Love yourself unconditionally, just as you love those closest to you despite their faults.
—Les Brown
He who falls in love with himself will have no rivals.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
You will always have to live with yourself, and it is to your best interest to see that you have good company—a clean, pure, straight, honest, upright, generous, magnanimous companion.
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
There are wounds of self-love which one does not confess to one’s dearest friends.
—Jean Antoine Petit-Senn (1792–1870) French-Swiss Lyric Poet
Resolve to be thyself: and know, that he who finds himself, loses his misery.
—Matthew Arnold (1822–88) English Poet, Critic
Those who have affirmed self-love to be the basis of all our sentiments and actions are much in the right. There is no occasion to demonstrate that men have a face; as little need is there of proving to them that they are actuated by self-love.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Self-love is an instrument useful but dangerous: it often wounds the hand which makes use of it, and seldom does good without doing harm.
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78) Swiss-born French Philosopher
Know that you are your greatest enemy, but also your greatest friend.
—Jeremy Taylor
There’s only one me, and I’m stuck with him.
—Kurt Vonnegut (1922–2007) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
There is a voice inside which speaks and says: “This is the real me!”
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
Self-love is the greatest of all flatterers.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Self-love for ever creeps out, like a snake, to sting anything which happens to stumble upon it.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.
—Sarah Ban Breathnach (b.1947) American Self-help Author
Well-ordered self-love is right and natural.
—Thomas Aquinas (1225–74) Italian Catholic Priest, Philosopher, Theologian
The cause of all the blunders committed by man arises from excessive self-love. He who intends to be a great man ought to love neither himself nor his own things, but only what is just, whether it happens to be done by himself or by another.
—Plato (428 BCE–347 BCE) Greek Philosopher, Mathematician, Educator
Accept yourself as you are. Otherwise you will never see opportunity. You will not feel free to move toward it; you will feel you are not deserving.
—Maxwell Maltz (1899–1975) American Surgeon, Motivational Writer
Practice being at home with yourself, as you step out to be with others.
—Marcia Wieder
Our first and last love is… self-love.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
It is of practical value to learn to like yourself. Since you must spend so much time with yourself you might as well get some satisfaction out of the relationship.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.
—Walt Disney (1901–66) American Entrepreneur
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 (b.1951) American Self-Help Author
Love thyself last.—Cherish the hearts that hate thee.—Be just and fear not.—Let all the ends thou aimest at be thy country’s, thy God’s, and truth’s; then if thou fallest, thou fallest a blessed martyr.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
If only I had a little humility, I’d be perfect.
—Ted Turner (b.1938) American Businessperson, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
A low self-love in the parent desires that his child should repeat his character and fortune.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The most amiable people are those who least wound the self-love of others.
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
The best way to forget ones self is to look at the world with attention and love.
—Red Auerbach (1917–2006) American Basketball Coach
Self-love is the instrument of our preservation; it resembles the provision for the perpetuity of mankind—it is necessary, it is dear to us, it gives us pleasure, and we must possess it.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
When you feel good about yourself, others will feel good about you, too.
—Jake Steinfeld (b.1958) American Fitness Icon, Actor
Self-love depressed becomes self-loathing.
—Sally Kempton (1943–2023) American Journalist, Spiritual Teacher
Self-love is, in almost all men, such an overweight that they are incredulous of a man’s habitual preference of the general good to his own; but when they see it proved by sacrifices of ease, wealth, rank, and of life itself, there is no limit to their admiration.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
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