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114 Powerful Quotes To Build A Healthy & Respectful Relationship

As human beings, we all crave love, companionship, and understanding. When we enter into relationships, whether they be romantic, familial, or platonic, we hope to find these respect in relationship quotes in the people we connect with.

But at the core of any healthy and fulfilling relationship is something that may be less talked about, yet equally important: respect.

Respect in relationships means valuing each other's feelings, opinions, and boundaries. It means treating one another with kindness and empathy, even in times of disagreement or conflict.

It means acknowledging each other's strengths and weaknesses, and working together to build a foundation of trust and support.

While respect may seem like an obvious component of any successful relationship, it's not always easy to put into practice.

We may unintentionally say or do things that undermine our partners or loved ones, or we may struggle to navigate differences in opinions or values.

That's why it can be helpful to turn to the wisdom of others for guidance and inspiration.

Throughout history, countless writers, thinkers, and public figures have shared their thoughts on respect in relationships.

From classic literature to modern-day self-help books, there are quotes that can inspire us to cultivate respect in all of our relationships.

One such quote comes from Maya Angelou, who famously said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

This sentiment speaks to the heart of respect in relationships - it's not just about saying the right things or doing the right actions, but about making others feel seen, heard, and valued.

Another powerful quote comes from Mahatma Gandhi, who said, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

While this quote may not explicitly mention respect, it speaks to the idea that putting others first and serving them can be a powerful way to build strong and meaningful relationships.

As we explore more quotes about respect in relationships, we'll see that there are endless ways to approach this complex and important topic.

But whether we turn to the wisdom of our elders, the insights of our peers, or our own intuition, one thing is clear: respect is essential for any healthy and fulfilling relationship.

So let's dive in and explore what others have said about this timeless and universal concept.

35 Know Your Worth With Self-Respect Quotes In Relationships

1. “Self-worth is only determined by you and if you don’t think you worth it, that’s going to ruin everything.” - Billie Eilish

2. “If you’re not comfortable within yourself, you can’t be comfortable with others.” - Sidney J. Harris

3. “I will not try to convince you to love me, to respect me, to commit to me. I deserve better than that; I AM BETTER THAN THAT…Goodbye.” - Steve Maraboli

4. “Our self-respect tracks our choices.” - Dan Coppersmith

5. “Most good relationships are built on mutual trust and respect.” - Mona Sutphen

6. “Respect is what we owe; love, what we give.” - Philip James Bailey

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7. “Respect commands itself and it can neither be given nor withheld when it is due.” - Eldridge Cleaver

8. “I must respect the opinions of others even if I disagree with them.” Herbert H. Lehman

9. “If you don’t love yourself, nobody will, you won’t be good at loving anyone else.” Wayne Dyer

10. “A healthy self-love means we have no compulsion to justify to ourselves or others.” - Andrew Matthews

11. “Respecting someone indicate the quality of your personality.” - Mohammad Rishad Sakhi

12. “Once you embrace your value, it neutralizes when others think less of you.” - Rob Liano

13. “The choices that you have made have been because of what you believe to be true for yourselves.” - Oprah Winfrey

14. “No other love can fulfill one’s heart better than unconditional self-love.” - Edmond Mbiaka

15. “If you are insecure, the rest of the world is too. You are better than you think.” - T. Harv Eker

16. “You yourself, deserve your love and affection.” - Buddha

17. “Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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18. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

19. “I want to be the best version of myself for anyone who is going to someday walk into my life and need someone to love them beyond reason.” - Jennifer Elisabeth

20. “Love yourself enough to set boundaries teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won’t accept.” - Anna Taylor

21. “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything’? Talking nicely also applies when you’re talking to yourself.” - Victoria Moran

22. “It’s all about falling in love with yourself and sharing that love with someone who appreciates you.” - Eartha Kitt

23. "Not being yourself is the worst form of self-disrespect.” - Mokokoma Mokhonoana

24. “If you aren’t good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you’ll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren’t even giving to yourself.” - Barbara De Angelis

25. “People who love themselves, don’t hurt other people. The more we hate ourselves, the more we want others to suffer.” - Dan Pearce

26. “When we treat people merely as they are, they will remain as they are. When we treat them as if they were what they should be, they will become what they should be.” - Thomas S. Monson

27. “There are days I drop words of comfort on myself and remember that it is enough to be taken care of by myself.” - Brian Andreas

28. “Low self-esteem is like driving with your hand-break on.” - Maxwell Maltz

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29. “One’s dignity may be assaulted…cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.” - Michael J. Fox

30. “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” - Jack Kornfield

31. “If you have the ability to love, love yourself first.” - Charles Bukowski

32. “Men are respectable only as they respect.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

33. “Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” - Lao-Tzu

34. “To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.” - Oscar Wilde

35. “Never judge someone by the way he looks or a book by the way it’s covered; for inside those tattered pages, there’s a lot to be discovered.” - Stephen Cosgrove

21 Respect In Relationship Quotes For Boyfriend

36. "When one losses their respect for someone it is an end all to all, because there's no phoniness when we truly lose respect for someone for whatever reason. We either treat someone with dignity and respect or we don't treat or acknowledge them at all. They either have earned our respect, never had our respect or lost the respect we once had, there's no in between when it comes to respect." -Danny Santagato

37. "If you're the girl that needs a boyfriend, and once she loses that boyfriend needs to replace it with a different boyfriend, it's just this constant stream of boyfriends all the time. I don't feel like I ever want to be that girl." - Taylor Swift

38. "A real boyfriend isn't judging everything you do. A real boyfriend will support every decision you make no matter if it's dumb. A real boyfriend won't be afraid to to kiss you in front of his friends he won't ignore you. He will treat you like he always does when yall are alone. A real boyfriend won't talk about other girls in front of you. When your down he will ask you whats wrong. He will beat up every person who hurts you. He will always fill you up with little detail at every moment that he can. When your sick he will try worry about you till you get better. Know thats a real relationship of coures with some downs!" - Dianna Tellez

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39. "Respect my feelings, my life, my doing. Respect how I am, who I may, who I kiss. Respect what I find what I think, what I say. How I dress, where I work, what I stand for and fight for. Respect what I choose, all is my choice not yours. Respect my appearance, whatever you see. I wear what I like, that`s who I am. I change for no one, no second, no hair. You find that probably strange, really stupid and weird. But I am who I want to be and whatever I love, Respect how I am, then I'll do that for you too! " - Harriet Morgan

40. "Everybody wants a little respect, but many don't realize that real respect is something that is earned, and something that should not be taken lightly. Nobody demands respect until they deserve it, and often times people who really deserve respect don't have to ask for it." - Subhan Fazal

41. "I Learn Every Since I Was A Baby To Respect Everybody Even Tho They Might Not Like Me Or I Don't Like Them But It Goes A Long Way....Even I Respect Elders or Anybody. But Look The People You Respect Will Respect You Back And You Will Go Some Where In Life So I Always Respect People No Matter What You Will See A lot Of Opportunity I Promise I Been There It Will Make Your Life Easier." - Unknown

42. "Choose a guy who takes you home to meet his parents, not his bedroom." - Unknown

43. "I hate guys that have no respect for the fact that a girl has a boyfriend, and I hate girls that don't tell guys they have a boyfriend." - Unknown

44. "Hey baby, feel my sweater. You feel that? That's boyfriend material. " - Raghib Clitso

45. "When you demand respect you will be shown respect. But that's usually all it is, a show. When you earn respect you will receive true respect." - TJay Taylor

46. "If you want to be respected by others the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you." - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

47. "A fake boyfriend puts a lock on his phone, but a real boyfriend would say hey baby, can u read that text for me...." - Kelvin Ironsi

48. "The boyfriends who still hold bags, open doors, tell their girlfriends they're beautiful and show respect like real men." - Unknown

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49. "Treat your girl like you want your daughters boyfriend to treat her." - Unknown

50. "Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power." - Clint Eastwood

51. "I WILL approach you if I know that you've been flirting with my boyfriend. It's called having respect for my relationship, learn that." - Unknown

52. "He has proved without a doubt that he doesn't need me. And if it is the last thing I ever do, I am going to prove to him, without a doubt, that I don't need him either." - Unknown

53. "Respect goes both ways. If you don't respect me, I won't respect you. But if you do respect me I'll give you the world." - Unknown

54. "I don't want your boyfriend. Nobody wants your boyfriend. That's why he's with you." - Unknown

55. "No one can take away our self respect unless we allow them to. In our lives we have to teach people how to treat us and treating us with RESPECT SHOULD BE NUMBER ONE unless we don't have respect for ourselves by allowing ourselves to be walked over or spoken to disrespectfully, then it doesn't matter and then we deserve what we get...NO RESPECT ." - Danny Santagato

56. "If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go, keep you in my arms girl, you'd never be alone, and I could be a gentlemen anything you want, if I was your boyfriend." - Justin Bieber

58 Respect In Relationship Quotes To Honor Others & Yourself

57. "Respect comes in two unchangeable steps: giving it and receiving it." - Edmond Mbiaka

58. "To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater." - Bono

59. "Respect is as important as love in a relationship." - Anonymous

60. "I’d rather be respected than loved." - Eli Broad

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61. "I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity." - Julius Erving

62. "Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely." - Roy T. Bennett

63. "There exist only three beings worthy of respect: the priest, the soldier, the poet. To know, to kill, to create." - Charles Baudelaire

64. “Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.” – Bruce Lee

65. "Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of — for credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily preserve it, but if you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to rekindle it again. The way to a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear." - Socrates

66. "Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?" - Confucius

67. "In order to acquire a growing and lasting respect in society, it is a good thing, if you possess great talent, to give, early in your youth, a very hard kick to the right shin of the society that you love. After that, be a snob." - Salvador Dali 

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68. "Respect was invented to cover the empty place where love should be." - Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

69. "I was wrong,’ builds more respect than ‘I told you so.’" - Dan Rockwell

70. "To get down to the quick of it, respect motivates me – not success." - Hugh Jackman

71. "This is how you start to get respect, by offering something that you have." - Mitch Albom

72. "Respect is one of the most important things you can teach a child." - Catherine Pulsifer

73. "You demand respect and you’ll get it. First of all, you give respect." - Mary J. Blige

74. "My approach is that you have to earn the respect of people you work with." - Mark Pincus

75. "If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable." - Louis D. Brandeis

76. "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

77. "Tolerance implies a respect for another person, not because he is wrong or even because he is right, but because he is human." - John Cogley

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78. "Respect is a two-way street, if you want to get it, you’ve got to give it." - R.G. Risch

79. "Respect commands itself and it can neither be given nor withheld when it is due." - Eldridge Cleaver

80. "Make improvements, not excuses. Seek respect, not attention." - Roy T. Bennett

81. "It is not grey hair that makes one respectable but character." - Rana Junaid Mustafa Gohar

82. "If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time." - Abraham Lincoln

83. "Awe and respect are two different things." - Oliver Reed

84. "He who loves others is constantly loved by them. He who respects others is constantly respected by them." - Mencius

85. "Respect for the truth comes close to being the basis for all morality." - Frank Herbert

86. "I have never bought into the idea that blood is thicker than water. Love and respect are meant to be earned from our children, our spouses, our families, and our friends." - Raquel Cepeda

87. "Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolized." - Albert Einstein

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88. "Life is short, and we should respect every moment of it." - Orhan Pamuk

89. "Treat people the way you want to be treated. Talk to people the way you want to be talked to. Respect is earned, not given." - Hussein Nishah

90. "What we make testifies who we are. People can sense care and can sense carelessness. This relates to respect for each other and carelessness is personally offensive." - Jonathan Ive

91. "Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority." - Vince Lombardi

92. "I respect only those who resist me, but I cannot tolerate them." - Charles de Gualle

93. "When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others." - Dalai Lama

94. "I get no respect. The way my luck is running, if I was a politician I would be honest." - Rodney Dangerfield

95. "Respect requires empathy, the capacity to anticipate and understand the feelings of others. It requires consideration." - Deborah Norville

96. "Never respect men merely for their riches, but rather for their philanthropy; we do not value the sun for its height, but for its use." - Gamaliel Bailey

97. "Respect is for those who deserve not for those who demand it." - Paulo Coelho

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98. "When I look at a person, I see a person – not a rank, not a class, not a title." - Criss Jami

99. "One of the surprising things in this world is the respect a worthless man has for himself." - E.W. Howe

100. "It is so much easier to be nice, to be respectful, to put yourself in your customers’ shoes and try to understand how you might help them before they ask for help, than it is to try to mend a broken customer relationship." - Mark Cuban

101. "If men are to respect each other for what they are, they must cease to respect each other for what they own." - A.J.P. Taylor

102. "Respect begins with this attitude: I acknowledge that you are a creature of extreme worth." - Gary Chapman

103. "Give to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself." - Thomas Paine

104. "There is one other reason for dressing well, namely that dogs respect it, and will not attack you in good clothes." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

105. "You don’t tell people who disagree with you they’d be better off somewhere else. And you don’t reduce them to stereotypes; you address them as fully formed people worthy of respect. You try to persuade them." - Peggy Noonan

106. "Respect is appreciation of the separateness of the other person, of the ways in which he or she is unique." - Annie Gottlieb

107. "We do not earn respect. It is given as a gift. What we do with it is up to us." - Tod Whitaker

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108. "Only those who respect the personality of others can be of real use to them." - Albert Schweitzer

109. "One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say." - Bryant H. McGill

110. "There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in – that we do it to God, to Christ, and that’s why we try to do it as beautifully as possible." - Mother Teresa

111. "We cannot expect people to have respect for law and order until we teach respect to those we have entrusted to enforce those laws." - Hunter S. Thompson

112. "Respect has nothing to do with who is right and who is wrong. It has to do with allowing space for someone else’s opinion." - Jackie Viramontez

113. "Respect is one of life’s greatest treasures. I mean, what does it all add up to if you don’t have that?" - Marilyn Monroe

114. "How people treat you with their karma. How you react is yours." - Wayne Dyer

How Can Reading Quotes About Respect In Relationships Be Helpful?

Reading quotes about respect in relationships can be incredibly beneficial for a number of reasons.

Here are a few ways in which engaging with these quotes can be helpful:

  1. They provide perspective: Sometimes when we're in the midst of a relationship, it can be difficult to see the big picture. Quotes from individuals who have experienced similar situations can provide a broader perspective and remind us that we're not alone.
  2. They inspire change: If we're struggling with treating someone in our lives with respect, reading a quote that speaks directly to our situation can inspire us to make changes. Quotes have the power to motivate us to be better and to do better.
  3. They offer guidance: Quotes can serve as a roadmap for how to approach difficult situations or conversations. They can offer specific advice on how to treat others with respect and how to communicate in a healthy way.
  4. They encourage self-reflection: Quotes about respect in relationships can also inspire us to take a look at ourselves and our own behavior. They can help us to identify areas where we may be falling short in our relationships and encourage us to make changes.
  5. They foster empathy: Quotes about respect in relationships often highlight the importance of empathy and understanding. Engaging with these quotes can help us to put ourselves in others' shoes and approach our relationships with more compassion.

Next Steps

Implementing quotes about respect in relationships into daily life can be a powerful way to improve our relationships and enhance our overall well-being.

Here are a few ways to do so:

  1. Write down quotes that resonate with you: When you come across a quote about respect in relationships that really speaks to you, write it down somewhere where you can see it often. This could be in a journal, on a sticky note, or as a screensaver on your phone. Seeing the quote regularly can serve as a reminder to treat others with respect.
  2. Reflect on the meaning behind the quote: Take time to really reflect on the meaning behind the quotes you come across. Ask yourself how you can apply the message to your daily life and relationships. Journaling about your thoughts can be a helpful way to solidify these insights.
  3. Use quotes as a communication tool: If you're struggling to communicate with someone in your life, try incorporating a quote into your conversation. This can help to get the message across in a way that feels less confrontational and more supportive.
  4. Discuss quotes with loved ones: Engaging with quotes about respect in relationships can be a great way to start conversations with loved ones about the importance of treating each other with kindness and empathy. Share quotes with them that you think will resonate and ask for their thoughts and opinions.
  5. Use quotes as a source of inspiration: Finally, use quotes about respect in relationships as a source of inspiration for your daily interactions. Before heading into a meeting or conversation, take a moment to reflect on a quote that inspires you to approach the situation with respect and empathy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Are Quotes About Respect In Relationships Important?

Quotes about respect in relationships are important because they offer insight and guidance into how to treat others with kindness and empathy.

They can inspire us to reflect on our own behavior and make positive changes in our relationships.

Additionally, they can serve as a reminder that we're not alone in our struggles and that others have experienced similar challenges in their own relationships.

Where Can I Find Quotes About Respect In Relationships?

There are a number of resources available for finding quotes about respect in relationships.

One option is to search online for websites or blogs that curate collections of quotes on this topic. Additionally, books and magazines focused on relationships may also include quotes about respect.

Finally, social media platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram often have a wealth of quotes on various topics, including respect in relationships.

How Can I Use Quotes About Respect In Relationships To Improve My Own Relationships?

There are many ways to use quotes about respect in relationships to improve our own relationships.

One way is to reflect on the meaning behind the quotes and apply them to our own behavior. We can also share quotes with loved ones and use them as a communication tool to start conversations about the importance of treating each other with respect.

Finally, we can use quotes as a source of inspiration and motivation to approach our relationships with kindness and empathy on a daily basis.


114 Powerful Quotes To Build A Healthy & Respectful Relationship