Quotes & Sayings About Seeking Approval

If you find yourself craving approval, you are low on self-love. Stop grasping for a few scraps wherever you can. Go home and make yourself a feast. Love yourself deeply today. — Vironika Tugaleva

We need not avoid our active lives, but simply bring to them a new vision and shift of gravity. for in the center we are rooted in god's love. in such a place there is no need for striving and impatience and dashing about seeking approval. — Sue Monk Kidd

But I'm not worried about seeking out the approval of others - that high school thing of joining the club. — Stephan Jenkins

Spare yourself from seeking love, approval, or appreciation-from anyone. And watch what happens in reality, just for fun. — Byron Katie

How do you react when you think you need people's love? Do you become a slave for their approval? Do you live an inauthentic life because you can't bear the thought that they might disapprove of you? Do you try to figure out how they would like you to be, and then try to become that, like a chameleon? In fact, you never really get their love. You turn into someone you aren't, and then when they say "I love you," you can't believe it, because they're loving a facade. They're loving someone who doesn't even exist, the person you're pretending to be. It's difficult to seek other people's love. It's deadly. In seeking it, you lose what is genuine. This is the prison we create for ourselves as we seek what we already have. — Byron Katie

A plan will wait until we've camped for the night," I say.
From habit, I turn to look for Hector, seeking his quiet approval. I don't catch myself until it's too late, until I've lost him all over again. — Rae Carson

If you have to boast about what you do for a living to attract attention, attraction or approval, then you're seeking the wrong kind of people for it has nothing to do with who you are and everything to do with what you do. Is that the kind of people you want? The ones who are more attracted to your status than you? — Donna Lynn Hope

Know that God has a plan for your life. Turn your life over to him every day. Stop looking outside yourself for validation and approval-you're letting other people define your happiness. Instead of trying so hard to manipulate life, take care of yourself on the inside. Then all those other attributes you're so desperately seeking will find you eventually. — Trisha Yearwood

The more you try, so desperately, to prove a point to get someone's approval, the more fleeting that approval might be, causing a chain of depreciation of self-esteem. Sometimes, all you need do is truly love yourself and get only the approval and acceptance of the inner self. — Ufuoma Apoki

I'm still at the age where I'm constantly seeking approval of people I have respect for. — Eliot Paulina Sumner

But seeking the temporary reward of the world's approval can distract us from seeking the eternal reward of the Lord's approval. — Gloria Furman

If I wasn't so insecure about myself I wouldn't work as hard as I do. I am constantly seeking approval. — Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Enmeshment creates almost total dependence on approval and validation from outside yourself. Lovers, bosses, friends, even strangers become the stand-in for parents. Adults like Kim who were raised in families where there was no permission to be an individual frequently become approval junkies, constantly seeking their next fix. — Susan Forward

I must work harder to achieve my goal of not seeking approval from those whose approval I'm not even sure is important to me. — Lauren Graham

Cinder gaped at her stepmother, her own anger eclipsed with a surprising jolt of pity. This woman was full of so much ignorance it was almost like she wanted to stay that way. She saw what she wanted, believed anything to support her limited view of the world. ( ... )Five years she had lived with this woman, and never once had she seen Cinder as she was. As Kai saw her, and Thorne and Iko and all the people who trusted her. All the people who knew her.
She shook her head, finding it easier than she'd expected to dismiss her stepmother's words. I'm done trying to explain myself to you. I'm done seeking your approval. I'm done with you. — Marissa Meyer

The less approval I get, the more chances I have to develop a relationship with my inner sense of approval. Thankless environments are actually useful for this. They help me discover my own thankfulness and my own self-appreciation. — Vironika Tugaleva

The sort of decision arrived at by saints and madmen is not revealed to others. It is forged little by little, in the folds of the spirit, tangential to reason, shielded from indiscreet eyes, not seeking the approval of others - who would never grant it - until it is at last put into practice. I imagine that in the process - the conceiving of a project and its ripening into action - the saint, the visionary, or the madman isolates himself more and more, walling himself up in solitude, safe from the intrusion of others. — Mario Vargas-Llosa

Do what you feel is right without seeking approval. — Debasish Mridha

I came here as a son seeking his father's approval, hoping you could recognize what she and I have. But, it appears you're business as usual. — Nicole Gulla

Know your purpose. Recognize your talents and capitalize on them. If you live your life for the sole purpose of seeking the approval of others, you will live no life at all. — Kel Kade

You cannot water your own plant if you are waiting on other people's approval to do so. Stop living your one and only life waiting for validation, start seeking your own inner voice to guide you. — Keysha Jade

When you are influential and highly respected, people tend to tell you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear. They are seeking your approval, or they flatter you. Unfortunately, this creates a gap between what you hear and reality. If you find yourself in that situation, you will need to work extra hard to get the people close to you to speak honestly into your life. And you will have to become highly intentional in observing and listening. — John C. Maxwell

When you have your chance to make a film, don't focus on pleasing everyone. I think the goal is to live in that sweet spot where you focus on making a good film and you have fun with your collaborators, but you don't waste your energy chasing approval every which way. When you have a vision and a good story and you've managed to raise funding, it is your approval as a director that everyone should be seeking. It's very simple. — Jennifer Phang

You need to be focused, Reaylin. You must determine your objective. Know your purpose. Recognize your talents and capitalize on them. If you live your life for the sole purpose of seeking the approval of others, you will live no life at all. You will indubitably fail, for if that person cannot appreciate you for who you are, then he or she will never truly appreciate you at all. You will always be trying to prove yourself, and it will never be enough. — Kel Kade

If you live your life for the sole purpose of seeking the approval of others, you will live no life at all. You — Kel Kade

I have never claimed to live by any set of principles," Warner says to me. "I've never claimed to be right, or good, or even justified in my actions. I have been forced to do terrible things in my life, love, and I am seeking neither your forgiveness nor your approval. Because I do not have the luxury of philosophizing over scruples when I'm forced to act on basic instinct every day. — Tahereh Mafi

We tend to live down to other people's expectations, especially the people closest to us. It is more difficult to obtain approval of people who hold us in high regard than to accept the lower standards that other people hold of us. — Kilroy J. Oldster

Because sometimes there's more worth in silence than noise. Sometimes everything you need to know is contained in that small quiet space. Sometimes we get so caught up in distraction and noise and seeking other people's approval we forget the quiet seed of truth that lives in our hearts. But just because we fail to tune in to it, doesn't mean it's not there. — Alyson Noel

Colt, you're going to be a nurse, not a cop. If anything happens, I'll pay the fines for you."
"Still don't need it."
"Why?" She paused for a moment, thinking. "Because you're still trying to get into Daddy's good books?"
"Shut up," I muttered, blowing my frustrations into another balloon - it grew between my palms. This had nothing to do with my father.
"From what you've told me of the guy, he's a jerking dick, Colt. I don't know why you're seeking his approval. — Shaye Evans

Something interesting happens when we approach situations from a perspective of humility - it opens us up to possibilities as we choose open-mindedness and curiosity over protecting our point of view. We spend more time in that wonderful space of the 'beginner's mind,' willing to learn from what others have to offer. This translates into moving away from pushing to allowing, from insecure to secure, from seeking approval to seeking enlightenment. — Bruna Martinuzzi

There is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some people will test you, some will use you, some will bring out the best in you, but everyone will teach you something about yourself. Both positive and negative relationships teach you valuable lessons. This is an incredible step toward expanding your consciousness. The road to self-discovery requires help from others. As humans we are always seeking feedback and approval from others. That is how we learn and become better as individuals. No relationship is a waste of time. The wrong ones teach you the lessons that prepare you for the right ones. Appreciate everyone that enters your life because they are contributing to your growth and happiness. — John Geiger

Something remarkable happens when you truly stop seeking other peoples approval, you automatically gain it, and find that others will then seek your approval. — Steven Aitchison

FDA classifies devices according to the risk they pose to consumers. Premarket review is required for moderate- and high-risk devices. There are two paths that manufacturers can use to bring such devices to market. One path consists of conducting clinical studies, submitting a premarket approval (PMA) application and requires evidence providing reasonable assurance that the device is safe and effective. The other path involves submitting a 510(k) notification demonstrating that the device is substantially equivalent to a device already on the market (a predicate device) that does not require a PMA. The 510(k) process results in FDA clearance and tends to be much less expensive and less time-consuming than seeking FDA approval via PMA. — Judith A. Johnson

He had a happy canine way of seeking approval without seeming insecure. — Jonathan Franzen

A Speechmaker's Prayer:
"Let each word of mine be tender and sweet,
Just in case someone might make me eat it. — Ana Claudia Antunes

If they lived in Saudi Arabia, under Shari'a law, these college girls in their pretty scarves wouldn't be free to study, to work, to drive, to walk around. In Saudi Arabia girls their age and younger are confined, are forced to marry, and if they have sex outside of marriage they are sentenced to prison and flogged. According to the Quran, their husband is permitted to beat them and decide whether they may work or even leave the house; he may marry other women without seeking their approval, and if he chooses to divorce them, they have no right to resist or to keep custody of their children. Doesn't this matter at all to these clever young Muslim girls in America? — Ayaan Hirsi Ali

With age comes wisdom and confidence, and I don't feel like I'm seeking approval as much as I used to from other people. — Terri Clark

When you live your life seeking the opinion and approval of others, you become a slave in your mind and soul to others. This is the worst form of slavery. — Bien Sufficient

I think politicians and comedians have a lot in common. One is a group of approval-seeking narcissists who will say and do anything to be liked ... and comedians are always talking about politics. — Aasif Mandvi

10For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying s to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a t servant [2] of Christ. — Anonymous

If I were surrounded by people who always approved of me, I wouldn't need such a deep relationship with my own sense of right and wrong. And you know what that means? It means that other people's approval is actually a hindrance, more than a helper, when it comes to self-discovery. — Vironika Tugaleva

How often do you cave in to the pressures of the crowd, seeking the approval of others instead of the approval of God? We all like to be liked - but that can be a very dangerous thing. Make it your goal to live for Christ and be faithful to Him, regardless of what the crowd demands. — Billy Graham

An amazing thing happens when you stop seeking approval and validation: You find it. People are naturally drawn like magnets to those who know who they are and cannot be shaken! — Mandy Hale

Because of movies, music and television shows, men have come to believe that they are supposed to wait on a woman hand and foot and act like a stalker to make women fall for them. They learn, basically, that if they become her do-boy, she will fall in love with them. That may look romantic in the movies, but when you try that in real life, that is not the way it happens. It actually turns them off. Approval seeking behavior is not masculine. It is creepy stalker-like behavior. — Corey Wayne

You will never gain anyone's approval by begging for it. When you stand confident in your own worth, respect follows. — Mandy Hale

A friendship where you're always trying to be considerate of the other person, always worrying about what they think, always responding to every single text, always seeking their approval and then finally connecting with them, isn't friendship at all. — Wataru Watari

Then he had looked on his spirit as his I; now, it was his healthy strong animal I that he looked upon as himself.
And all this terrible change has come about because he had ceased to believe himself and had taken to believing others. This he had done because it was too difficult to live believing one's self: believing one's self, one had to decide every question, not in favour of one's animal I, which was always seeking for easy gratification, but in almost every case against it. Believing others, there was nothing to decide; everything had been decided already, and always in favor of the animal I and against the spiritual. Nor was this all. Believing in his own self, he was always exposing himself to the censure of those around him; believing others, he had their approval. — Leo Tolstoy

When you can give up approval and appreciation seeking behaviors, then you will become true to yourself and the universe. — Debasish Mridha

We all have weakness and strength. I have to fight against the weakness in my personality. Everyone of should fight against the weakness of the soul. Seek to build on your strengths. — Lailah Gifty Akita

We are forever looking outside ourselves, seeking approval and striving to impress others. But living to please others is a poor substitute for self-love, for no matter how family and friends may adore us, they can never satisfy our visceral need to love and honor ourselves. — Susan L. Taylor

Constantly seeking approval means you're perpetually worried that others are forming negative judgments of you. This steals the fun, ingenuity, and spontaneity from your life. Flip the switch on this habit. If you're lucky enough to have something that makes you different from everybody else, don't be ashamed and don't change. Uniqueness is priceless. In this crazy world that's trying to make you like everyone else, find the courage to keep being your remarkable self. It takes a lot of courage to stand alone, but being unapologetically YOU is worth it! — John Geiger

Loving humanity means as much, and as little, as loving raindrops, or loving the Milky Way. You say that you love humanity? Are you sure you aren't treating yourself to easy self-congratulation, seeking approval, making certain you're on the right side? — Julian Barnes

Whenever I talk to anyone I care about, I am always seeking approval. There is always a pleading lilt in my voice that demands love. Even the people I work with, the ones I am supposed to have a professional relationship with, all business, get pulled into my need. I can't help it. I want to be adored. — Elizabeth Wurtzel

If you're conscientiously seeking approval, you're not being true to yourself. — Tomas Kalnoky

As long as you look for someone else to validate who you are by seeking their approval, you are setting yourself up for disaster. You have to be whole and complete in yourself. No one can give you that. You have to know who you are - what others say is irrelevant. — Nic Sheff

The nation has been turned upside down and inside out. The country that was once discovered by people seeking religious freedom is now oppressing religious rights. It has been a slow train rumbling down the track of destruction since the 1960's. It started with the removal of the Bible from our public schools. Next the generation known as the 'love generation' opened the door for the approval of sex outside of marriage. For every ten years since then, it's been a slippery slope of materialism, I got mine, what can you do for me, and money is power.
We as a nation have stopped focusing on God and family and replaced them with money and success. Parents are teaching their children to do whatever it takes to get ahead ... just don't get caught. If you do, find someone to blame it on. — Rick Mayhew

In my prayer journey I've been motived by many lesser aspirations like guilt, approval before others and even a ego-driven desire for church growth. Of course, a passion for revival can even trigger more prayers. Yet, in the long run, we must remember that there is a difference between seeking revival from God vs. seeking God for revival. — Daniel Henderson

Acceptance is approval, a word with a bad name in some psychologies. Yet it is perfectly normal to seek approval in childhood and throughout life. We require approval from those we respect. The kinship it creates lifts us to their level, a process referred to in self-psychology as transmuting internalization. Approval is a necessary component of self-esteem. It becomes a problem only when we give up our true self to find it. Then approval-seeking works against us. — David Richo

Don't seek approval. This may be the toughest suggestion for you to follow
and the most important. Whether you'te a teenager seeking approval from your peers, a middle-aged parent seeking the approval of your kids, or a man or woman seeking the approval of a partner, it all amounts to the same thing. You're giving your personal power away every time you seek validation from someone else for who you are. — T. J. MacGregor