32 Self-Love Quotes: To Remind You To Love Yourself 

You likely know the saying, “you’re your own worst critic.” Unfortunately, we often have to be reminded to love ourselves. That’s easier said than done, of course!

We often focus on our flaws, faults, and failures instead of the things we do well. Over time, this can lead to a negative self-image and less-than-stellar mental and spiritual health. To improve your holistic wellness, you must remember how to love yourself as a beautiful human being.

Fortunately, the path to self-love has already been paved by thousands of excellent thinkers, writers, and philosophers. Today, let’s take a look at some important self-love quotes to remind you to love yourself no matter what.

General Self-Love Quotes

Some of the most inspirational quotes for self-love aren’t intended for a specific group or pursuit. These are just helpful, ego-reinforcing quotes you can recite to yourself in the morning in front of the bathroom mirror or before you go to bed.

The best self-love quotes are universal and applicable to everyone; after all, we all get down in the dumps from time to time, and our minds could use a little soothing! Many of the below sentiments have been echoed or repeated by great minds such as Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Charles Bukowski, and even Princess Diana of Wales.

With that said, check out these general self-love quotes below.

1. “You can never meet your potential until you truly learn to love yourself.” – Teresa Collins

This quote might seem obvious, but it’s anything but. Many people don’t love themselves – or don’t give themselves permission to practice self-love – until they reach some standard or achieve some objective. Unfortunately, this is the wrong way to go about achieving anything!

To tackle major obstacles and overcome significant challenges, you must love yourself from the get-go.

2. “You were born an original work of art. Stay original always. Originals cost more than invitations.” – Suzy Kassem

Kassem’s quote provides us with some timeless wisdom we could all do with listening to more frequently. Simply put, exactly how you are now is exactly how you should be. You shouldn’t try to emulate or imitate others beyond a certain extent. You’re the only person who can love your true self without real difficulty, so don’t sweat your lack of perfection.

3. “Be very, very, very gentle with yourself. The world is very, very hard on you.” – Srividya Srinivasan

Each day, we face numerous challenges and obstacles on the way to our goals. We have a hard time at work, we find difficulties with our relationships, and we strain under the stress of expectations from society, our peers, and our family members.

The world will already punish you enough for missteps. It’s much better to love yourself and treat yourself to a pep talk every day than to berate yourself over and over for something you can no longer change.

4. “When admiring other people’s gardens, don’t forget to tend to your own flowers.” – Sandbar Khan

It’s easier than ever to compare yourself – and your life’s achievements or accolades – to others. While social media has helped connect people and form friendships, it has also inspired negative social behaviors, like causing you to compare yourself to other people.

You should focus on your own life and what you can do to improve your situation instead of focusing on what others already have.

5. “To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness.” – Robert Morely

Many people in romantic relationships expect everything to fall into place immediately. In a certain sense, they subconsciously believe that if they can get someone to love them, they will eventually love themselves, and everything will be fine.

In truth, you need to fall in love with yourself first. The best relationships, romantic and otherwise, occur between two fully developed people who love themselves first and foremost.

6. “Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s own sunshine.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

While the quote may be a bit confusing, it’s very insightful once you parse it. Most of the anxiety or sadness you’ll feel will come from within rather than from without.

Anxiety or pain can come from your own self-critique, lack of self-respect, or focus on your faults and flaws. Don’t focus too much on what you do wrong; focus on what you do right.

7. “Just do what works for you because there’ll always be somebody who thinks differently.” – Michelle Obama

This is a timeless quote we can all do to remember. When it comes to self-love, our greatest opponents are often ourselves. But this is a bad habit that we should all train ourselves out of.

8. “Loving yourself isn’t vanity; it’s sanity.” – Katrina Mayer

All too often, it can feel a little self-congratulatory or egotistical to practice self-love. Should we really practice affirmations in the mirror and tell ourselves that we look great? Won’t that just make our egos grow out of control?

In truth, not really. In fact, the opposite is more likely to occur for most people, especially since comparisons often browbeat us to others or by the demands of society.

9. “All people deserve kindness, but none more so than you.” – Justin Kan

Many of the kindest people focused too much on others and not enough on themselves. They’ll spend endless time and energy trying to be nice to other people, singing their praises, and giving them every advantage or leg up they can think of.

But when it comes to practicing self-care or self-love, these same beautiful individuals fall far short. If this sounds like you, and you fall into the giver archetype, you need to remember that you deserve your kindness just as much as others.

10. “Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?” – Ian Wallace

Many people struggle with standing out or taking credit for their achievements. As Ian Wallace suggests, you were born to stand out. You don’t need to fit in with the crowd. This is a hard lesson to learn, especially for teenagers and young adults, but it’s worth repeating even into adulthood. We all want to be accepted by our peers, but not at the cost of losing what makes us special.

11. “There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.” – Hindu Proverb

This proverb frames the struggle to practice self-love as a contest against your previous self. Each day, you should try to be kinder to yourself and do better than you did the day previously. You don’t have any real competitors aside from yourself in the game of life.

Self-Love Quotes for Women

While some self-love quotes are helpful for everyone, others are more targeted or specific. Women face many challenges, particularly in the modern world, whether at home, in the workplace, or in the political arena. But thinkers and speakers ranging from Jean Shinoda Bolen to Andrea Dykstra to Meghan Markle to Madonna show that solving a self-love deficit is up to you.

With that in mind, let’s look at some helpful self-love quotes for women. If you’re a woman, remember to draw on these quotes for advice or strength when the going gets tough.

12. “The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do.” – Swati Sharma

This quote illustrates an important life lesson for many women across different industries and age groups. Many women lack self-confidence because of their upbringing, the mixed messages that society sends them, or other reasons.

However, you can practice self-love by giving yourself self-confidence by doing exactly what you are afraid to do. This is easier said than done, and it’s still important to practice consistently.

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

Anna Taylor is right on the money with this quote, as the only way to practice self-love in relationships is to set healthy boundaries. Note that this is true for professional relationships, like workplace peer relationships, and personal ones, like those with your spouse or significant other.

14. “It is not my responsibility to be beautiful. I’m not alive for that purpose. My existence is not about how desirable you find me.” – Warsan Shire

This quote is particularly applicable to women who may struggle with beauty standards in our modern society. Remember, you’re alive for whatever goals or dreams you have, not for how attractive someone sees you in the moment. This can help you practice self-love by reaffirming your value as a person no matter what you look like.

15. “Accepting yourself only as long as you look a certain way isn’t self-love, it’s self-destruction.” – Laci Green

Many women also struggle with aspects of image and physical identity in our modern society. This is no surprise given our society’s focus on women’s bodies, particularly in a sexual context.

As women like Glennon Doyle and Eartha Kitt show, the best way to practice self-love is to accept yourself no matter what you look like. You are beautiful on the inside and outside, no matter how much you weigh or your body shape.

16. “Unconditional self-love is all that really matters in life. It’s where real life begins.” – Anonymous

Though we don’t know who said this quote, we believe it is true, especially in the modern era. Just like with Laci Green’s quote, it’s important to remember that unconditional self-love is the key to true happiness and life satisfaction. Don’t only love yourself if you weigh a certain amount or try to meet some unattainable beauty standard.

Love yourself for you!

Self-Love & Happiness Quotes

Self-love is, at its core, about maximizing happiness and wellness. The pursuit of happiness can be difficult at best, especially if you don’t love yourself or don’t see yourself as worthwhile. Hopefully, these quotes will change that by showing you the connection between loving yourself and feeling happy and optimistic about the world!

17. “The self-love needed for self-care is missing. Academicians use terms like self-esteem, self-worth, self-support, self-care, but rarely self-love. That is left to the spiritual community. People don’t realize that taking care of their own needs, eating, drinking, brushing their teeth, showering, wearing clean clothes, going to work, are all acts of self-love.” – Angela C. Santomero

The above quote is very important to remember when considering self-love in the context of holistic self-care. Self-care is crucial for mental and spiritual health. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t feel good and won’t feel like being kind to other people.

18. “Self-kindness is self-empathy. And even when I talk to myself like someone I love, and it feels weird, it works.” – Brene Brown

Brene Brown is right about a lot of things, but especially this. Being kind to yourself is a form of empathy, albeit one we aren’t usually trained to cultivate. Generally, we think about empathy as something we offer to other people.

But it’s important to remember that you can and should practice self-love so you can show empathy to yourself.

19. “I’m constantly amazed by how easily we love ourselves above all others, yet we put more stock in the opinions of others than in our own estimation of self. How much credence we give to the opinions our peers have of us and how little to our very own!” – Marcus Aurelius

You just read a quote from one of the most famous (and, according to historians, most successful) Roman emperors of all time. Marcus Aurelius was, for all of his power and influence, a man plagued by self-doubts. So it’s no surprise that he produced this fantastic quote, which illustrates how we can “love” ourselves to some degree yet allow that love to fade by focusing too much on the opinions of others.

20. “Hatred is never ended by hatred, but by love.” – Buddha

The Buddha was and is a source of enlightenment and wisdom for many topics and people of all ages. He’s also right on this count. Happiness can be thought of as the absence of hatred, and self-hatred is the most corrosive poison.

Therefore, the best antidote to this poison is practicing self-love by reminding yourself of these quotes or practicing self-care strategies.

21. “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” – Dr. Maya Angelou

Dr. Angelou is right about this; self-love is more than just feeling comfortable. It’s about achieving your ultimate potential! Don’t try to be normal. Instead, focus on what makes you unique and special, and you’ll not only feel better, but you’ll also be able to look back on your life with no regrets. Now that’s self-love!

22. “Seek to be whole, not perfect.” – Oprah Winfrey

Oprah has provided timeless advice throughout the years, and this self-love quote is just as applicable now as it was when she first uttered it. It’s important to seek what makes you feel good for being you and cut yourself a break from time to time.

Being “whole” — feeling complete and satisfied with yourself and your journey — is much more important than making no mistakes. No matter how hard you try, mistakes are inevitable, so don’t stop loving yourself for the occasional mess-up!

23. “Love yourself first, and everything else falls in line. You have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” – Lucille Ball

The TV actress, comedian, and personality is just the person to ask about self-love. She was always an irrepressible force for good in optimism, so take her advice to heart. Once you love yourself, you’ll find that your dreams, ambitions, and efforts go more smoothly. You’ll feel more confident, attractive, and satisfied wherever your life takes you.

24. “How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.” – Rupi Kaur

It’s a truism that those who don’t love themselves don’t get much kind attention or love in return. This can create a negative and self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s better to love yourself in the best, gentlest way possible. This sets a good example for anyone you may wish to love you in the future, like a spouse, significant other, or family member.

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

This woman, once called the First Lady of the World, knew a lot about feeling inferior. She faced a very difficult life, but that experience is distilled into this wise quote.

You’re in charge of feeling inferior or up to any challenge ahead of you. If you practice self-love and love yourself each and every day, you’ll be able to overcome any obstacle in your path. Even better, the harmful words of those seeking to tear you down will have much less power.

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

It’s tempting to fall into the trap of thinking you’ll be complete when you find the perfect person. In reality, you should focus on self-love first and foremost because you’ll spend the most time with yourself.

Plus, if you have a good relationship with yourself, you’ll be more confident and more comfortable throughout your life, wherever your journey takes you. Don’t forget that loving yourself is the first step to true happiness!

27. “Be healthy and take care of yourself, but be happy with the beautiful things that make you, you.” – Beyoncé

As Beyoncé says, it’s okay to focus on health and physical fitness. At the same time, however, it’s important not to become obsessed with this. Instead, focus on the great things about your personality that are inherent or intrinsic. These include things like your personality, your desires, and your dreams! All of those make you worthy of love without lifting a single weight at the gym or eating a single healthy snack.

28. “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.” – Coco Chanel

Chanel’s quote highlights the importance and ease with which you can begin loving yourself right now. As soon as you start loving yourself, you’ll see much more improvements in your mental and emotional well-being. The odds are you’ll see the world as more beautiful, too!

29. “Self-care is how you take your power back.” – Lalah Delia

Delia’s quote is important for anyone who has faced adversity. If you’ve experienced a traumatic event, you can begin walking the path to recovery by loving yourself first and foremost. When you practice self-care, you’ll feel your confidence return. Don’t look for someone else to save you; instead, take things into your own hands and tell yourself that you are worth it each and every day.

30. “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

Take this quote to heart if you find time passing faster than you like. If you focus on self-care and self-love, you’ll be able to organize your life and your time more wisely, focus on your goals, and do what matters to you rather than wasting your time pursuing the dreams and passions of others.

This quote is especially important to keep in mind if you are a college student or young professional. Love yourself and what you want to pursue, and make no compromises if you want to use your life in the best way possible.

31. “You’re always with yourself, so you might as well enjoy the company.” – Diane von Furstenberg

Remember, you’ll spend most of your life with yourself! Because of this, it’s doubly important to practice self-love at every opportunity. The last thing you want is to not be able to hang out with yourself or simply enjoy the silence.

On the flip side, how awesome would it be if you could be your own best friend? It might even be the beginning of a lifelong romance — with yourself.

32. “Don’t waste your energy trying to change opinions. Do your thing, and don’t care if they like it.” – Tina Fey

The actress and comedian Tina Fay has had a lot of criticism over the years, but she’s right when she recommends not paying attention to those critics. Instead, focus on what you like to do and what makes you, you! You’ll never make critics perfectly happy, anyway.

Summary

Self-love is a lifelong journey, and you should expect to continually recite these quotes and fight your inner critic for a long time to come. But with the right motivation, you can practice self-love and feel better about yourself than ever, especially if you combine these reciting these quotes with some good self-care strategies and hobbies.

Taking a long walk, undertaking an exercise routine, and eating well are all practical ways to practice self-love. 1AND1 can help you get 1% better every day by offering advice and recommendations regarding these practices and more. Check out our resources today.

Sources:

Marcus Aurelius | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Self-Talk | CALE Learning Enhancement

Self-Love and What It Means | Brain & Behavior Research Foundation