Alan Watts
Philosopher, Writer
"Insecurity is the result of trying to be secure."
Insecurity quotes
Insecurity
402 quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
Erich Fromm
Psychologist, Philosopher
"The task we must set for ourselves is not to feel secure, but to be able to tolerate insecurity."
Cary Grant
Actor
"Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant. Let me expand a bit. I sense that you may feel that I am free of problems. Let me assure you that I have the same anxieties and insecurities as anyone in this auditorium - maybe more."
Audrey Hepburn
Actress, Humanitarian
"You can even say that I hated myself at certain periods. I was too fat, or maybe too tall, or maybe just plain too ugly ... you can say my definiteness stems from underlying feelings of insecurity and inferiority. I couldn't conquer these feelings by acting indecisive. I found the only way to get the better of them was by adopting a forceful, concentrated drive."
Jesy Nelson
Singer
"Your insecurities are what makes you different and who you are. If we all were the same, it'd be boring."
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Browse quotes that often appear alongside insecurity — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.
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Insecurity quotes (page 1 of 21)
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"I had to confront my fears and master my every demonic thought about inferiority, insecurity, or the fear of being black, young, and gifted in this Western culture."
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"Maybe that's why there's an insecurity sometimes in acting, because it's not like there's a correlation between hard work and how people receive you."
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"Work is life, you know, and without it, there's nothing but fear and insecurity."
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"According to my own experience, the highest level of inner calm comes from the development of love and compassion. The more concerned we are with the happiness of others, the more we increase our own well-being. Friendliness and warmth towards others allow us to relax and help us to dispel any sense of fear or insecurity so we can overcome whatever obstacles we face."
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"Don't let fear or insecurity stop you from trying new things. Believe in yourself. Do what you love. And most importantly, be kind to others, even if you don't like them."
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"Insecurity exists in the absence of knowledge. All security derives from knowledge."
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"a society in which there is widespread economic insecurity can turn freedom into a barren and vapid right for millions of people."
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"Inside it drives me crazy, my insecurities could eat me alive."
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"Arrogance really comes from insecurity, and in the end our feeling that we are bigger than others is really the flip side of our feeling that we are smaller than others."
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"The beauty of enmity is insecurity; the beauty of friendship is in security."
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"It is a sign of great inner insecurity to be hostile to the unfamiliar."
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"We're all going through our problems, but we all have the same insecurities and we all have the same abilities and we all need each other."
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"We [tend to] have more faith in what we imitate than in what we originate. We [often feel that we] cannot derive a sense of absolute certitude from anything which has its root in us. The most poignant sense of insecurity comes from standing alone; we are not alone when we imitate."
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"What is a face, really? Its own photo? Its make-up? Or is it a face as painted by such or such painter? That which is in front? Inside? Behind? And the rest? Doesn't everyone look at himself in his own particular way? Deformations simply do not exist."
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"The greatest antidote to insecurity & sense of fear is compassion. It brings one back to the basis of one's inner strength."
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"The search for safety takes its clearest form... in the compulsive-obsessive neurosis... to frantically order and stabilize the world so that no unmanageable, unexpected or unfamiliar dangers will ever appear."
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"The disciple simply burns his boats and goes ahead. He is called out... The old life is left behind, and completely surrendered. The disciple is dragged out of his relative security into a life of absolute insecurity... out of the realm of the finite...into the realm of infinite possibilities."
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"I don't see myself as beautiful, because I can see a lot of flaws."
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"If we're willing to give up hope that insecurity and pain can be eliminated, then we can have the courage to relax with the groundlessness of our situation. This is the first step on the path."
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"You need some insecurity if you're an actor. It keeps the pot boiling. I haven't yet started to think about retiring. I was shocked when I heard about Paul Newman retiring at age 82. Most actors just fade away like old soldiers."
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