53 Self Confidence Quotes (For When You’re Dodging Mirrors in Tesco)

Rebel Jones
Sep 24
6 min read

Updated: Sep 27

At just turned 16, I was picked up by a local modelling agency. Showered in compliments, treated like I was 'someone'...

Which felt both surreal and painfully awkward.

You see, I’d been battling with my weight since forever. That so-called puppy fat never left. And my Mum? She bullied me for it. Like the kids in the playground, only with front-row access to my every meal.

So when the chance to model came along, I walked away.

I didn’t believe I was good enough. My self-confidence was already wobbling, and even though I’d lost the weight, the emotional torment felt heavier than anything the scales could show.

Fast forward to 30, and it happened, all over again. I was working as a makeup artist on a photoshoot, one of the girls didn’t show, and I got asked to step in. Nervously, I did. And before I knew it, photographers were sliding into my inbox asking to work with me.

Now, we’re not talking Vogue covers or high-end campaigns. Think empty Birmingham buildings, local togs, and the occasional VW fan page. Yeah I know - classy. But for a while, I loved it.

That was until that same old whisper of doubt crept back in. And once again, I walked away.

Would a few self confidence quotes have changed all that? Probably not. At 16, I’d have rolled my eyes. At 30, I’d have scrolled past them. But I do wish someone had been there to shake me, remind me of my worth, and maybe tape the words to my bathroom mirror so I couldn’t avoid them.

Not that I’m strutting around full of confidence now. Oh no. I still won’t leave the house without hair and makeup. I still dodge mirrors like they’re exes in Tesco. I still reek of insecurity.

But I’m learning, finally in my 40s, that self-confidence isn’t about being perfect. It’s about carrying yourself through the mess anyway. And on the days you can’t? Sometimes it helps to lean on the wisdom (and the occasional sass) of people who’ve been there too.

So here they are - 53 self confidence quotes to keep in your back pocket for the days you forget just how much you matter.

53 Self Confidence Quotes

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
“The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear and get a record of successful experiences behind you.” - William Jennings Bryan
“Always be yourself and have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and try to duplicate it.” - Bruce Lee
“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn't try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn't need others' approval.” - Lao Tzun
“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” - E. E. Cummings
“Humor comes from self-confidence.” - Rita Mae Brown
“Never dull your shine for somebody else.” - Tyra Banks
“Your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.” - Michelle Obama
“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” - Edmund Hillary
“He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.” - Lao Tzu
“Self-trust is the first secret of success.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The soul that is within me no man can degrade.” - Frederick Douglass
“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” - William Shakespeare
“The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself.” - Rita Mae Brown
“You are worthy of the space you take up in this world.” - Unknown
“The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself.” - Mark Twain
“Know your worth, hold your own power, be you.” - Morgan Harper Nichols
“Low self-confidence isn’t a life sentence. Self-confidence can be learned, practiced, and mastered – just like any other skill.” - Barrie Davenport
“You can’t hate yourself into change. Love yourself into greatness.” - Emma Lovewell
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” - Arthur Ashe
“There’s no limit to what you can do.” - Adrian Williams
“You did not wake up to be mediocre.” - Robin Arzón
“I am, I can, I will, I do.” - Christine D’Ercole
“Your self-worth grows when you fight for something you love.” - Maxime Lagacé
“Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them a lot.” - Truman Capote
“You are more powerful than you know; you are beautiful just as you are.” - Unknown
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” - Confucius
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” - Peter T. McIntyre
“Believe you can and you're halfway there.” - Theodore Roosevelt
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” - Christian D. Larson
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” - Oscar Wilde
“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less-than-perfect conditions. So what.” - Let’s Do It Anyway
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” - William James
“When you have confidence, you can do anything.” - Unknown
“You are enough just as you are.” - Meghan Markle
“Confidence is not ‘they will like me’ but ‘I’ll be fine if they don’t’.” - Christina Grimmie
“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” - Roy T. Bennett
“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anyone.” - Maya Angelou
“With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world.” - Dalai Lama
“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” - Les Brown
“Confidence is the ability to feel beautiful without needing someone to tell you.” - Unknown
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” - Maya Angelou
“It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.” - Denis Waitley
“Confidence is preparation. Everything else is beyond your control.” - Richard Kline
“Never underestimate yourself.” - Unknown
“What you think of yourself is much more important than what people think of you.” - Seneca
“Stage fright is when the actor stops acting and pretends to be himself.” - Laurence Olivier
“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.” - Brené Brown
“You were born to be real, not to be perfect.” - Unknown
“Self-confidence is knowing you are the gold, even when no one shows you a spotlight.” - Unknown

Final Thoughts

Self-confidence isn’t something you wake up with one morning, like a free upgrade on your phone plan. It’s more like WiFi - sometimes strong, sometimes patchy, and often dropping out right when you need it most.

Yup, some days you’ll feel like you can handle anything. Other days you’ll be side-eyeing yourself in the mirror, convinced everyone else has it figured out. (Spoiler: they don’t!)

And no, these self confidence quotes won’t magically fix decades of insecurity. But they can remind you that wobbling doesn’t mean failing, and doubt doesn’t cancel out your worth.

So save this page. Come back to it on the days you feel invisible, or not enough, or like you’ve lost the plot entirely. Because even the strongest, smartest, sassiest people need a pep talk sometimes.

And when in doubt? Pull on your favourite hoody, eat the biscuit or three, and remember - confidence isn’t about being flawless. It’s about showing up anyway.

PS - if this hit the spot, you might also like 53 Wise Quotes About Life