Life is serious business—until you learn to laugh at it. Humor and wit remind us that even in our messiest, most confusing moments, there’s always room for a grin.
Whether it’s Tina Fey poking fun at public opinion or Maya Angelou reminding us to love ourselves fiercely, the best quotes about life are often equal parts wisdom and wit.
This collection of 80+ self quotes about life is here to entertain, enlighten, and maybe even challenge you. From the power of self-love to the absurdity of overthinking, each quote delivers truth with a twist—funny, sharp, and sometimes sarcastic.
1. Self-Love and Acceptance Quotes
- “Don’t waste your energy trying to change opinions … Do your thing, and don’t care if they like it.” ― Tina Fey
- “If you’re not someone who has a natural and effortless love for yourself, it’s hard to let go of your desire to please other people.” — Anne Hathaway
- “My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to find peace with exactly who and what I am.” ― Anaïs Nin
- “There is you and you. This is a relationship. This is the most important relationship.” ― Nayyirah Waheed
- “I must undertake to love myself and to respect myself as though my very life depends upon self-love and self-respect.” — Maya Angelou
- “When you take care of yourself, you’re a better person for others.” — Solange Knowles
- “The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.” ― C.G. Jung
- “Be the love you never received.” — Rune Lazuli
- “Be faithful to that which exists within yourself.” — André Gide
- “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” — Carl Gustav Jung
2. Confidence and Inner Strength
- “If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life.” — Marcus Garvey
- “You can’t build confidence by comparing yourself to others—unless they’re clearly worse at dancing.”
- “Confidence is quiet. Insecurity is loud, dramatic, and posts inspirational quotes on social media.”
- “I’m not cocky. I’m just sure. There’s a difference—and a fabulous one.”
- “Self-confidence is the best outfit. Rock it and own it, even if it’s pajamas.”
- “Mirror: ‘You again?’ Me: ‘Always.’”
- “When in doubt, fake confidence. Eventually, even you’ll believe it.”
- “Strong people don’t put others down—they lift them up and then quietly wonder how heavy they were.”
- “The only person who can truly compete with you is the version of you that still believed in everyone’s opinion.”
- “Confidence isn’t thinking you’re better—it’s not caring if you’re not.”
3. The Art of Not Caring What Others Think
- “Don’t waste your time explaining yourself. Your friends don’t need it, and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.”
- “My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- “People’s opinions don’t pay your bills. Unless you’re a therapist.”
- “You can’t please everyone. You’re not pizza.”
- “Care less. Smile more. It confuses people.”
- “Do your thing. The ones who matter won’t mind, and the ones who mind probably need a nap.”
- “If you’re too busy minding other people’s business, who’s minding yours?”
- “They’ll judge you anyway. Might as well give them something to talk about.”
- “You don’t need everyone to like you. You just need you.”
- “Approval is nice. Peace is better.”
4. Growth, Change, and Progress
- “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” — Frederick Douglass
- “Growth feels like losing, but it’s really just you upgrading.”
- “Progress looks messy—like every before photo ever.”
- “The only person stopping your growth is the one who keeps hitting snooze.”
- “You’re not stuck. You’re just resisting change because it’s wearing sweatpants.”
- “Nothing blooms all year. You’re allowed to rest.”
- “Change scares everyone, even butterflies.”
- “Progress is just failure in slow motion with persistence.”
- “You can’t move forward looking in the rearview mirror.”
- “Keep going. You’re someone else’s motivation and you don’t even know it.”
5. Humor in Self-Reflection
- “My favorite hobby is overthinking things that don’t matter.”
- “I’m in a relationship with myself. It’s complicated.”
- “Therapy is expensive. Talking to yourself is free and equally confusing.”
- “I finally realized I’m the drama. Now what?”
- “Self-awareness is fun until you realize you’re the problem.”
- “Meditation is just me trying to stop arguing with my own brain.”
- “Some days I amaze myself. Other days I lose my phone while holding it.”
- “Personal growth is realizing you were wrong—again.”
- “If self-improvement were an Olympic sport, I’d still procrastinate the training.”
- “I’m not lazy. I’m just prioritizing mental peace over productivity.”
6. Wisdom with a Wink
- “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” — Albert Einstein
- “The older I get, the less I care who’s watching. Unless I’m dancing.”
- “You can’t pour from an empty cup—but you can sip coffee while refilling it.”
- “Sometimes not caring is self-care.”
- “Wisdom is realizing your parents were right and still doing it your way.”
- “The secret to happiness? Lower expectations and better snacks.”
- “You can’t control the waves, but you can learn to surf—or at least float dramatically.”
- “The best advice often starts with ‘Don’t panic.’”
- “You can’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Be coffee.”
- “The truth hurts less when you laugh at it first.”
7. Motivation with a Twist
- “When nothing goes right, go left.”
- “It’s a beautiful day to mind your own business and stay hydrated.”
- “Small progress is still progress, even if it’s just emotional damage recovery.”
- “If plan A fails, remember: the alphabet has 25 more letters.”
- “Do it for your future self. They’re tired of cleaning up your mess.”
- “Procrastination is just time management for optimists.”
- “Start before you’re ready. You’ll never feel ready anyway.”
- “Don’t let fear decide your future. It doesn’t even pay rent.”
- “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it just sighs and gets out of bed.”
- “Your dreams don’t work unless you do—and coffee helps.”
8. The Beauty of Imperfection
- “Flaws make you interesting. Perfection makes you exhausting.”
- “Perfect is boring. Real is beautiful.”
- “Even the moon has scars, and it still shines.”
- “You’re not supposed to have it all together. Nobody does.”
- “Embrace your weird. It’s your superpower.”
- “Perfection is an illusion. Confidence is real.”
- “The cracks are where the light gets in—and sometimes the sarcasm too.”
- “You’re allowed to be a masterpiece and a work in progress at the same time.”
- “Mistakes mean you’re trying.”
- “Self-love isn’t about being flawless. It’s about being fine with your flaws.”
Conclusion
Life doesn’t come with instructions, but it does come with great quotes—and laughter is one of the best teachers.
These self quotes about life remind us to take ourselves seriously enough to grow but lightly enough to laugh along the way.
Which quote made you smile, nod, or rethink something? Share your favorites in the comments, or add your own funny take on self-discovery. And next time you need a quick pick-me-up, come back here for another dose of wit, wisdom, and good humor.