Rainbow Rowell Quotes

I hated myself for so many reasons, and I thought so many things were my fault that happened to me growing up.

I'm horribly self-critical.

I had such intense self-loathing for so long.

As a youth, I hated myself for not being good enough. All my inadequacies and failures, not being kind enough, generous or understanding enough, would assail me at night. It became a habit to be guilty and self castigating, not liking myself because I was unworthy... I really tortured myself.

Every act of life, from the morning toothbrush to the friend at dinner, became an effort. I hated the night when I couldn't sleep and I hated the day because it went toward night.

Humans punish themselves endlessly for not being what they believe they should be. They become very self-abusive, and they use other people to abuse themselves as well.

He would lie in the bed and finally, with daylight, he would go to sleep. After all, he said to himself, it is probably only insomnia. Many must have it.

Guilt is really the reverse side of the coin of pride. Guilt aims at self-destruction, and pride aims at the destruction of others.

Insomnia is a gross feeder. It will nourish itself on any kind of thinking, including thinking about not thinking.

I used to refer to myself as a 'theoretical anorexic,' just as crazy when it came to body image, but saved by a lack of self-discipline. My daughters do everything better than I do - they're smarter, more beautiful, happier. What if they end up better at anorexia, too?

Westerners, more than most Asians, are prone to feelings of fear, self-hatred, and unworthiness.

The worst bullies you will ever encounter in your life are your own thoughts.

Guilt is feeling bad about what you have done; shame is feeling bad about who you are - all it is, is muddling up things you have done with who you are.

I beat myself a little bit too much sometimes. When you beat yourself a little bit too much, there's little things that make you miserable.

After many years of self-flagellation, I've realised that beating myself up doesn't get me anywhere.

I don't know - sometimes I catch myself being dark, and it's annoying. I think, 'Get over it.' I bore myself. But sometimes, like everybody, I'm sure I am obsessive.

The truth is, I've always been wracked with self-loathing and terrible, paralysing depression.

I'm self-loathing, introverted, and neurotic.

I actually did go through severe depression and anxiety attacks where I couldn't sleep for weeks. It was definitely several months of being not myself.

I felt that I ostracized myself by my behavior, by the past, by living with all the regrets of my mistakes, that I sort of wore a hair shirt and beat myself up most of the day thinking and regretting why did I make such a mistake? Why have I made so many mistakes?

People blame themselves for their own layoffs…. We ignore the effect on mental health. Every person in this society who is laid off is told that they lack value…. We undermine public health.

When I've gone through those periods of depression or anxiety, it's almost like your body is telling you constantly with these panics that the world really is the terrible place that you think it is, and all the things you fear are true about yourself have to be true.

The third person allows characters to really attack themselves. We all do this - attack ourselves - every hour of our lives.

I don't think I can be too hard on myself.

Guilt is a serious appetite killer.