By Maxime Lagacé
Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page.
Here are 80 of the best self-control quotes I’ve collected.
Why did I collect them?
Because self-control is a key psychological trait for your success.
Indeed, people with self-control have (1)
- Better health
- Better careers
- Better finances
- Better relationships
So if you can have love AND self-control, you’ll have a meaningful and fulfilling life.
You’ll have a life you’re proud of.
Not succumbing to every temptation.
I hope you’ll use and love the quotes as much as I did.
You’ll discover sayings from Lao Tzu, Marcus Aurelius, Buddha, and more.
Enjoy!
As far as your self-control goes, as far goes your freedom. Marie Ebner
Prudent, cautious self-control is wisdom’s root. Robert Burns
Desires are a prison if you succumb to all of them. Maxime Lagacé
The greatest power of ruling consists in the exercise of self-control. Seneca
No man is fit to command another that cannot command himself. William Penn
The discipline of desire is the backbone of character. Will Durant
Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired, but by controlling the desire. Epictetus
He who reigns within himself, and rules passions, desires, and fears, is more than a king. John Milton
Every act of self-control leads to a sense of self-respect. Abraham Low
It is a question whether the great majority of people do not ruin their lives and mar their happiness by lack of self-control. James Allen
The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our own thoughts. Charles Darwin
You can have neither a greater nor a less dominion than over yourself. Leonardo da Vinci
Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society. Tyron Edwards
Self-control, in every station and to every individual, is indispensable, if people would retain that equanimity of mind, which, depending on self-respect, is the essential of contentment and happiness. Sarah Josepha Hale
No man is such a conqueror as the man who has defeated himself. Henry Ward Beecher
The power of man has grown in every sphere, except over himself. Winston Churchill
Self-discipline without talent can often achieve astounding results, whereas talent without self-discipline inevitably dooms itself to failure. Sydney Harris
Discipline comes through self-control. If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self. You may see at one and the same time both your best friend and your greatest enemy, by stepping in front of a mirror. Napoleon Hill
He who overcomes others is strong, but he who overcomes himself is mightier still. Lao Tzu
Strive for self-control, not instant gratification. Maxime Lagacé
I cannot consent to place in the control of others one who cannot control himself. Robert E. Lee
Such power there is in clear-eyed self-restraint. James Russell Lowell
Self-control is at the root of all the virtues. Let a man yield to his impulses and passions, and from that moment he gives up his moral freedom. Orison Swett Marden
Self-control might be as passionate and as active as the surrender to passion. William Somerset Maugham
He that would govern others, first should be the master of himself. Philip Massinger
Related
- 80 Procrastination Quotes (For Increased Productivity)
- 67 Productivity Quotes To Be More Effective
- 100 Responsibility Quotes To Take Back Your Power
More quotes about self-control
Who has a fiercer struggle than he who strives to conquer himself? Thomas à Kempis
The success of life, the formation of character, is in proportion to the courage one has to say to one’s ownself: “Thou shalt not.” Carry Nation
The poorest education that teaches self-control is better than the best that neglects it. Dorothy Nevill
He who cannot obey himself will be commanded. That is the nature of living creatures. Friedrich Nietzsche
It is a new road to happiness, if you have strength enough to castigate a little the various impulses that sway you in turn. George Santayana
A little self-control at the right moment may prevent much subsequent compulsion at the hands of others. Arthur Schopenhauer
What now is the most important attribute of man as a moral being? May we not answer—the faculty of self-control? This it is which forms a chief distinction between the human being and the brute. Herbert Spencer
Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control, These three alone lead life to sovereign power. Alfred Tennyson
Man, who man would be, must rule the empire of himself. P. B. Shelley
Rule your mind, which, if it is not your servant, is your master. Horace
Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and self-respect is the chief element in courage. Thucydides
I have observed that those who have accomplished the greatest results are those…who never grow excited or lose self-control, but are always calm, self-possessed, patient, and polite. Booker T. Washington
There is no liberty, save wisdom and self-control. Liberty is within — not without. It is each man’s own affair. H. G. Wells
A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. Oscar Wilde
Stop allowing your mind to be a slave, to be jerked about by selfish impulses, to kick against fate and the present, and to mistrust the future. Marcus Aurelius
To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him. Buddha
Something in human nature causes us to start slacking off at our moment of greatest accomplishment. As you become successful, you will need a great deal of self-discipline not to lose your sense of balance, humility, and commitment. H. Ross Perot
Wise people work when they work, and play when they play. Maxime Lagacé
I am, indeed, a king, because I know how to rule myself. Pietro Aretino
The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile. Plato
Time management requires self-discipline, self-mastery and self-control more than anything else. Brian Tracy
I will be calm. I will be mistress of myself. Jane Austen
To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart. Eleanor Roosevelt
One can be the master of what one does, but never of what one feels. Gustave Flaubert
The ability to subordinate an impulse to a value is the essence of the proactive person. Stephen R. Covey
Not being able to govern events, I govern myself. Michel de Montaigne
Ultimately, the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself. Elie Wiesel
The enemy is within the gates; it is with our own luxury, our own folly, our own criminality that we have to contend. Marcus Tullius Cicero
Mastering self-control, the act of restraining one’s emotions is the true key to success. Timothy Pina
The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term is the indispensable prerequisite for success. Maxwell Maltz
Distinguish between real needs and artificial wants and control the latter. Mahatma Gandhi
By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character. Grenville Kleiser
It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters. Edmund Burke
If you don’t control what you think, you cannot control what you do. Napoleon Hill
The intelligent desire self-control; children want candy. Rumi
Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty. Frank Herbert
Only disciplined ones are purely free in life and undisciplined are slaves to their moods and passions. Eliud Kipchoge
In the twenty-first century, survival of the fittest means survival of the focused. Giovanni Dienstmann
You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. Marcus Aurelius
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. Max Lucado
I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside. Wayne Dyer
To enjoy freedom we have to control ourselves. Virginia Woolf
The best fighter is never angry. Lao Tzu
Key Takeaways
- Aim for self-mastery, not the candy.
- Remember: successful people mastered one thing to get there: themselves.
- The benefits of self-control?
- Better health
- Better careers
- Better finances
- Better relationships
- How to have more self-control?
- Set clear goals (1)
- Be well rested (1)
- Be less stressed (1)
- Avoid temptations (1)
- Hang with the right people
- Practice delayed gratification (lifehack.org)
- But most importantly: There’s more to life than self-control. Learn to discern when it’s time to be disciplined, and when it’s time to relax and have fun.
Further Readings
- Topic: Motivation
- 100+ Powerful Motivational Quotes For Success
- 81 Motivational Quotes For Students To Study Hard
- 100 Goals Quotes To Help You Reach The Next Level
- 60 Work Ethic Quotes To Keep You Driven and Focused
- Improve Self-Control: Tips to Help You Succeed (verywellmind.com)
- 8 Easy Ways To Increase Your Self-Control (americanexpress.com)
- Amazon books on self-control:
Pin this image!
