Tyler Oakley's Quotes & Sayings

Prior to 2015, I had kind of approached every year like, 'Let's hope for the best.' I always made these year-end videos with 100 things I did, and it would kind of build itself up throughout the year. When this year started, it was like I knew the 100 things before I even got to do them. — Tyler Oakley

LYB NBC - which means "love ya, babe; nuts, back & critters" - the first half being pretty self-explanatory. Less obviously, "nuts, back, and critters" means watch out for crazy people, watch your back because you can't trust anyone, and don't run over any animals. — Tyler Oakley

If you are just yourself, that's when people start gravitating towards you because nobody else can be you except you. Be authentic, don't give up, and start today. — Tyler Oakley

I have always kept my personal relationships pretty private, whether it's intimate or my family or friends - at least in videos. It's always been something that I've sworn off from sharing online. — Tyler Oakley

Since the beginning, I have always tried to just be me. There have been moments in my career as a YouTuber where I've recognized that I'm trying to emulate something else, or I'm being heavily influenced by a YouTuber or something like that, and I realize that's not what I want to be putting out. — Tyler Oakley

I'm not into boys who give nonconsensual kisses. Sure, he had good intentions, but, like, don't kiss me in my sleep. It's a simple ground rule. You don't know if those ladies wanted that. Maybe they were having a good dream. Maybe they were dreaming about Darren Criss. You don't know what you just interrupted. Rude. — Tyler Oakley

Sometimes doing what's right for your conscience is not always the most popular decision, but I can guarantee that in retrospect you won't regret the choice you made. — Tyler Oakley

Even if I spend every waking moment attempting to keep my life in balance, I'm going to fuck up. Having — Tyler Oakley

I hope you learn to love yourself for who you are and what you look like, and how you were born to be, because you are perfect in your own way. — Tyler Oakley

I always think about the fact that PewDiePie, who has tens of millions of followers, started with zero. All of my favorite creators started with zero. And all it takes is one video to dive deep, and you are officially a YouTuber. So you've got to make that first video. It's not going to be your best, but you will learn as you go. — Tyler Oakley

it depicted the idea of recognizing your inner demons and, instead of running from them, learning to live with them. I — Tyler Oakley

My ideal guy is my future husband. Not sure who he is yet, but he's out there. What impresses me in a gay guy? A warm smile, stubble, easy to talk to, thoughtful tattoos, kind eyes, wit, positivity, wanderlust, ambition, and a cute ass. — Tyler Oakley

How many likes you get on a selfie will not be what you remember 10 years down the line. The relationships that you form and the memories that you make and the connections that you make with people day to day are the things you remember. — Tyler Oakley

Tyler Oakley isn't my real name. — Tyler Oakley

In middle school, I was really into the 'Redwall' series, about anthropomorphic rodents in medieval times. I had a bowl cut, too, if you need the full imagery. — Tyler Oakley

One thing I've learned best from my mom is to be yourself and not everyone will get you and that's okay. I try to bring that into everything that I do and just understand that I will not be everyone's cup of tea and that's fine. — Tyler Oakley

Being misunderstood - that's the thing that scares me. Because my life is about oversharing. — Tyler Oakley

Tyler is who I generously offer, at school, in life, on YouTube. Mathew is what my parents and siblings call me...I've always been both, and to some people I'm more than the other." (pg 4) — Tyler Oakley

You don't go to your 9 to 5 and share every story with your coworkers, and in the same way, not every YouTuber shares every story with their audience. — Tyler Oakley

YouTube has always been a diary for me. I'm here to share what I do, share my life, and if people want to watch, more power to them. But regardless of my intention, if people are looking at what I do and am treating it like I'm a role model, it doesn't matter whether or not I want to be. — Tyler Oakley

All the money that's donated to the Trevor Project provides resources that directly affect the youth that actually watch my videos. It's a cool thing to see them basically provide resources for each other. — Tyler Oakley

Besides all that, she's hilarious and warm and knows when I need a hug, and just how long the hug needs to be for me to not feel like crying anymore. — Tyler Oakley

Finding my dream job was like finding a needle in a haystack. It was a crazy party in which every failed path I followed was like an attendee required to take away a single straw of hay as they departed, one by one. It took a while, and I eventually found that needle, but I couldn't have done it without failing over and over. — Tyler Oakley

I feel so lucky to partner with Awesomeness to bring my story to the big screen. I started out making videos as a way to connect and am thrilled by the opportunity to share one of the most exhilarating years of my life. — Tyler Oakley

Every relationship ends, unless one doesn't. And everything we've learned from the relationships leading up to that last one has been the training we needed to make that final one last. — Tyler Oakley

Binge on giving, in all senses. Binge on indulging. We're told every day from an early age that moderation is key. Count your calories, wait a while before you tell someone you love them, and remember that balance is the path to happiness. While all of those are great in theory, does a lesson taught from someone else's mistakes resonate just as deeply as the ones you learn yourself? When you binge, you find your own boundaries. — Tyler Oakley

There's no Hollywood tradition of maybe not telling people that you're gay to protect your future ambitions. The YouTube world is a little unprecedented. I think what people are seeing is that the more true to yourself you are, the more an audience will connect with you. — Tyler Oakley

This is why homophobia is a terrible evil: it disguises itself as concern while it is inherently hate. — Tyler Oakley

In elementary school, I loved the 'Bailey School Kids' series. It was about a group of classmates who would speculate whether adults in their lives were supernatural beings. I read literally every single book in the series. — Tyler Oakley

For the walk of shame the next morning, I had to run two miles in flip-flops to make it back to the car pool to go donate plasma. University was an interesting time. — Tyler Oakley

I used to joke that I wanted to go to the moon, but I actually do. Like, some day I think I'm going to go to the moon. That would be cool. — Tyler Oakley

When it came to 'Binge,' it wasn't my intention to get on a little soapbox and have a teaching moment. It was more, 'Here are things that have happened to me; here's what I've learned from it. If you'd like to learn from it too, great; if you just like the entertainment aspect, that's fine too.' — Tyler Oakley

When I graduated from college, I got a 9-to-5 traditional job doing social media for a company, and I'd spend all day long fighting with the system of getting things approved and the fact that social media has such a quick turnaround. Things had to be very reactive and instant. — Tyler Oakley

I try my hardest to not let hate mail influence me - because anybody can put out hate, it takes a much stronger person to put out themselves. — Tyler Oakley

To me, what's really an important difference between traditional entertainment and digital - on YouTube specifically - is that people thrive when they're authentic about themselves. — Tyler Oakley

I think everyone just goes to London and says like, oh I went international! — Tyler Oakley

You have to fall in love with yourself first, and if someone wants to join you, more power to them! — Tyler Oakley

Sometimes, life can feel like Scrabble. You know you've got words in there somewhere, but no matter how many times you rearrange the letters, you can't seem to make sense of the jumble. Then you glance up at the person you're playing with and see him looking at you, and it's as if by simply being in your life, he's introduced you to yourself. And you look back down at your letters and everything you couldn't see before clicks into place, explained, decoded. — Tyler Oakley

But for me to give you Mathew right off the bat...that's me trusting you, It's me saying hi, welcome to my life, not everything is perfect or edited with jump cuts. That's Tyler. You know Tyler. It's time for me to tell you all of Mathew's stories." (pg 4) — Tyler Oakley

The only constant you have from Point A, your birth to Point B, your death is you. There is no point in changing who you are to appease others when they're gonna leave your life. LOVE YOURSELF because you're the only one who's stuck with yourself. Fall in love with who you are and if anybody wants to join in on that. More Power to them. — Tyler Oakley

I was recording my audiobook, and it's so weird. You write things, but then to have to say them out loud in front of people feels so different. So when I was recording my audiobook, I was telling an embarrassing story in front of, like, a room full of audio-tech people that I don't know, and I was like 'Oh my God, this is so cringe.' — Tyler Oakley

When I was first offered the book deal, I was like, 'I am not a writer. I haven't practiced this.' My approach has been completely stream-of-consciousness, and then edit down, because that's been YouTube for me forever. — Tyler Oakley

A big reason I wanted to do a tour was because I'm from Michigan and not many things go to Michigan. Most conventions are in like London or Florida or California, and that's about it. — Tyler Oakley

There's something about YouTube, where you're not being anybody but yourself. You have the opportunity to start as yourself from the very beginning. From the very first video, you choose what you say, and you choose what's right and wrong for your presentation of yourself. — Tyler Oakley

I spend all day replying to tweets and reblogging posts and sharing fan art. I think it's the most important thing I can possibly do, to stay involved in the community as a part of the community, not ahead of the community. I'm very much the same level of them in it. — Tyler Oakley

When I was in my single digits, I was subjected to the worst torture you can possibly inflict on a child: Catholic mass. — Tyler Oakley

I found a vlogger named William Sledd who talked about his life - it was very minimal edits. It was one of those things where I discovered him, and I was like, 'Oh my God, I'm obsessed with him.' I felt like I was friends with him. And he was a huge inspiration for why I made my first video. — Tyler Oakley

Even if I never registered my YouTube channel with the intention of being a role model, if I am that for somebody, I can't help it. So I need to be conscious of it and realize that influence can be used for good or bad, and just try to do my best. — Tyler Oakley

I think I might not be straight. — Tyler Oakley

I don't think kids should think their lives have to be perfect or have a filter or the best angle or anything like that. I think it's important to see that everybody is human and everyone has their ups and downs. — Tyler Oakley

but he killed the best Disney villain of all time, the drag queen that is Ursula. Unforgivable. RIP. 4. — Tyler Oakley

2015 was, like, packed from January. 2016 is simultaneously open and packed - but I'm trying to keep 2016 open as possible so I can do weird, crazy, kooky stuff. — Tyler Oakley

I'm a fast foodie - like, a foodie, but with food courts. I'd love to go with all my friends to a food court that's also a buffet - with unlimited orange chicken from Panda Express, curly fries from Arby's, Hawaiian pizza from Sbarro, and Coke Zero. I'm a simple man with simple pleasures. — Tyler Oakley

I came from a pretty accepting community, and my school had a lot of openly gay and LGBT-plus people. When I joined YouTube, I saw a lot more hostility than I saw in my everyday life. — Tyler Oakley

I think traditional is trying to go more digital and digital is trying to go more traditional. We're meeting in the middle. — Tyler Oakley

I'm trying to leave more of my calendar open for the spontaneous things. A lot of fun stuff that happened in previous years were things that were like, 'Hey are you available next week?' I wasn't really open unless it was planned months in advance. I'm excited to play it by ear and let a lot of stuff happen as it happens. — Tyler Oakley

If you have a dream, to make it happen, all you have to do is start with one video and take it one video at a time. It may seem a little daunting to go from registering your YouTube channel to making it a full-time career, but if that is an aspiration for you, it's 100% doable if you're authentic, if you're persistent, if you put your best foot forward, if you come at it with realistic and authentic aspirations and intentions. If you try, then it's possible. — Tyler Oakley

I remember a distinct moment when it was my junior year of college, and the content I was making was changing and not really myself, and I tried to switch back to just putting me out there. I'm happy that happened really early in my career, because that was before I started doing podcasts or writing. — Tyler Oakley

I'm a firm believer in making it happen - no matter what 'it' is. Sometimes I feel a bit too driven - where it's all I think about. But I guess that's gotten me to where I am, so I can't complain. — Tyler Oakley

A lot of YouTubers get that mainstream celebrity, they get these big deals, maybe a book deal or a TV deal or whatever it is they aspired to do, and they kind of abandon ship on what got them to that point. — Tyler Oakley

I'm a casual watcher. I like to stream everything. — Tyler Oakley

Best thing about doing Youtube as a job - the Youtube friends that I've met all around the world, that I never would have got the chance to meet without Youtube. — Tyler Oakley

I really like Nick Jonas. I think he is super-cute, handsome and talented. — Tyler Oakley

I first discovered YouTube while browsing the web, and then I found people just talking into their cameras. I never even knew it was a thing you could do. William Sledd was my first YouTube obsession. He was so unapologetically himself, and just had fun talking to his audience about things that interested him. I thought - if he could do it, why couldn't I? — Tyler Oakley

Sure relationships include arguments, but pain is not a side-effect of love. — Tyler Oakley

I aggressively run into things, back up into things, have no depth perception, often forget which buttons and knobs do what, and am easily distracted. But enough about my sex life! Back to my driving skills! — Tyler Oakley

With everything that I've done with YouTube and podcasts for so many years, it's been: you can record it, edit, and then upload that day. With the book and documentary, it's been such a longer process. — Tyler Oakley

I try to surround myself with a good support system. Whether that's other creators or my family or my friends, or even my viewers, who encourage me just as much as I might encourage them and they're just as much a part of my life as they let me be a part of theirs. — Tyler Oakley

There are so many voices on YouTube, and there are incredible creators that are popular for a reason. And although it's great to be inspired by them, nobody is going to subscribe to a second-rate version of them. It's really important to put your best foot forward and be your best self because you will always be the number one version of you. — Tyler Oakley

Homophobic people are outdated and life is too short to put up with them. — Tyler Oakley

I definitely have aspirations outside of YouTube, but I think there's a lot of people on YouTube who want to leave YouTube. I don't want to leave; I love it. — Tyler Oakley

I'm one of those YouTubers who doesn't daily-vlog, so my life may seem very open, but my audience only really sees probably 50%. I keep a lot to myself, and I cherish the things that are for me and the people closest to me. — Tyler Oakley

Listen, your asshole is precious. It deserves to be shown love, and that's all I'm doing. Let me live. Let your asshole live. — Tyler Oakley

The older I get, the more I realize what a gift a true friend is. Especially since my mom can't make me return those. — Tyler Oakley

Nowadays, if somebody in America is feeling alone and wants to find a coming out story, they just search 'coming out,' and they'll find millions of first-person examples of people telling their story. — Tyler Oakley

Part of the beauty of falling in love with you is the fear you won't fall. — Tyler Oakley

There will always be people that will have assumptions about you, about my character, my personality, or that I might put on a show of being gay or something, or that I play up stereotypes or anything like that. It's always funny to me that those people are typically the people that know me the least. — Tyler Oakley

People just want to watch people live their authentic lives and share the good and the bad. You can have fun and be a positive influence and have a good impact. And it can still be entertaining. — Tyler Oakley

I think a lot of what I wanted to do in 2014 was build a repertoire or a portfolio for what I can do with traditional celebrities or with brands or whatever. Maybe 2015 is the year I start reaching out to people I always dreamed to do stuff with. — Tyler Oakley

I'll be a YouTuber for as long as I love it. — Tyler Oakley

In my new book, 'Binge,' I share essays about everything I've never told my viewers - touching on the best and worst days of my life, some hilarious, some embarrassing, but all extremely personal. — Tyler Oakley

Every video I make, I want to make sure that it's doing something entertaining or hopefully inspiring or maybe teaching somebody something or sharing my mistakes so that they can learn from them or anything that will make a positive impact in the world. — Tyler Oakley

Look, nobody is born with a sociology degree, and no one can understand all perspectives. Nobody's going to get it all from the very start. But the Internet at least allows everyone to hear these perspectives at a much faster rate than if we had to do it without it. — Tyler Oakley

Three things that always bring a smile to my face: making guacamole for my friends, getting pedicures with my mom, exploring an airport I've never been in. — Tyler Oakley

Writing is something I want to explore. If I were to do it, I would want it to be not a book made by a YouTuber; I would really want to respect that craft of literature and just be an author. — Tyler Oakley

Care less about what other people think because at the end of the day, everyone is so worried about themselves & how they are coming across that nobody is actually judging as much as y'all think they are. — Tyler Oakley

Julie Chen. She's my ultimate celebrity idol. I think she's one of the most amazing interviewers and hosts ever - and would kill to pick her brain. I am a fangirl of talent, so to see someone slaying the competition doing what I'd love to do, that's inspiring to me. — Tyler Oakley

There are tons of gay issues that are important, from gay marriage to adoption rights to work-place discrimination and more ... but I think the biggest gay issue is the level of involvement of the gay community to demand change. So many gays think that other gays will take care of it. To fix this, people need to realize that they CAN make a change, but no one person can do it alone. — Tyler Oakley

We need to talk," Adam said one day, walking into my room. — Tyler Oakley

On YouTube, if anything, coming out as gay or bi or trans explodes someone's popularity. — Tyler Oakley

Once you dye your hair for the first time, you see other people with dyed hair, and you see them differently than you did before. And you're just like 'Yes! Live! Work that color! Yes, I love you in every way! You're killin' it! I want to do that color next!' — Tyler Oakley

I remember having 100 views on a video and being like, "I don't have a hundred friends." So that was a moment. — Tyler Oakley

I'm essentially working from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep. It's my biggest hobby but also my favorite career that I could ever have. Every single platform is important. — Tyler Oakley

It feels like an amazing opportunity to positively impact the world. That's what I hope to do. — Tyler Oakley

My first instinct was to make an excuse or to get bashful or to change the subject...but then I realized I was in good company. I could be honest, and this guy was the one who seemed to be holding back. "Actually, yeah, that was kind of amazing. — Tyler Oakley

Yes, one hundred percent, for sure, without a doubt do I believe in a 'love of your life.' But I think that we have multiple loves of our lives, who are supposed to join us at just the right times. Throughout our entire time on earth, we end up meeting all of them. — Tyler Oakley

I initially thought I was going to be a teacher. Maybe like an elementary teacher or something like that, which would be fun. Maybe someday. — Tyler Oakley

I knew I could make a living doing my own videos instead of making them for someone else. — Tyler Oakley

Narcissism has existed for a long time; social media is just a new outlet to express it. Anybody who is going to record themselves and put that on the Internet, hoping people will watch, there is a degree to which that exists, yeah. I don't know if I would call myself a narcissist. I don't necessarily identify with that label. — Tyler Oakley

I feel like everybody, whether you have one follower or a million followers, has an opportunity to either positively or negatively affect people. — Tyler Oakley