I’ve collected the best self sabotage quotes to help you break the chains of your negative beliefs and realize that, when you free yourself from the limits of your mind, everything becomes possible. Let’s explore them!
Top Self Sabotage Quotes
1. “The fear of failure has sabotaged many hopes and dreams.” ― RJ Intindola
2. “Procrastination is, hands down, our favorite form of self-sabotage.” — Alyce Cornyn-Selby
3. “The biggest thing holding you back is almost always… you. Start there.” — Hunter Post
4. “Self-destruction and self-sabotage are often just the starts of the self-resurrection process.” — Oli Anderson
5. “Self-doubt does more to sabotage individual potential than all external limitations put together.” — Brian Tracy
6. “Focus on rewarding and praising yourself instead of degrading and punishing yourself. You’ll get far better results!” — Akiroq Brost
7. “Self-sabotaging behavior turns you into your own worst enemy.” — Darien Gee
8. “Unless we learn to know ourselves, we run the danger of destroying ourselves.” — Ja A. Jahannes
9. “Lack of forgiveness causes almost all of our self-sabotaging behavior.” — Mark Victor Hansen
10. “Success is most often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” — Coco Chanel
See also: 220 Best Proverbs About Success To Give You Inspiration
Inspirational Quotes About Self Sabotage
Keeping yourself inspired and motivated is not an easy task. Here are some more inspirational self sabotage quotes to lift your spirits.
1. “I’m doing everything I can to sabotage my career. It’s a little thing called “fear of success.” — Jon Stewart
2. “Self-sabotage is when we say we want something and then go about making sure it doesn’t happen.” — Alyce Cornyn-Selby
3. “Fear of failure and fear of success can sabotage our best efforts. Knowing that situations causing these fears rarely represent actual danger can eliminate many anxieties.” ― Charles F Glassman
4. “It’s the fear of not being as good as you want to be. If you give over to that fear, it will sabotage you. As much as I can, I try to use that fear to guide me.” — Chris Pine
5. “Being self-critical is good; being self-hating is destructive. There’s a very fine line there somewhere, and I walk it carefully.” — Daniel Radcliffe
6. “We each have our own ways of sabotaging and keeping ourselves down… Do we need to remain the victim so strongly that we pull the ceiling down upon our own heads? There is a comfort in the familiar.” — Maureen Brady
7. “We sabotage our creative possibilities because the world revealed by our imagination may not fit well with the life we have taken so much trouble to construct over the years. Faced with the pain of that distance, the distance between desire and reality, we turn just for a moment and quickly busy ourselves.” — David Whyte
8. “The lack of understanding of our emotions leads to the creation of narratives that alter our thinking, awaken ego and fear and result in self-sabotage. Without becoming emotionally intelligent and mature, we will live in our shadows, lose ourselves and succumb to unhealthy coping mechanisms which become lifestyles.” ― Kemi Sogunle
9. “We can all make powerful choices. We can all take back control by not blaming chance, fate, or anyone else for our outcomes. It’s within our ability to cause everything to change. Rather than letting past hurtful experiences sap our energy and sabotage our success, we can use them to fuel positive, constructive change.” — Darren Hardy
10. “It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else’s eyes.” — Sally Field
11. “I think I sabotage myself when I don’t follow through with things that are important to me. It’s always been a problem of mine. I have a hard time committing to things, even if they’re good for me.” — Britney Spears
12. “Sometimes we self-sabotage just when things seem to be going smoothly. Perhaps this is a way to express our fear about whether it is okay for us to have a better life.” — Maureen Brady
13. “Be mindful of finding holes in joyful moments/experiences. Your self-sabotage ways are stealing your joy. You deserve to experience the wholeness of good moments and finally give yourself a break from your negative self-talk.” — Ash Alves
14. “The only reason I can’t jump in and engage life is that I’ve told myself I can’t. Yet I can’t help wondering what would happen if I told myself I could?” — Craig D. Lounsbrough
15. “You can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can’t have it.” — Robert Anthony
16. “Negative thinking is contagious. Do your best not to dwell on negativity, it will consume you and prevent you from becoming your best self.” ― Germany Kent
17. “It is not uncommon for someone to be a self-saboteur and compound that by also having a victim mentality. It is as though they are holding their own breath and then blaming others for their inability to breathe.” — unknown
18. “Much of your self-esteem doesn’t come from what happens to you on a given day or what somebody says, but what you know about yourself on the inside.” — Dr. Judy Ho
19. “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” — Dale Carnegie
20. “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” ― Marcus Aurelius
See also: 60 Inspirational You Are Stronger Than You Think Quotes
Quotes About Self Sabotaging Behavior
How to spot self-sabotaging behavior? These self sabotage quotes will give you the answer.
1. “One simple thing to do and destroy the spirit of self-sabotage is to admire the beauty hidden in ugly circumstances.” ― Israelmore Ayivor
2. “I decry the injustice of my wounds, only to look down and see that I am holding a smoking gun in one hand and a fistful of ammunition in the other.” — Craig D. Lounsbrough
3. “When we are succeeding – that is, when we have begun to overcome our self-doubt and self-sabotage when we are advancing in our craft and evolving to a higher level – that’s when panic strikes. When we experience panic, it means that we’re about to cross a threshold. We’re poised on the doorstep of a higher plane.” — Steven Pressfield
4. “Other people’s views and troubles can be contagious. Don’t sabotage yourself by unwittingly adopting negative, unproductive attitudes through your associations with others.” – Epictetus
5. “When an individual does not become conscious of their inner contradictions, the world acts out the conflict and is torn in opposite halves.” ― Carl Jung
6. “All self-sabotage, lack of belief in ourselves, low self-esteem, judgments, criticisms, and demands for perfection are forms of self-abuse in which we destroy the very essence of our vitality.” — Deborah Adele
7. “Like most other creatives, I struggle with self-sabotage, self-doubt, and feeling like an imposter more often than not. I struggle with expressing myself because it does sometimes feel easier or safer not to.” — Jeff Jarvis
8. “Complaining becomes a habit. Focusing on the negative also becomes a habit. It’s one of the most detrimental habits you can possibly have. It can negatively impact you socially, affecting your personal happiness, but it can also subconsciously sabotage your money and success.” — T. Harv Eker
9. “No more excuses. No more self-sabotage. No more self-pity. No more comparing yourself to others. Time to step up. Take action right now and start living your life with purpose.” – Anthon St. Maarten
10. “Why is it that we don’t worry about a compass until we’re lost in a wilderness of our own making?” — Craig D. Lounsbrough
11. “People with a negative self-image and low self-esteem are especially vulnerable to self-sabotaging. They behave in ways that confirm negative beliefs about themselves. So, if they are close to succeeding, they become uncomfortable.” — Barbara Field
12. “I think of myself as somebody who, in a moment-by-moment way, I’m quite happy. But, I think I am a bit doubtful and wary of true happiness, and, like a lot of my friends, there’s been a good degree of self-sabotage.” — Patrick DeWitt
13. “There is stability in self-destruction, in prolonging sadness as a means of escaping abstractions like happiness. Rock bottom is a surprisingly comfortable place to lay your head.” — unknown
14. “Alcohol and drug abuse is a common form of self-sabotage because, despite the short-term benefits, a consistent abuse of drugs and alcohol almost always interferes with our long-term goals and values.” — Nick Wignall
15. “Life is so much easier when you stop getting in your way.” ― Kristin Barrow
16. “The answer to any challenge you are having has nothing to do with God’s willingness to help. It has to do with your acceptance of how the Infinite is already active within you, how it has already placed within you all that you need to solve and dissolve inner conflict through conscious communion with the Self.” ― Michael Beckwith
17. “We need to ascend beyond our own petty Resistance, our own negative self-judgment and self-sabotage, our own “I’m not worthy” mindset.” — Steven Pressfield
18. “The inner struggle you feel should not be viewed as conflict but as creative tension to help move you forward.” — Jennifer A. Williams
19. “Those who say life is knocking them down and giving them a tough time are usually the first to beat themselves up. Be on your own side.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru
20. “Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” — Lucille Ball
See also: 70 Self Compassion Quotes To Help You Love Yourself More
Self Sabotaging Quotes That Hit Hard
Many times we’re not even aware of the self sabotage we put ourselves through. Here are some more mind-blowing self sabotage quotes to help you spot the unhealthy patterns.
1. “All of our actions can signify self-love or self-sabotage.” ― Sharon Salzberg
2. “Our biggest enemy is our own self-doubt. We really can achieve extraordinary things in our lives. But we sabotage our greatness because of our fear.” — Robin Sharma
3. “This is how women self-sabotage and self-destruct. Unless we have constant witnesses to our hard work, we are convinced we pull off every day of our lives through smoke and mirrors.” — Sarah Ban Breathnach
4. “Having a low opinion of yourself is not ‘modesty’. It’s self-destruction. Holding your uniqueness in high regard is not ‘egotism’. It’s a necessary precondition to happiness and success.” – Bobbe Sommer
5. “Cry wolf often enough, and you eventually get eaten by the wolf, even if the wolf is you.” — Kris Kidd
6. “Once you have identified with some form of negativity, you do not want to let it go, and on a deeply unconscious level, you do not want positive change. It would threaten your identity as a depressed, angry, or hard-done-by person. You will then ignore, deny or sabotage the positive in your life. This is a common phenomenon. It is also insane.” — Eckhart Tolle
7. “Winning and losing is not an external game. It is an internal battle over telling yourself the truth vs. lies regarding why you haven’t stepped into the life you dreamed of.” ― Shannon L. Alder
8. “The question “Is this an act of self-love or is it an act of self-sabotage?” is one you must consistently ask yourself if you are committed to having all that you want and all that you deserve. When you love yourself, you feel worthy and deserving of claiming the gifts of this world. Self-love gives you peace of mind and balance. Self-love gives you self-respect and the ability to respect others. It gives you the confidence to stand up and ask for what you want. Self-love is the main ingredient in a successful, fulfilled life.” — Debbie Ford
9. “A well-defined backup plan is a sabotage waiting to happen. Why push through the dip, why take the risk, why blow it all when there’s the comfortable alternative instead? The people who break through usually have nothing to lose, and they almost never have a backup plan.” ― Seth Godin
10. “Before you can undo an unhealthy behavior, you have to understand the function it serves.” — Nick Wignall
11. “When your heart knows it doesn’t belong there, it will continue to self-sabotage your future, until you make the choice you wanted, but found a million excuses not to pursue.” — Shannon L. Alder
12. “The most destructive element in the human mind is fear. Fear creates aggressiveness; aggressiveness engenders hostility; hostility engenders fear, a disastrous circle.” — Dorothy Thompson
13. “I understood myself only after I destroyed myself. And only in the process of fixing myself, did I know who I really was.” — Sade Andria Zabala
14. “Self-sabotage is the smartest thing you can do if you’re sabotaging a self that is not really you.” — Armand DiMele
15. “Don’t sabotage yourself. There are plenty of other people willing to do that for free.” — Jenny Lawson
16. “Managing your emotions doesn’t mean you don’t express yourself; it means you stop short of hurting others and sabotaging yourself.” — unknown
17. “Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance.” — Bruce Barton
18. “I am really fascinated by self-sabotage. I think that there’s not a person I know who doesn’t fall victim to it. It’s essential to the human condition and relatable.” — Kit Williamson
19. “It’s not the lack of ability or opportunity that holds you back; it is only a lack of confidence in yourself.” — Richard Monckton Milnes
20. “Feeling unmotivated is a normal and natural part of your growth. It’s okay to have days where you’re feeling less than thrilled, so don’t beat yourself up.” ― Dee Waldeck
See also: 50 Genius It’s Okay To Not Be Okay Quotes To Inspire You
Self Sabotaging Relationship Quotes
Low self-esteem often leads to various forms of self-sabotage, and one of them is sabotaging romantic relationships.
Below you’ll find self sabotage quotes that talk about love and relationships.
1. “Withholding love is a form of self-sabotage, as what we withhold from others, we are withholding from ourselves.” — Marianne Williamson
2. “Sometimes we don’t move forward because the people who love us the most unconsciously sabotage our efforts.” — Chip Espinoza
3. “No matter how well-meaning your intention, doing too much is not always an act of love but of sabotage.” – Judith Orloff
4. “When we shrink from the sight of something when we shroud it in euphemism, that is usually a sign of inner conflict, of unsettled hearts, a sign that something has gone wrong in our moral reasoning.” ― Matthew Scully
5. “Love will never be easy, but without self-sabotage, it is a lot more reachable.” — Raquel Peel
6. “The tragedy of too many people is that they cannot allow happiness just to be there; they cannot leave it alone. Their sense of who they are and what their destiny is cannot accommodate happiness. So they are driven to find ways to sabotage it.” — Nathaniel Branden
7. “Each of us has an inner thermostat setting that determines how much love, success, and creativity we allow ourselves to enjoy. When we exceed our inner thermostat setting, we will often do something to sabotage ourselves, causing us to drop back into the old, familiar zone where we feel secure.” — Gay Hendricks
8. “The ego mind both professes its desire for love and does everything possible to repel it, or if it gets here anyway, to sabotage it. That is why dealing with issues like control, anger, and neediness is the most important work in preparing ourselves for love.” – Marianne Williamson
9. “When you associate pleasure and pain, at the same time, to a certain purpose in your mind, you sabotage yourself; you’ll be two steps forward and one back.” — unknown
10. “It is easier to rise when you have love in your heart than to fall when you have fear in your soul.” ― Matshona Dhliwayo
11. “People sabotage their romantic relationships mainly to protect themselves.” — Arash Emamzadeh
12. “I craft most of my own tragedies without ever having even the remotest understanding that it is I myself who have done the crafting.” — unknown
13. “A long-standing history of ghosting partners and discarding relationships out of self-preservation… often backfires in a cycle of more self-sabotage.” — Annie Tanasugarn
14. “Many romantic saboteurs mention the dispiriting sensation they have when they’re in a relationship knowing it’s just a matter of time before it will end.” — Daniella Balarezo
15. “But I do nothing upon myself, and yet I am my own executioner.” — John Donne
To Conclude
I hope you liked this collection of self sabotage quotes and hope to see you again.
Until next time!
