These assertive quotes will inspire you. Assertive having or showing a confident and forceful personality.
A collection of motivating, happy, and encouraging assertive quotes, assertive sayings, and assertive proverbs.
Famous Assertive Quotes
- “New Yorkers, by reputation, are fast-talking, assertive and easily annoyed; I fit right in.” ~ Jane Pauley
- “The basic difference between being assertive and being aggressive is how our words and behavior affect the rights and well being of others.” ~ Sharon Anthony Bower
- “Being assertive does not mean attacking or ignoring others feelings. It means that you are willing to hold up for yourself fairly-without attacking others.” ~ Albert Ellis
- “At sixteen I was stupid, confused and indecisive. At twenty-five, I was wise, self-confident, prepossessing and assertive. At forty-five I am stupid, confused, insecure and indecisive. Who would have supposed that maturity is only a short break in adolescence?” ~ Jules Feiffer
-
“Being assertive and somewhat really firm has to be backed up with being fair.” ~ Gordon Ramsay
- “Assertiveness is not what you do, it’s who you are!” ~ Shakti Gawain
- “There’s boldness in being assertive; there’s strength and confidence.” ~ Bryan Cranston
- “The Canadian spirit is cautious, observant and critical where the American is assertive.” ~ V. S. Pritchett
- “There is a fine line between assertiveness and being relaxed.” ~ Justin Guarini
-
“Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man, you take it.” ~ Malcolm X
- “The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry.” ~ William F. Buckley, Jr.
- “Too many of us fail to fulfill our needs because we say no rather than yes, yes when we should say no.” ~ William Glasser
- “If you are going to have to play defense all the time, you cannot have the kind of ingenuity, assertiveness, independence, and intelligence which is what has made our country strong.” ~ Arlen Specter
- “Women are a little more assertive in terms of our ability to express our feelings when we fall in love.” ~ Alicia Machado
-
“Let’s build bridges, not walls.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “The practice of assertiveness: being authentic in our dealings with others; treating our values and persons with decent respect in social contexts; refusing to fake the reality of who we are or what we esteem in order to avoid disapproval; the willingness to stand up for ourselves and our ideas in appropriate ways in appropriate contexts.” ~ Nathaniel Branden
- “It is naive to think that self-assertiveness is easy. To live self-assertively–which means to live authentically–is an act of high courage. That is why so many people spend the better part of their lives in hiding–from others and also from themselves.” ~ Nathaniel Branden , Self assertive quotes
- “A bully hides his fears with fake bravado. That is the opposite of self-assertiveness.” ~ Nathaniel Branden
- “Being assertive in the home does not produce any smiling faces, but it does bring out a few tongues.” ~ Wes Fesler
-
“Assertiveness is most effective when least applied.” ~ Wes Fesler
- “Mother Nature’s ruthless to the weak but isn’t arbitrary cruel or negative. Mother Nature saves aggression for extreme situations, and instead uses consistent leadership–to help keep things running smoothly. Mother nature doesn’t rule by fear and anger, but by calm strength and assertiveness.” ~ Cesar Millan
- “My generation of bossy, confident, baby-boom women were something brand new in history. Our energy and assertiveness weren’t created by Betty Friedan, unknown before her 1963 book, or by Gloria Steinem, whose political activism, as even the Lifetime profile admitted, did not begin until 1969.” ~ Camille Paglia
- “I think naturally, if you’re an actor, there’s a high level of assertiveness that you need to have to survive this business. There’s boldness in being assertive, and there’s strength and confidence.” ~ Bryan Cranston
- “Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth.” ~ Oswald Chambers
-
“Choose to be pro-active, assertive, and self-defining.” ~ Bryant H. McGill
- “Don’t be a victim. Be busy with your horse so you stay out of trouble – otherwise, trouble will come and find you”, Brannaman would say. “Be assertive but don’t be aggressive, if you are aggressive you’ll make the horse flighty. The horse needs perimeters like anyone else. Give them guidance, support, rules. The same rules. Don’t change the game. Don’t let them have excuses just cause of their past. And love them.” ~ Buck Brannaman
- “Learn to be difficult when it counts. In school as in life, having a reputation for being assertive will help you receive preferential treatment without having to beg or fight for it every time.” ~ Tim Ferriss
- “A man is commanding – a woman is demanding. A man is forceful – a woman is pushy. A man is uncompromising – a woman is a ball-breaker. A man is a perfectionist – a woman’s a pain in the ass. He’s assertive – she’s aggressive. He strategizes – she manipulates. He shows leadership – she’s controlling. He’s committed – she’s obsessed. He’s persevering – she’s relentless. He sticks to his guns – she’s stubborn. If a man wants to get it right, he’s looked up to and respected. If a woman wants to get it right, she’s difficult and impossible.” ~ Barbra Streisand , Assertive quotes woman
- “It is a mistake to look at someone who is self-assertive and say, “It’s easy for her, she has good self-esteem.” One of the ways you build self-esteem is by being self-assertive when it is not easy to do so. There are always times when self-assertiveness requires courage, no matter how high your self-esteem.” ~ Nathaniel Branden
-
“I think that Rachel Maddow is probably the most assertive, politically motivated, and accurate voice of my generation.” ~ Mehcad Brooks
- “I need to learn to be more assertive.” ~ Brooke Elliott
- “We have to move toward specificity, intelligence, facts, proof, and mutual affection. What I think people have to do now is be very, very assertive about the utter essentiality of intellectual undertakings.” ~ George Saunders
- “Be assertive, but don’t forget to look around. I realized there are other opinions that can be more useful to me than just sticking to my guns.” ~ Britt Robertson
- “Nothing is more beautifully and acceptably self-assertive than good singing.” ~ Iris Murdoch
-
“I really worked at becoming more assertive, and now none of my friends talk to me.” ~ Wendy Wasserstein
- “I’ve worked very hard at understanding myself, learning to be assertive. Im past the point where I worry about people liking me.” ~ Pam Dawber
- “To advance from a nuanced dissent to a compelling vision, progressive policymakers should turn to the great mainstay of twentieth-century U.S. foreign policy: liberal internationalism… (which) should offer assertive leadership – diplomatic, economic, and not least, military – to advance a broad array of goals.” ~ Suzanne Nossel
- “I’m as proud and assertive in my Quebec identity as any Quebecer. I believe it’s to Quebec’s advantage to be part of the Canadian federation. But I will be extremely strong and forceful in defending Quebec’s interests within Canada.” ~ Philippe Couillard
- “In ‘Play Misty For Me’, its inexplicably assertive knife-woman nearly manages the impossible task of slaughtering Clint Eastwood.” ~ Andrew Tudor
-
“We see a more assertive Russia, which has implemented a very significant military buildup over several years, and a Russia which has used military force against neighbors, especially Ukraine.” ~ Jens Stoltenberg
- “In the postindustrial age, labor is seen as essentially uninvolved in the social process because there is no need for assertive labor.” ~ Herbert Schiller
- “Any attempt to break with the past, or with existing social structures, is a failure if it leads to a bored, listless, and colorless style of life; assertive and enduring innovation, like the mastering of a new environment, requires the confidence and discipline which are founded on exuberant emotions.” ~ John Carroll
- “The way that words mutate reminds me of fashions in music. The word–the note–is a constant. But the setting and chord in which it occurs alters with the mood of a nation from major to minor, from the assertive to the mournful and foreboding.” ~ Neal Ascherson
- “If you feel inadequate to face challenges, unworthy of love or respect, untitled to happiness, and fear assertive thought, wants, or needs- if you lack basic self trust, self-respect, and self-confidence- your self-esteem deficiency will limit you, no matter what other assets you possess.” ~ Nathaniel Branden
-
“Be more assertive with what you want to do.” ~ Jim Gaffigan
- “One of the things that I loved about when I met my husband was that he picked me up and he paid – I know that sounds old-fashioned but for me, most of my life, I always would split the bill or would always pay, or I would be very assertive about my independence and my financial responsibility. And I am a very strong woman and very strong-willed – but there was something really great about him taking care of me and treating me and opening the door and driving, and I am perfectly OK with that. And he still does it to this day.” ~ Sutton Foster
- “The meek are positive and often colorful characters. They are not self-assertive nor self-seeking, to be sure, but rather they are unselfish and uncomplaining, genuinely interested in the welfare of others, creating opportunities to be of service to them, submissive in the face of injuries and insults, silent in the accidents and adversities of life, and bearing with equanimity the infamies and injustices heaped upon them.” ~ V. Raymond Edman
- “As women, we understand our bodies, and there’s a blossoming that occurs. We’re hungry for gourmet meals instead of the fast food. We bring to life a more expansive understanding of life, ourselves, and others. We are more generous and assertive.” ~ Sharon Stone
- “My work is one of my passions, so I want to treat it with great importance, whatever the project or role. As any motorcycle enthusiast can probably attest to, getting your motorcycle looking and riding the best certainly holds a high rating of importance. And if I don’t finish the Lego city with my son, then I meet the wrath of an extremely assertive four-year-old project manager.” ~ Danielle Cormack
-
“I have to be more assertive-I have take more control at crunch time.” ~ Sue Bird
- “Well, we definitely need a strong and clear and assertive America. That’s for sure. But you’ve always got to build alliances. And so it’s very important that we are able to build those alliances. And where we don’t do what in a way to extremists want us to do, which is to make this into a battle between the West and Islam – it’s not. This isn’t a clash between civilizations. It’s about whether the values of tolerance and respect for difference prevail.” ~ Tony Blair
- “There’s a massive part of me that can be bold and courageous…very strong and very assertive and independent, almost to a fault sometimes.” ~ Evangeline Lilly
- “Dogs have found themselves in an odd predicament by living with humans. In the wild, dogs don’t need humans to achieve balance. They have a pack leader, work for food and travel with the pack. When we bring them into our world, we need to help them achieve balance by fulfilling their needs as nature intended. This takes exercise and discipline before affection, and always maintaining your calm, assertive pack leadership.” ~ Cesar Millan
- “The person who knows a great deal about things but has never learnt to see, tends to be assertive; those who have once lost their hearts to a blade of grass or a glowworm and sensed God’s omnipresence within them are at least on the road to reverence.” ~ Gerald Vann , Assertive quotes person
-
“My go-to default is to try to be nice, which I feel does less harm in the long run than trying to be, say, assertive. If I am nice and maybe too passive, I find that easier to live with.” ~ George Saunders
- “I think it’s dangerous to look at every Muslim woman the same and to assume that every experience within the religion is the same, meaning that there are going to be strong and assertive women that are Muslim. There’s going to be a more passive woman who just so happens to be a Muslim. There may be a funny, big-personality woman and she’s Muslim.” ~ Nia Long
- “It’s easier to interest a conservative audience in pushing the musical boundaries than to involve a young audience used to very noisy, assertive music in something like Schubert or Bach because the further back you go, the less bells and whistles there are.” ~ Michael Tilson Thomas
- “I think my methods are more suggestive than assertive. Check out those passages again and see what you think.” ~ Paul Lisicky
- “I welcome the fact that Trump has clearly stated that NATO is not obsolete.And I think, also, that reflects that NATO is adapting. NATO is the most successful alliance in history because we have been able to change, to adapt when the world is changing. And now NATO is stepping up its effort in the global fight against terrorism, and we are responding to a more assertive Russia with an increase of our collective defense, with more presence in the eastern part of the alliance.” ~ Jens Stoltenberg
-
“Although individual temperaments vary, boys are designed to be more assertive, audacious, and excitable than girls are.” ~ James Dobson
- “Dogs are like their owners. If you get an uptight owner, you have an uptight dog. If you have an assertive owner, half drunk who thinks he owns the whole track, the dog will be the same. If you see that kind of person, he doesn’t own a miniature Poodle.” ~ James R. Heath
- “In the wiretapping, despite all the momentum for a more assertive Congress, you’re seeing Congress backing down because there are many Republicans and even Democrats who are afraid of being seen as preventing the president from protecting the nation.” ~ Bill Vaughan
-
“You can’t equate passive dependent power with assertive power because the dependent kind isn’t fun, it doesn’t give you a kick, it just allows you to survive.” ~ Marilyn French
- “the self-assertive tendency is the dynamic expression of the holon’s wholeness, the integrative tendency, the dynamic expression of its partners.” ~ Arthur Koestler
- “By putting the spotlight on the female child and framing her as the ideal of beauty, he condemns the mature woman to invisibility. In fact, the modern Western man enforces Immanuel Kant’s nineteenth-century theories: To be beautiful, women have to appear childish and brainless. When a woman looks mature and self-assertive or allows her hips to expand, she is condemned ugly. Thus, the walls of the European harem separate youthful beauty from ugly maturity.” ~ Fatema Mernissi
Assertive is confident in behavior or style.
