Henri Matisse Quotes

You've got to be who you are. You've got to be honest with people. If your views change on something, you've got to be willing to express it.

I always wanted to be honest with myself and to those who have had faith in me.

I say what's in my heart, and I do it in my concerts.

I would never agree to sing something I didn't feel was 100% me.

The worst frame of mind to be in is what the fans like or what the fans want, because then you lose the authenticity of who you are as an artist and who you are as a person.

How can I be sincere if I am constantly changing my mind to conform with the shadow of what I think others expect of me?

Over the years, I was doing what I loved to do, which is my music. But it was always a bit distorted, because I was doing the music in the way other people around me were telling me it should be done.

There’s nothing more embarrassing than a person who tries to guess what the great American public would like, makes a compromise for the first time, and falls flat on his face… I would rather be a failure on my own terms than a success on someone else’s. That’s a difficult statement to live up to, but then I’ve always believed that the way you affect your audience is more important than how many of them are there.

I suppose I've always been attracted to this sort of outsider in general - in literature, in music, politics, whatever - and to the person that is able to be relentlessly themselves. I don't think that I have that quality, that strength of mind.

Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be.

Be as honest with yourself as possible, and try to make friends with people who like you for you - not an iteration of who you are, or who you think you should be - but really like you for you. And when you're creating whatever you want to do in your life, just try to create and put out the truest version of yourself into the world.

The key is to be honest. Be honest, but don't play yourself.

I won't change anything in my life I'm staying myself tonight

The highest courage is to dare to appear to be what one is

Stay true to yourself. People respond to authenticity.

I may be a f..kwit but I'm not a liar. I was a believer.

One honest voice is louder than a crowd.

I say what's in my head, and I'm on honest ground. That is worth so much, and I think it does make my job, as a writer, easier. It makes it possible for me to give people stuff that they like.

I've always lived my life the way I wanted and been honest with myself and everyone around me.

Whatever games are played with us, we must play no games with ourselves, but deal in our privacy with the last honesty and truth.

I don't think I have a split personality. I believe the same person I am on the field is the same person I am at home - passionate about everything I do, whether it's reading a Bible or just hanging out with my wife.

I'm older now, and I been through that, like, 'Stop. Tell the truth, what I need to do?' And I think that's important, as far as artist, for me to stand for what I believe in, And a lot of times people don't like that, you know what I'm saying. You become a troubled artist, or, 'You don't listen,' but as long as I say 'Yeah, I'll do it!' I'm a good person.

Every man alone is sincere. At the entrance of a second person, hypocrisy begins

You really write the books you want to write. You can't take into consideration anything that anybody has said about you in the past, or what they'll say about you in the future.

I appeal from your customs. I must be myself. I cannot break myself anylonger for you, or you. If you can love me for what I am, we shall bethe happier. If you cannot, I will still seek to deserve that youshould. I will not hide my tastes or aversions. I will so trust thatwhat is deep is holy, that I will do strongly before the sun and moonwhatever inly rejoices me, and the heart appoints. If you are noble, Iwill love you; if you are not, I will not hurt you and myself byhypocritical attentions. If you are true, but not in the same truthwith me, cleave to your companions; I will seek my own.