Self-Love Quotes [200 Powerful Words To Change Your Life]

In the tumult of life, it’s easy to forget our inherent worth.

I remember a time when I was drowning in self-doubt and criticism, unable to see my unique spark. It’s a feeling many of us know all too well.

This is where self-love quotes come in. They serve as powerful reminders of our innate values, helping us reclaim our self-esteem. Through this curated list, I’ve found solace, courage, and affirmation of my own worthiness.

These quotes, born from the wisdom of various minds, can illuminate your path toward self-love just as they have mine. Because you, too, are enough.

Table of Contents

What are Self-Love Quotes?

illustration of a woman with her hair tie up in a bun surrounded by blue butterflies in black background.

Self-love quotes are affirmations, sayings, or expressions that promote the idea of valuing and appreciating yourself. These quotes encourage you to embrace your uniqueness, acknowledge your worth, and prioritize your well-being and happiness.

Below are some examples of self-love quotes that I put together to help you deal with whatever situation you happen to experience.

Remember, you’re not alone.

Self-Love Quotes

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha
“Loving yourself isn’t vanity. It’s sanity.” – Katrina Mayer
“The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.” – Carl Jung
“You are very powerful, provided you know how powerful you are.” – Yogi Bhajan
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” – Rumi
“Dare to love yourself as if you were a rainbow with gold at both ends.” – Aberjhani
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” – Lucille Ball
“Do you want to meet the love of your life? Look in the mirror.” – Byron Katie
“The only person who can pull me down is myself, and I’m not going to let myself pull me down anymore.” – C. JoyBell C.
“The things that make me different are the things that make me.” – A.A. Milne

Seeking quotes that will encourage you to practice more self-love every day? Check out these motivational self-love quotes.

Self-Love Quotes to Give You Courage and Face Fear

“Find the love you seek, by first finding the love within yourself. Learn to rest in that place within you that is your true home.” – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
“Self-love has very little to do with how you feel about your outer self. It’s about accepting all of yourself.” – Tyra Banks
“I found in my research that the biggest reason people aren’t more self-compassionate is that they are afraid they’ll become self-indulgent.” – Brené Brown
“Love yourself unconditionally, just as you love those closest to you despite their faults.” – Les Brown
“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” – Mark Twain
“The hardest challenge is to be yourself in a world where everyone is trying to make you be somebody else.” – E.E. Cummings
“I am my own biggest critic. Before anyone else has criticized me, I have already criticized myself.” – C. JoyBell C.
“To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness.” – Robert Morley
“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
“The moment you know yourself you have known the most precious thing in existence.” – Osho

ALSO READ: Inspirational Self-Love Quotes

Self-Love Quotes to Start Over

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot
“Becoming acquainted with yourself is a price well worth paying for the love that will really address your needs.” – Daphne Rose Kingma
“A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror.” – Ken Keyes
“When I loved myself enough, I began leaving whatever wasn’t healthy. This meant people, jobs, my own beliefs and habits – anything that kept me small.” – Kim McMillen
“You are not an option, a choice, or a soft place to land after a long battle. You were meant to be the one. If you can wrap yourself around the idea that you are something incredible, then you will stop excusing behavior that rapes your very soul.” – Shannon L. Alder
“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” – Jean Shinoda Bolen
“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
“One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.” – Shannon L. Alder
“No other love no matter how genuine it is, can fulfill one’s heart better than unconditional self-love.” – Edmond Mbiaka
“We can’t be so desperate for love that we forget where we can always find it; within.” – Alexandra Elle

ALSO READ: Rumi Quotes on Self-Love

Self-Love Quotes to Stick With Your Principles

“Love is the great miracle cure. Loving ourselves works miracles in our lives.” – Louise Hay
“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.” – Mark Caine
“Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.” – Parker Palmer
“Self-love is an ocean and your heart is a vessel. Make it full, and any excess will spill over into the lives of the people you hold dear. But you must come first.” – Beau Taplin
“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” – William James
“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.” – Rumi
“When you make a mistake, respond to yourself in a loving way rather than a self-shaming way.” – Ellie Holcomb
“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.” – Fred Rogers
“The only love you should desperately search for is the one that comes from you to you.” – Edmond Mbiaka
“You can never meet your potential until you truly learn to love yourself.” – Teresa Collins

ALSO READ: Powerful Self-Love Quotes

Growth Self-Love Quotes

“You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” – Louise Hay
“If you aren’t good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you’ll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren’t even giving to yourself.” – Barbara De Angelis
“We accept the love we think we deserve.” – Stephen Chbosky
“You are a true success if you can trust yourself, love yourself, and be yourself.” – Debasish Mridha
“Self-love is the source of all our other loves.” – Pierre Corneille
“Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul.” – Luther Burbank
“You were born an original work of art. Stay original always. Originals cost more than imitations.” – Suzy Kassem
“If you have the ability to love, love yourself first.” – Charles Bukowski
“If you do not respect your own wishes, no one else will. You will simply attract people who disrespect you as much as you do.” – Vironika Tugaleva
“There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.” – Ernest Hemingway

Want to turn heartbreak into self-growth? Start with these self-love quotes after a breakup.

Self-Love Quotes to Be OK With Your Imperfections

“To accept ourselves as we are meant to value our imperfections as much as our perfections.” – Sandra Bierig
“Admire yourself for your strength and courage. Admire yourself for surviving this far. Admire yourself for always finding a way to make it through.” – Jazmin Whitmore
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Every time you criticize yourself you are criticizing your own creation.” – Deepak Chopra
“Loving yourself starts with liking yourself, which starts with respecting yourself, which starts with thinking of yourself in positive ways.” – Jerry Corsten
“Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your hand brake on.” – Maxwell Maltz
“Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” – Carl Jung
“You are not a mistake. You are not a problem to be solved. But you won’t discover this until you are willing to stop banging your head against the wall of shaming and caging and fearing yourself.” – Geneen Roth
“A healthy self-love means we have no compulsion to justify to ourselves or others why we take vacations, why we sleep late, why we buy new shoes, why we spoil ourselves from time to time. We feel comfortable doing things which add quality and beauty to life.” – Andrew Matthews

ALSO READ: Self-Love Quotes for Women

Self-Love Quotes to Live Your Dream

“Loving yourself does not mean being self-absorbed or narcissistic, or disregarding others. Rather it means welcoming yourself as the most honored guest in your own heart, a guest worthy of respect, a lovable companion.” – Margo Anand
“People may flatter themselves just as much by thinking that their faults are always present to other people’s minds as if they believe that the world is always contemplating their individual charms and virtues.” – Elizabeth Gaskell
“The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” – Steve Maraboli
“Your time, energy, and love are very valuable. Pursue relationships with people who know your worth.” – Anonymous
“Do you want to meet the love of your life? Look in the mirror.” – Byron Katie
“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do.” – Brené Brown
“I am worthy of the very best in life, and I now lovingly allow myself to accept it.” – Louise Hay
“Self-approval and self-acceptance in the now are the keys to positive changes.” – Louise Hay
“I celebrate myself, and sing myself.” – Walt Whitman
“Self-love seems so often unrequited.” – Anthony Powell

ALSO READ: Short Self-Love Quotes

Self-Love Quotes to Let Go of Victim Mindset

“Self-pity gets you nowhere. One must have the adventurous daring to accept oneself as a bundle of possibilities and undertake the most interesting game in the world — making the most of one’s best.” – Harry Emerson Fosdick
“The better you feel about yourself, the less you feel the need to show off.” – Robert Hand
“Love only yourself a little bit longer, until you can’t stand not to love someone else.” – Kiera Cass
“Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who has a low opinion of himself.” – Anthony Trollope
“Believing in our hearts that who we are is enough is the key to a more satisfying and balanced life.” – Ellen Sue Stern
“It isn’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to.” – W.C. Fields
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman
“People who love themselves come across as very loving, generous, and kind; they express their self-confidence through humility, forgiveness, and inclusiveness.” – Sanaya Roman
“You are a piece of the puzzle of someone else’s life. You may never know where you fit, but others will fill the holes in their lives with pieces of you.” – Bonnie Arbor
“You cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with.” – Wayne Dyer

ALSO READ: Bible Self-Love Quotes

Self-Love Quotes to Treat Yourself Well When No One Cares

“Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.” – Hardy D. Jackson
“Be gentle with yourself, learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself, for only as we have the right attitude toward ourselves can we have the right attitude toward others.” – Wilferd Peterson
“There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anaïs Nin
“Self-care is not selfish. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” – Eleanor Brown
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“You’re always with yourself, so you might as well enjoy the company.” – Diane Von Furstenberg
“I must undertake to love myself and to respect myself as though my very life depends upon self-love and self-respect.” – Maya Angelou
“You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, sensitivity, and understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” – Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
“The love for oneself is the source of all other loves.” – Pierre Corneille

Confidence Self-Love Quotes

“She lacks confidence, she craves admiration insatiably. She lives on the reflections of herself in the eyes of others. She does not dare to be herself.” – Anais Nin
“She remembered who she was and the game changed.” – Lalah Deliah
“You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you.” – Brian Tracy
“The real difficulty is to overcome how you think about yourself.” – Maya Angelou
“A diamond doesn’t start out polished and shining. It once was nothing special, but with enough pressure and time, becomes spectacular. Be that diamond.” – Solange Nicole
“To establish true self-esteem we must concentrate on our successes and forget about the failures and the negatives in our lives.” – Denis Waitley
“You were born to be real, not to be perfect. You are here to be you, not to live someone else’s life.” – Ralph Marston
“The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.” – Walt Disney
“She lacks confidence, she craves admiration insatiably. She lives on the reflections of herself in the eyes of others. She does not dare to be herself.” – Anais Nin
“We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light.” – Mary Dunbar

ALSO READ: Self-Love Quotes for Men

Self-Love Quotes For Women

“When a woman becomes her own best friend life is easier.” – Diane Von Furstenberg
“You have to believe in yourself when no one else does – that makes you a winner right here.” – Venus Williams
“I love myself for I am a beloved child of the universe and the universe lovingly takes care of me now.” – Louise Hay
“I was once afraid of people saying, ‘Who does she think she is?’ Now I have the courage to stand and say, ‘This is who I am.'” – Oprah Winfrey
“The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” – Steve Maraboli
“Self-respect, self-worth, and self-love, all start with self. Stop looking outside of yourself for your value.” – Rob Liano
“Self-esteem means knowing you are the dream.” – Oprah Winfrey
“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.” – Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
“Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world.” – Marilyn Monroe
“The absence of self-love can never be replaced with the presence of people’s love for you.” – Edmond Mbiaka

ALSO READ: Happy Valentine’s Day Self-Love Quotes

Best Self-Love Quotes

“Don’t rely on someone else for your happiness and self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that.” – Stacey Charter
“People who want the most approval get the least and the people who need approval the least get the most.” – Wayne Dyer
“Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.” – Malcolm S. Forbes
“Don’t sacrifice yourself too much, because if you sacrifice too much there’s nothing else you can give and nobody will care for you.” – Karl Lagerfeld
“Self-love is the greatest middle finger of all time.” – Unknown
“When I loved myself enough, I began leaving whatever wasn’t healthy. This meant people, jobs, my own beliefs, and habits – anything that kept me small. My judgment called it disloyal. Now I see it as self-loving.” – Kim McMillen
“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” – Lao Tzu
“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
“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” – Benjamin Spock
“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” – Mark Twain

ALSO READ: Self-Love Quotes by Black Authors

Self-Love Quotes to Live in The Present Moment

“I am my own work of art.” – Madonna
“I think everybody’s weird. We should all celebrate our individuality and not be embarrassed or ashamed of it.” – Johnny Depp
“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.” – Michel de Montaigne
“To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness.” – Robert Morley
“A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror.” – Ken Keyes
“In a society that profits from your self-doubt, liking yourself is a rebellious act.” – Caroline Caldwell
“Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.” – Veronica A. Shoffstall
“The fact that someone else loves you doesn’t rescue you from the project of loving yourself.” – Sahaj Kohli
“Do your thing and don’t care if they like it.” – Tina Fey
“A person learns how to love himself through the simple acts of loving and being loved by someone else.” – Haruki Murakami

ALSO READ: Aesthetic Self-Love Quotes

Self-Love Quotes For Self-Acceptance

“If you aren’t good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you’ll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren’t even giving to yourself.” – Barbara De Angelis
“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” – Mark Twain
“The better you feel about yourself, the less you feel the need to show off.” – Robert Hand
“Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.” – Brené Brown
“You are the only person on earth who can use your ability.” – Zig Ziglar
“The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others.” – Sonya Friedman
“The only person who can pull me down is myself, and I’m not going to let myself pull me down anymore.” – C. JoyBell C.
“I don’t want everyone to like me; I should think less of myself if some people did.” – Henry James
“We can’t hate ourselves into a version of ourselves we can love.” – Lori Deschene
“Your problem is you’re… too busy holding onto your unworthiness.” – Ram Dass

ALSO READ: Funny Self-Love Quotes

Self-Love Quotes to Learn to Be Alone

“You’re always with yourself, so you might as well enjoy the company.” – Diane Von Furstenberg
“When admiring other people’s gardens, don’t forget to tend to your own flowers.” – Sanober Khan
“You have to love yourself because no amount of love from others is sufficient to fill the yearning that your soul requires from you.” – Dodinsky
“I am thankful to all those who said no. It’s because of them, I did it myself.” – Albert Einstein
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Believing in our hearts that who we are is enough is the key to a more satisfying and balanced life.” – Ellen Sue Stern
“Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin, as self-neglecting.” – William Shakespeare, Henry V
“Once you embrace your value, talents, and strengths, it neutralizes when others think less of you.” – Rob Liano
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot
“Love is the great miracle cure. Loving ourselves works miracles in our lives.” – Louise L. Hay

ASLO READ: Happiness Self-Love Quotes

Self-Love Quotes For Self-Respect

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha
“The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself.” – Rita Mae Brown
“If you have the ability to love, love yourself first.” – Charles Bukowski
“Self-love is not selfish; you cannot truly love another until you know how to love yourself.” – Unknown
“Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.” – Robert Tew
“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” – Oscar Wilde
“You can never meet your potential until you truly learn to love yourself.” – Teresa Collins
“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
“The only love you find on top of a mountain is the love you bring with you.” – Ken Nerburn
“You, as much as anyone in the entire universe, deserve your love and respect.” – Buddha

Self-Love Quotes to Silent Your Inner Critic

“I am my own biggest critic. Before anyone else has criticized me, I have already criticized myself. But for the rest of my life, I am going to be with me and I don’t want to spend my life with someone who is always critical. So I am going to stop being my own critic.” – C. JoyBell C.
“I love myself. The quietest, simplest, most powerful revolution ever.” – Nayyirah Waheed
“Self-love is an ocean and your heart is a vessel. Make it full, and any excess will spill over into the lives of the people you hold dear. But you must come first.” – Beau Taplin
“To accept ourselves as we are meant to value our imperfections as much as our perfections.” – Sandra Bierig
“The greatest success is successful self-acceptance.” – Ben Sweet
“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.” – Mark Caine
“Don’t doubt yourself, that’s what haters are for.” – Turcois Ominek
“Loving yourself isn’t vanity. It’s sanity.” – Andre Gide
“Trust yourself. Think for yourself. Act for yourself. Speak for yourself. Be yourself. Imitation is suicide.” – Marva Collins
“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson

Self-Love Quotes to Believe in Yourself

“You can receive all the compliments in the world, but that won’t do a thing unless you believe it yourself.” – Criss Jami
“Your time is way too valuable to be wasting on people that can’t accept who you are.” – Turcois Ominek
“Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your hand brake on.” – Maxwell Maltz
“You are not a mistake. You are not a problem to be solved. But you won’t discover this until you are willing to stop banging your head against the wall of shaming and caging and fearing yourself.” – Geneen Roth
“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
“Loving yourself is the greatest revolution.” – Unknown
“Our self-respect tracks our choices. Every time we act in harmony with our authentic selves and our heart, we earn our respect. It is that simple. Every choice matters.” – Dan Coppersmith
“Self-pity gets you nowhere. One must have the adventurous daring to accept oneself as a bundle of possibilities and undertake the most interesting game in the world making the most of one’s best.” – Harry Emerson Fosdick
“You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy.” – Unknown
“One’s dignity may be assaulted, vandalized, and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.” – Michael J. Fox

Self-Love Quotes to Remind You That You’re Enough

“Invent your world. Surround yourself with people, color, sounds, and work that nourish you.” – Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy
“Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.” – Parker Palmer
“The most important day is the day you decide you’re good enough for you. It’s the day you set yourself free.” – Brittany Josephina
“Find the love you seek, by first finding the love within yourself.” – Rumi
“Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.” – Brené Brown
“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.” – Maya Angelou
“We just need to be kinder to ourselves. If we treated ourselves the way we treated our best friend, can you imagine how much better off we would be?” – Meghan Markle
“As I began to love myself, I found that anguish and emotional suffering were only warning signs that I was living against my own truth.” – Charlie Chaplin
“How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.” – Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey
“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop”. – Rumi

Self-Love Quotes to Never Compromise Your Value

“Our first and last love is self-love.” – Christian Nestell Bovee
“You are the one that you are going to spend your life with. So treat yourself kindly.” – Unknown
“I am mine before I am ever anyone else’s.” – Nayyirah Waheed
“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.” – Zen Shin
“One of the best guides to how to be self-loving is to give ourselves the love we are often dreaming about receiving from others.” – Bell Hooks
“Be the love you never received.” – Rune Lazuli
“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?” – Ian Wallace
“Don’t live for the approval of others. Document the moments you’re most in love with yourself, not just the moments you think people will love the most.” – Jay Shetty
“When we look at all the good things we have to be grateful for in our lives, it’s a lot easier to put the frustrating things into perspective. It also allows us to practice self-love, feel happier, and become more resilient.” – Dr. Mark Hyman

Declutter Your Mind With Beautiful Words

Throughout my journey, these self-love quotes have been more than words. They’ve been lifelines, echoing through my moments of doubt, reminding me of my worth.

Reflecting on each quote has been a personal awakening.

Self-love, I’ve discovered, is an ongoing process, not a destination. It demands patience, a lot of it! And kindness, and the courage to stand in my truth.

As I leave you with these quotes, I hope they help you in your self-love journey as they have helped me.

Remember, every act of self-love is a testament to your inherent worth. So, keep loving yourself fiercely and unapologetically, because you are worth it.

ALSO READ: Self-Love Captions Quotes

200 Self-Love Quotes to Change Your Look on Life