to get burned from time to time. It's just part of the game. So when it happens you have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and forget about it because they're about to snap the ball again.”

Michael Connelly book The Fifth Witness

Source: The Fifth Witness

Game, Time, Parting, Forgetting

“You will learn a lot about yourself if you stretch in the direction of goodness, of bigness, of kindness, of forgiveness, of emotional bravery. Be a warrior for love.”

Cheryl Strayed book Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

Source: Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

Love, Forgiveness, Learning

“You will be loved and respected only if you love and respect yourself.”

Paulo Coelho book Manuscript Found in Accra

Source: Manuscript Found in Accra

Love

“Why do you insist upon destroying yourself?”

Charles Bukowski book Hollywood

Source: Hollywood

“Zsadist: I didn't make up the rules of this scenario
Wrath: You'll die if you go by yourself.
Zsadist: Well… I'm kind of ready to get off the ride.
Phury felt his skin get tight all over.”

Jessica Bird (1969) U.S. novelist

Source: Lover Awakened

“My answer is: Recognize yourself in others”

Nadine Gordimer (1923–2014) South african Nobel-winning writer

“Anxiety, the next gumption trap, is sort of the opposite of ego. You're so sure you'll do everything wrong you're afraid to do anything at all. Often this, rather than "laziness," is the real reason you find it hard to get started. This gumption trap of anxiety, which results from over-motivation, can lead to all kinds of errors of excessive fussiness. You fix things that don't need fixing, and chase after imaginary ailments. You jump to wild conclusions and build all kinds of errors into the machine because of your own nervousness. These errors, when made, tend to confirm your original underestimation of yourself. This leads to more errors, which lead to more underestimation, in a self-stoking cycle. The best way to break this cycle, I think, is to work out your anxieties on paper. Read every book and magazine you can on the subject. Your anxiety makes this easy and the more you read the more you calm down.”

Robert M. Pirsig book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Source: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974), Ch. 26
Source: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

Books, Way, Error, Motivation

“The unfortunate thing about working for yourself is that you have the worst boss in the world. I work every day of the year except at Christmas, when I work a half day.”

David Eddings (1931–2009) American novelist

World, Christmas

“Above all things, respect yourself.”

Pythagoras (-585–-495 BC) ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher

Variant translations: Respect yourself above all. As quoted in Divine Harmony: The Life and Teachings of Pythagoras http://www.sacredscience.com/pythagoras.htm by John Strohmeier and Peter Westbrook. (1999) Above all things reverence thy self. Above all things, respect yourself. Above the cloud with its shadow is the star with its light. Above all things reverence thyself. The Golden Verses Variant: Above all things reverence thy Self.