Self-respect quotes for women written by women just hit differently. In today’s post, I share quotes by absolute icons such as Cher, Lady Gaga, and one of my all-time favorites (even though fictional), Samantha Jones.
Use these self-respect quotes when you need a mindset shift to see your worth and create a life by your own standards. Or choose one and spend a few moments journaling about what it means for you and how you can step into the energy it speaks about.
If you’re a woman rebuilding her sense of self-worth, setting boundaries, and are ready to stop settling for less, enjoy.
Self-Respect Quotes About Independence and Choosing Yourself
1. “My mom said to me, ‘You know, sweetheart, one day you should settle down and marry a rich man,’ and I said, ‘Mom, I am a rich man.” ― Cher
2. “A busy, vibrant, goal-oriented woman is so much more attractive than a woman who waits around for a man to validate her existence.” ― Mandy Hale
3. “I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” — Emma Watson
4. “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” — Nora Ephron
5. “I am not the type of woman who sits home all day waiting for a man.” ― Samantha Jones
6. “I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.” — Dolly Parton
7. “Don’t save your good lingerie for dates, wear it for you.” ― Dita Von Teese
8. “I love you, but I love me more.” ― Samantha Jones
9. “If your joy is derived from what society thinks of you, you’re always going to be disappointed.” ― Madonna
10. “Always choose yourself first. Women are very socialized to choose other people. If you put yourself first, it’s this incredible path you can forge for yourself.” ― Rebecca Traister
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Self-Respect Quotes About Confidence and Inner Power
11. “Confidence is 10% hard work and 90% delusion.” ― Tina Fey
12. “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” — Coco Chanel
13. “Confidence is not ‘they will like me.’ Confidence is ‘I’ll be fine if they don’t.” ― Christina Grimmie
14. “You are your best thing.” — Toni Morrison
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Self-Respect Quotes About Boundaries and Standards
15. “It’s a lot harder to get someone out of your life than it is to let them in, so please… Be selective.” ― Mandy Hale
16. “Don’t settle for a relationship that won’t let you be yourself.” ― Oprah Winfrey
17. “You teach people how to treat you by what you allow.” — Anna Taylor
18. “A woman with boundaries is a woman with power.” — Glennon Doyle
19. “You deserve to be respectfully spoken to, no matter what.” — Ming-Na Wen
20. “Never apologize for standing up for yourself.” — Whitney Wolfe Herd
21. “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
22. “Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.” ― Brené Brown
23. “A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want.” ― Madonna
24. “I don’t want anyone who doesn’t want me.” ― Oprah Winfrey
25. “Do not bring people in your life who weigh you down.” — Michelle Obama
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Self-Respect Quotes for Women About Authenticity
26. “I like the idea of being whoever I want to be.” ― Dita von Teese
27. “Do not allow people to dim your shine because they are blinded.” — Lady Gaga
28. “I will not adjust myself to the world. I am adjusted to myself.” — Anaïs Nin
29. “Do not tame the wolf inside you just because you’ve met someone who doesn’t have the courage to handle you.” — Belle Estreller
30. “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” — Coco Chanel
31. “You have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” — Louise Hay
32. “Be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.” — Judy Garland
33. “It’s not your job to be likable. It’s your job to be yourself.” — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
34. “Ignore the critics… Only mediocrity is safe from ridicule. Dare to be different!” ― Dita Von Teese
35. “One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.” ― Shannon L. Alder
36. “Don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be exactly who you are.” — Lady Gaga
Self-Respect Quotes About Saying No and Letting Go
37. “Let go of who you think you should be and embrace who you are.” — Brené Brown
38. “Letting go doesn’t mean giving up. It means making room for something better.” — Mandy Hale
39. “You can’t move forward if you’re still hanging on.” — Sue Fitzmaurice
40. “It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else’s eyes.” — Sally Field
41. “You have to learn to get up from the table when respect is no longer being served.” — Victoria Erickson
42. “Every time you’re given a choice between disappointing someone else and disappointing yourself, your duty is to disappoint someone else.” — Glennon Doyle
Read next:
8 Tips to Say No Without Feeling Guilty and Selfish
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Self-Respect Quotes for Women About Worthiness
43. “You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.” — Maya Angelou
44. “You have to believe in yourself when no one else does — that makes you a winner right there.” — Venus Williams
45. “You will never gain anyone’s approval by begging for it. When you stand confident in your own worth, respect follows.” ― Mandy Hale
46. “Truly powerful people don’t explain why they want respect. They simply don’t engage someone who doesn’t give it to them.” ― Sherry Argov
47. “Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.” — Maya Angelou
48. “Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.” — Beyoncé
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Self-Respect Quotes About Identity and Owning Your Life
49. “I’m tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” — Madonna
50. “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” — Katharine Hepburn
51. “Once you figure out what respect tastes like, it tastes better than attention.” — Pink
52. “Do your thing and don’t care if they like it.” ― Tina Fey
53. “Be an independent thinker at all times, and ignore anyone who attempts to define you in a limiting way.” ― Sherry Argov
54. “If I worried what every bitch in New York was saying about me, I’d never leave the house!” ― Samantha Jones
55. “Never dull your shine for somebody else.” ― Tyra Banks
Want to dive deeper and become a woman who never compromises her self-worth? Download 22 journal prompts for self-respect to stop people-pleasing and start owning your power.
Want to revisit these self-respect quotes later? Pin this for when you need a reminder.
Until the next time,
Ivana
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