Thomas Bernhard Quotes

I know how to look after myself.

In order to survive, I created a certain type of aura about myself that I was the baddest chick walking down the street. Anytime somebody underestimates me, Thug Rose comes out.

The Vixen character is not quite me. A part of that is putting up this huge front of being strong, impenetrable, really tough and a little bit condescending.

I don't let negative criticism, for the most part, bother me.

Lying is not only a defense mechanism; it's also a coping mechanism and a survival technique.

Nobody can make me cry in public. I'll punch them first before they make my mascara smear.

I'm a very feminine person, but I have this hard shell, man, and I stay focused and don't take things personally.

When I was younger, I used to just want to please everybody and not want to be an issue or not be considered a diva. I've just grown up and realized you have to look out for yourself and stick up for yourself, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Even if you aren't sure of yourself, pretend that you are... most people prevaricate.

I stay standoffish in a sense, in my own personal space, to be able to cope with whatever it is you've got to cope with.

I have never given others a chance to exploit me.

By the time I was in high school, I was big enough to beat the hell out of everybody who said anything to me. And I learned how to blend in. All of that made me a very confident man. A very aggressive man. I developed it to survive.

I can look after myself and my own.

I learned at an early age to be socially effective while practicing disappearing.

I do not let anyone use me and throw me.

I did have an emo phase. It was sort of like armor for me.

I do rock the sunglasses. To a rude point, at times. But I don't care, it's my first defence. I'm shy, so I've gotta have something. I need some protection, man.

I don't let people score on me. I think that's my biggest asset.

I was very shy and had low self-esteem; the only way to stop yourself getting beaten up was to turn your hand to being an idiot. At the beginning, it was survival, and after that, it became second nature.

I had to grow a very thick skin very fast. I think that's where the GC came about.

I always take pride in the fact that nobody can mess with me, and I never let anybody mess with me my entire life.

I am nice, yeah. I'm cool. But I'm no push-over. And if someone gets one over on me, they've done it when my eyes were closed, and it doesn't happen twice.

We all create stories to protect ourselves.

You get tough like me and you don't get hurt. You look out for yourself and nothin' can touch you.

I must use these great men's virtues as a cloak for my weakness.