Quotes About Self-respect

There have been seasons in the history of the human race, melancholy seasons for the human mind, the "evil days" spoken of by Milton, when men of letters could not, with any self-respect, mix in politics. How much more highly we should think of Seneca if that literary Stoic had not been a minister of Nero.

Don't violate your own code of values and ethics, but don't waste energy trying to make other people violate theirs.

Why would I cry over a boy? I would never waste my tears on a boy. Why waste your tears on someone who makes you cry?

Self-loathing is a waste of time.

Eliminate activities that require you to be around people you cannot stand. Don't do things for people who should be doing them themselves... and don't waste time chasing trophies.

Now I have a standard for how I make sure people do not speak to me in a way that I feel uncomfortable with. When I was younger, I didn't have that. I was like, 'Try not to make waves.' I wanted everybody to like me, and so I stifled a lot of the discomfort that I had.

I won't just give up anything to anybody because they're waving a gun around.

You have a right to say no. Most of us have very weak and flaccid 'no' muscles. We feel guilty for saying no. We get ostracized and challenged for saying no, so we forget it's our choice. Your 'no' muscle has to be built up to get to a place where you can say, 'I don't care if that's what you want. I don't want that. No.'

I never wanted anyone's pity.

Girls who wear certain kind of dresses, who show certain areas of the body, are not going to like my clothes. You can't please everyone.

You can't please everyone.

It is a challenge trying not to give in to pleasing other people.

I'll take no charity! What I get I'll earn by taking it. I would feel no pleasure it being given to me, any more than a huntsman would take pleasure being made a present of a dead fox, in place of getting a run across country after it.

I would rather clean than beg.

I don't like to take my clothes off.

I am not a saleable commodity.

I don't compare myself with anybody.

When a person thinks that you are not competent enough to do his film or work with him, one should not ask for work from that person.

Never compromise yourself.

It took me months or maybe a year to understand that there are so many cheap men out there who would ask you to 'compromise' or 'oblige.'

I don't have to be concerned about everybody else's character.

I don't let people say mean things to me! I don't surround myself with people who'd want to do that.

I wasn't in school often enough to really belong to a 'clique,' but my friends all studied hard and got pretty good grades. They were good people with self-respect. I still like to be friends with people I admire something about; I really believe that we become like the people we're surrounded by, so I choose my friends carefully!

People call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute.