Explore our self reliance quotes from some of history’s most successful people that show the importance of thinking and acting independently.
Self-reliance is the ability to depend on oneself and one’s own abilities, rather than relying on external help or support. It is an important quality to cultivate, as it allows individuals to feel confident and capable in their own abilities, and to take control of their own lives.
There have been many famous figures throughout history who have espoused the value of self-reliance, and their words have become some of the most memorable and inspiring quotes on the subject.
One of the most famous advocates of self-reliance was American philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote extensively on the subject in his essay “Self-Reliance.”
Other notable figures who have written about self-reliance include Henry David Thoreau, who advocated for living a simple, self-sufficient life in nature, and Ayn Rand, who championed the importance of individualism and self-reliance in her philosophy of objectivism.
Here are our latest collection of self reliance quotes to help you discover your true self and attain true independence:
Self Reliance Quotes
Don’t doubt yourself, that’s what haters are meant for, they wait for you to make mistakes; So why doubt your abilities, Take that steps and make your haters wait for ever — Adenekan Mayowa
No one can construct for you the bridge upon which precisely you must cross the stream of life, no one but you yourself alone. — Friedrich Nietzsche
Man–every man–is an end in himself, not a means to the ends of others; he must live for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. — Ayn Rand
Remember, this is important: Never trust that you will be saved by anyone. — Amanda Boyden
While discovering the others, we get to know ourselves, find inner peace, and, so acquire poise and self-reliance to face up to the undisclosed or anonymous, out there. — Erik Pevernagie
Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
I’ll walk where my own nature would be leading. It vexes me to choose another guide. — Charlotte Brontë
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people’s initiative and independence. — Abraham Lincoln
People can advise, but your decision needs to be yours alone, you are the one who is going to face the consequences of your actions. So, decide what you want to do with your life, and act accordingly. — Shon Mehta
The best of being is to live the best life, doing what you love. — Lailah Gifty Akita
Motivational Self Reliance Quotes
Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. — Maya Angelou
Start a huge, foolish project, like Noah. It makes absolutely no difference what people think of you. — Rumi
Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth. — Rumi
For it is in your power to retire into yourself whenever you choose. — Marcus Aurelius
Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become. — Steve Jobs
When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you. — Lao Tzu
Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another you have only an extemporaneous half possession. That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. — Charlotte Brontë
You were born together, and together you shall be for evermore. But let there be spaces in your togetherness. Love one another, but make not a bond of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not of the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone. Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. — Kahlil Gibran
I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think. — Rumi
Positive Self Reliance Quotes
If one’s actions are honest, one does not need the predated confidence of others. — Ayn Rand
It’s fun to take a pile of raw materials and make something out of them. The more demanding the work, the greater the satisfaction. — Louise Dickinson Rich
If I had asked them what they had wanted, they would have said a faster horse. — Henry Ford
It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project. — Napoleon Hill
There is an inverse relationship between reliance on the state and self-reliance. — William F. Buckley, Jr.
The only person who is going to give you security and the life you want is you. ― Robert Kiyosaki
Only the strong appreciate the warmth emanating from those who can turn obstacles into fuel. ― Garry Fitchett
There is no grand, divine plan behind your existence, you need to make and work the plan yourself. — Abhijit Naskar
The greatest help you can do to a person, is to help them become self-reliant. — Abhijit Naskar
I want to know everything about my own self and never to have to rely on someone else to tell me the way I work. — Mackenzi Lee
Self Reliance Quotes Inspiration
Young men are apt to think themselves wise enough, as drunken men are apt to think themselves sober enough. — Lord Chesterfield
Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself. — Robert Frost
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds. — Bob Marley
Cherish your solitude. Take trains by yourself to places you have never been. Sleep out alone under the stars. Learn how to drive a stick shift. Go so far away that you stop being afraid of not coming back. — Eve Ensler
If you truly want to be respected by people you love, you must prove to them that you can survive without them. — Michael Bassey Johnson
You can only accomplish your object in life by complete disregard of the opinions of other people. — Aleister Crowley
Self-reliance means respecting our own experiences, ideas, and traits. — Kyle Eschenroeder
People who truly understand what is meant by self-reliance know they must live their lives by ethics rather than rules. — Wayne Dyer
The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
If a man believed all that other people choose to say in their own favor, he might get an oversized opinion of them, and an udersized opinion of himself. — James Fenimore Cooper
Self Reliance Quotes Short
The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself. — Michel de Montaigne
To find yourself, think for yourself. — Socrates
Don’t compromise yourself. You’re all you’ve got. — Janis Joplin
Only a weak person needed someone else around all the time. — Sarah Dessen
If you want a thing done well, do it yourself. — Napoleon Bonaparte
You are constantly invited to be what you are. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
In yourself right now is all the place you’ve got. — Flannery O’Connor
You don’t have to worry about burning bridges, if you’re building your own. — Kerry E. Wagner
Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
I don’t need anyone to hold me, I can hold my own. — Ani DiFranco
Transcendentalism Self Reliance Quotes
These self reliance quotes reflect the core principles of transcendentalism, which emphasizes the importance of individualism and the inherent goodness of humanity and nature. By trusting our own judgment and instincts, and by living our lives in accordance with our own values and principles, we can find true happiness and fulfillment.
To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s. — Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The proverb warns that, ’You should not bite the hand that feeds you.’ But maybe you should, if it prevents you from feeding yourself. — Thomas Stephen Szasz
If you want a thing done well, do it yourself. — Napoleon
Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Trust your instincts, and make judgements on what your heart tells you. The heart will not betray you. — David Gemmell
Make your own rules or be a slave to another man’s. — William Blake
Fear? What has a man to do with fear? Chance rules our lives, and the future is all unknown. Best live as we may, from day to day. — Sophocles
There are some who want to get married and others who don’t. I have never had an impulse to go to the altar. I am a difficult person to lead. — Greta Garbo
Born of self-reliance, such happiness inspires individuals to achieve the best for themselves as well as for others. — Dr Prem Jagyasi
I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine. — Ayn Rand
Quotes on Self-Reliance
True greatness often requires taking risks and stepping outside of the norm. It encourages us to embrace our individuality and to follow our own path, even if it means facing criticism or rejection from others. Here are ten self reliance quotes to inspire you to do just that:
I’d rather die my way than live yours. — Lauren Oliver
It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame. — Erica Jong
Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. — Steve Jobs
But why should you care what people will say? All you have to do is please yourself. — Ayn Rand
You can’t trust other people. If it’s important, you have to do it yourself. — Neil Gaiman
Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. — Ralph Waldo Emmerson
It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself. — Epicurus
Every path but your own is the path of fate. Keep on your own track, then. — Henry David Thoreau
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves. — Abraham Lincoln
Inspirational Self Reliance Quotes
The most important thing we can do is to be true to ourselves and to follow our own principles and values, even if it means going against societal expectations. By staying true to ourselves, we can achieve authenticity and integrity in our lives. Here are some self reliance quotes that offer inspiration and encouragement to embrace inner strength and live our lives to the fullest:
Self-reliance is the highest expression of self-respect. — Mokokoma Mokhonoana
Associate with noblest people you can find; read the best books; live with the mighty. But learn to be happy alone. Rely upon your own energies, and so not wait for, or depend on other people. — Thomas Davidson
Self-reliance is not just words, but deeds. — Ashraf Ghani
Poverty breeds lack of self-reliance. — Daniel De Leon
They will say you are on the wrong road, if it is your own. — Antonio Porchia
If you cannot live alone, you were born a slave. — Fernando Pessoa
He who drinks his cider alone, let him catch his horse alone. — Benjamin Franklin
He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a God. — Aristotle
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
She must protect herself. There would be no one to do it for her. A plan started to prick up its ears inside her, slowly, but getting stronger. — Catherynne M. Valente
Final Thought
These self reliance quotes offer inspiration, encouragement, and guidance for those seeking to cultivate their own unique strengths and abilities. By trusting our own judgment and instincts, and by living our lives in accordance with our own values and principles, we can achieve greatness and find true happiness.
We hope these self-reliance quotes have inspired you to cultivate your own strength in your own life! Did you enjoy our collection of self reliance quotes? Have you found your favorite one? Write your thought in the comment section below. Don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.
Read also: lemonade quotes | mental toughness quotes | self-improvement quotes | self-happiness quotes | self-love quotes.