Looking for great quotes about being yourself?
It’s easy to follow the herd and give in to peer pressure and demand for conformity. It is a lot more difficult to strike out on your own and truly be yourself. But being true to yourself is perhaps the greatest gift you can give to the world. (For more on this, check out these 12 ideas for being yourself in any social situation.)
But if you want a quick list of great ideas and sayings about staying true to yourself, then I recommend checking out these 95 quotes about being yourself throughout all aspects of your life.
Let's get to it…
Quotes on Being True to Yourself
One of the major factors of being yourself is accepting who you are; as you are.
These being true to yourself quotes are inspiring reminders that self-acceptance is one of the cornerstones of happiness. If you want to make yourself happy, one of the single best ways to do it is to stop putting up a false front and be yourself.
But like all good things, we must put in the effort to know ourselves better and accept ourselves for who we are. It can sometimes be difficult to even know who “you are” if you have been putting up a false front for long enough.
This is the sort of mental dissonance that can make people very unhappy. One thing that can be of great help when trying to “find yourself” is taking the time and the steps to really study yourself and your feelings.
There are a variety of ways that can help you better understand what you want from your life and be yourself at the same time.
You can:
- Identify “your why” behind every decision that you make.
- Take some core value quizzes to discover your core values.
- Create a list of core values that influence many of your behaviors.
- Use a few mindfulness exercises to tune into your true desires instead of reacting blindly.
Anyway, let's go over a variety of of quotes about being yourself…
- “One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.”– Shannon L. Alder
- “What I am is good enough if I would only be it openly.”– Carl Rogers
- “Being yourself means shedding all the layers of looking good, wanting to be liked, being scared to stand out and trying to be who you think people want you to be. Being yourself means being naked, raw, and vulnerable.”– Jeff Moore
- “With confidence, you have won before you have started.”– Marcus Garvey
- “Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality, and duplicate it.” – Bruce Lee, Actor & Martial Artist
Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality, and duplicate it.” – Bruce Lee, Actor & Martial Artist
- “The strongest force in the universe is a human being living consistently with his identity.”– Tony Robbins
- “We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin.”– Andre Berthiaume
- “No other version, no matter how perfect it is, would ever feel better than being your true self.”– Edmond Mbiaka
- “Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness.”– Allen Ginsberg
- “Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life but define yourself.”– Harvey Fierstein
[Read: 257 Good Words to Describe Yourself in EVERY Situation]
- “Always be a first-rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else.”– Judy Garland
- “I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.”– Frederick Douglass
- “Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece. Help others. Drink deeply from good books. Make friendship a fine art. Build a shelter against a rainy day.”– John Wooden
- “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”– William Shakespeare
- “Our entire life… consists ultimately in accepting ourselves as we are.”– Jean Anouilh
Our entire life… consists ultimately in accepting ourselves as we are.”– Jean Anouilh
- “Take care not to listen to anyone who tells you what you can and can’t be in life.”– Meg Medina
- “Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another.”– Homer
- “Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are.”–Julius Charles Hare
- “If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest, or some guy on television telling you how to do your shit, then you deserve it.”– Frank Zappa
- “We must not allow other people's limited perceptions to define us.”– Virginia Satir
- “Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love.”– Jalaluddin Rumi
- “Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.”– Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Be who you are, not who the world wants you to be.”– Unknown
Quotes About Being Different
There is nothing wrong with being different. In fact, there are many great quotes related doing things differently. These sayings reaffirm that there is nothing wrong with being unique. In fact, as you can see from these positive quotes, being unique and original is not something we should hide from, but the opposite; it is something we should strive for.
And you eel a little unsure about being different, then I encourage you to check out this article that has 11 simple practices you can use to be an interesting person and captivate someone's attention.
Now let's get to the quotes…
- “Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress, and the way to live.”– Gianni Versace
- “Being different isn’t a bad thing. It means you’re brave enough to be yourself.” – Luna Lovegood, Ravenclaw
Being different isn’t a bad thing. It means you’re brave enough to be yourself.” – Luna Lovegood, Ravenclaw
- “Better to be a nerd than one of the herd!”– Mandy Hale
- “Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.”– Bertrand Russell
- “I am different. Not less”– Temple Grandin
- “You were born an original. Don't die a copy.”– John Mason
- “Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire.”– St. Catherine of Sienna
- “There are so many different walks of life, so many different personalities in the world. And no longer do you have to be a chameleon and try and adapt to that environment – you can truly be yourself.”– Hope Solo, Olympic gold medalist
There are so many different walks of life, so many different personalities in the world. And no longer do you have to be a chameleon and try and adapt to that environment – you can truly be yourself.”– Hope Solo, Olympic gold medalist
- “There is nothing more awful, insulting, and depressing than banality.”– Anton Chekhov
- “The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself.” – Rita Mae Brown
- “Fashion is what you adopt when you don’t know who you are.”– Quentin Crisp
- “We are all born originals.”– Edward Young, English poet
We are all born originals.”– Edward Young, English poet
- “Just because they disagree, doesn't mean you ain't right.”– Toba Beta
- “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”– Marilyn Monroe
- “Never dull your shine for somebody else.”– Tyra Banks
- “The things that make me different are the things that make me.”– Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin's favorite teddy bear
- “I think everybody’s weird. We should all celebrate our individuality and not be embarrassed or ashamed of it.”– Johnny Depp
- “To be one's self, and unafraid whether right or wrong, is more admirable than the easy cowardice of surrender to conformity.”– Irving Wallace
- “I’m the pink sheep in the family.”– Alexander McQueen
- “Not all who wander are lost.”– Gandalf, The wisest of the Maiar
- “When you're different, sometimes you don't see the millions of people who accept you for what you are. All you notice is the person who doesn't.”– Jodi Picoult
- “They can’t scare me if I scare them first.”– Lady Gaga
- “You are not a bad person because you are gay. You are you because you are you and you were meant to be you so be you proudly.”– Tegan Quin
How to Be Yourself Quotes
We all know it's important to be yourself. On the other hand, if you never take the time to work on any aspect of your life, then you won't grow as a person.
So while it's important to be yourself, you should also consider building habits, skills, and routines that will skyrocket your personal success.
You can do this in a variety of ways.
First, you can focus on positive habit change. The idea is to get rid of bad habits you might find on this bad habits list and replace them with some good habits you might find on this good habits list.
Next, you can focus on learning new things. Building skills provides a great way to get out of a rut. I'd recommend checking out these 101 skills you can learn and 21 tools you can use for self-education.
Finally, you can set goals that are directly relate what you value. To truly grow as person, we recommend focusing on both short term goals and long term goals.
Now, let's move on to the quotes on how to be yourself…
- “Kites rise high against the wind, not with it.”– Winston Churchill
- “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.”– Coco Chanel
- “Be yourself, but always your better self.”– Karl G. Maeser
- “Don’t let others box you into their idea of what they think you should be. A confined identity is a miserable way to exist. Be you and live free. Trust that in living true to yourself, you will attract people that support and love you, just as you are.”– Jaeda DeWalt
- “The only way you’re going to get through life, happily, is being yourself.”– Nikki Blonsky, American actress
The only way you’re going to get through life, happily, is being yourself.”– Nikki Blonsky, American actress
- “When I was a child, my mother said to me, ‘If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general. If you become a monk, you’ll be the pope.’ Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”– Picasso
- “Originality is… a by-product of sincerity.”– Marianne Moore
- “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou, American poet
You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou, American poet
- “Don't compromise even if it hurts to be yourself.”– Toby Keith
- “You must have control of the authorship of your own destiny. The pen that writes your life story must be held in your own hand.”– Irene C. Kassorla
- “Never complain, never explain. Resist the temptation to defend yourself or make excuses.”– Brian Tracy
- “To help yourself, you must be yourself. Be the best that you can be. When you make a mistake, learn from it, pick yourself up and move on.”– Dave Pelzer
- “As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.”– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”– Mahatma Gandhi, Indian civil rights leader
I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”– Mahatma Gandhi, Indian civil rights leader
- “Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.”– John Jakes
- “The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don't let them put you in that position.”– Leo Buscaglia
Quotes About Being Happy with Yourself
The quotes in this section focus on being happy with yourself — no matter what happens in life. In fact, these sayings remind us, that being ourselves is the key to happiness.
Let's get to them…
- “By being yourself, you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.”– Edwin Elliott
- “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”– Oscar Wilde
- “You're always with yourself, so you might as well enjoy the company.” – Diane Von Furstenberg
- “Believing in our hearts that who we are is enough is the key to a more satisfying and balanced life.”– Ellen Sue Stern
- “Learn to… be what you are and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not.”– Henri Frederic Amiel
- “When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”– Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher
(Here are more Lao Tzu quotes to inspire you to be yourself.)
- “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who you are.”– Kurt Cobain
- “When you dance to your own rhythm, life taps its toes to your beat.”– Terri Guillemets
- “I’m the one that’s got to die when it’s time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”– Jimi Hendrix, American guitarist
I’m the one that’s got to die when it’s time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”– Jimi Hendrix, American guitarist
- “Care about what other people think, and you will always be their prisoner.”– Lao Tzu
- “Believe in your flyness, conquer your shyness.”– Kanye West
- “If you cannot be a poet, be the poem.”– David Carradine
- “I think of life itself now as a wonderful play that I’ve written for myself, and so my purpose is to have the utmost fun playing my part.”– Shirley MacLaine
- “Being confident is the key to life. Don’t be afraid to be you! I’m super different from a lot of kids my age with style and personality, and I’m OK with it. And if you are OK with it, everyone else will be, too. Just be yourself.”– Leo Howard, American actor
- “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”– Muhammad Ali
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”– Muhammad Ali
- “I never want to change so much that people can't recognize me.”– Taylor Swift
But how can we make the changes?
Love Yourself Quotes
Finally, we close things out by talking about loving yourself more. To be honest, this is an area where many people struggle. They want to enjoy life more, but they allow negative self-talk to ruin their confidence. So you need help in this area, then be sure to check out these 13 tips on how to love yourself.
Now, let's get to the quotes…
- “Don’t doubt your value. Don’t run from who you are.”– Aslan
- “Why should we worry about what others think of us, do we have more confidence in their opinions than we do our own?”– Brigham Young
- “It's not your job to like me.. it's mine”–Byron Katie
- “Becoming acquainted with yourself is a price well worth paying for the love that will really address your needs.”– Daphne Rose Kingma
- “Oh, never mind the fashion. When one has a style of one's own, it is always 20 times better.”– Margaret Oliphant, Scottish novelist
- “You need to love yourself and be yourself one hundred percent before you can actually love someone else.”– Christina Perri
You need to love yourself and be yourself one hundred percent before you can actually love someone else.”– Christina Perri
- “To accept ourselves as we are means to value our imperfections as much as our perfections.”– Sandra Bierig
- “Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.”– Brené Brown, American author
- “My willingness to be intimate with my own deep feelings creates the space for intimacy with another.”– Shakti Gawain
- “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”– Buddha
- “Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”– Lucille Ball, American actress
- “Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.”– Malcolm S. Forbes
Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.”– Malcolm S. Forbes
- “If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”– Fred Rogers
- “Just be yourself. There is no one better.”– Taylor Swift
- “I don't want anyone who doesn't want me.”– Oprah Winfrey
- “Love yourself. Be clear on how you want to be treated. Know your worth. Always.” – Maryam Hasnaa
- “To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness.” – Robert Morely
There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty.– Steve Maraboli, Writer
Final Thoughts on Being Yourself Quotes
Hopefully, the quotes on this page have encouraged you to drop some pretense and actually be yourself. Doing this can only work to increase your daily happiness and contentment.
Along with the quotes for being yourself, we shared some links to positive changes you can make that do not change the core of your who you are — important things like forming new habits and learning new skills.
Let me know what you think? Do you enjoy these quotes about being yourself? Or do you think they are lacking? Do you have a specific quote about being yourself you would like to be included? Do you have a specific quote that resonates with you? Are there some quotes you think will simply not be helpful?
In the comments below, please share your thoughts on being yourself, happiness, habits, quotes or anything else discussed on this page
And feel free to use the images as you desire. Just give credit if you reproduce these quote images elsewhere. But if you enjoy these images, please share them on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or your favorite social media platform.
And if you want more eye-opening quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 77 Integrity Quotes to Build Your Character
- 61 Positive & Happy Thoughts to Brighten Your Day
- 41 Focus on Yourself Quotes for 2023
Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then watch this free video that details the 7-minute habit for planning your day to focus on what's truly important to you..
