These “I deserve better” quotes will help you not settle for less and help you navigate your relationships.

Have you been in a situation or relationship that has left you questioning your value and self-worth?

This could be nearly any type of situation or relationship, like work and career-related or familial and romantic relationships.

If you have been crying frequently, feeling overwhelmed, beating yourself up, or accepting responsibility for things that are not your fault, it might be time to take a long look at what you have going on.

You deserve better than going through life feeling unworthy and frustrated, but what exactly does “I deserve better” mean?

I deserve better means that your worth is far greater than the behavior or treatment you are receiving and accepting.

It is never your fault for the way someone else chooses to treat you, but what behavior you allow and accept is up to you.

Now, I am not talking about or downplaying the mental effects of an abusive relationship, which can make leaving extremely difficult because of systematic isolation.

This is absolutely not your “fault” and is the result of a predator. You deserve to be safe and healthy. If you are in a situation like this please check out some resources in your area to help you.

What I am referring to is respect, support, and knowing your own value. Keep reading through these I deserve better quotes and rediscover just who you are and what you truly deserve.

Don’t forget to also check out these mind your business quotes that will help you navigate this rude social situation.

Short ‘you deserve the best’ quotes

1. “The moment that you start to wonder if you deserve better, you do.” ― Unknown

2. “True, I am in love with suffering, but I do not know if I deserve the honor.” ― Saint Ignatius

3. “Once you realize you deserve better, letting go will be the best decision ever.” ― Unknown

4. “Deserve your dream.” ― Octavio Paz

5. “We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle.” ― Marilyn Monroe

6. “Yes, I deserve a spring–I owe nobody nothing.” ― Virginia Woolf

7. “What a person desires and what they deserve are often not identical.”― C.A.A. Savastano

8. “Sometimes, you have to forget what you feel to remember what you deserve.” ― Unknown

9. “I guess the moment when everything changed, was when I realized I deserved so much better.” ― Unknown

10. “People don’t always get what they deserve in this world.” ― Lemony Snicket, The Blank Book

‘I deserve better’ quotes about not settling for less than you deserve

11. “Never settle for anything less than what you deserve, it’s not pride, its self-respect.” ― Unknown

12. “Make the most of what you have and keep your standards high. Never settle for anything less than you deserve or are capable of achieving.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

13. “The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.” ― Maureen Dowd

14. “Know who you are. Know what you want. Know what you deserve. And don’t settle for less.” ― Tony Gaskins

15. “Don’t ever settle for less than you deserve, because once you start to settle you always will.” ― Unknown

16. “Don’t settle for less know your value and always tell yourself you deserve better.” ― Pertrice St Pierre

17. “You deserve peace, love, happiness and all that your heart desires. Don’t let anyone control your life and take away those things.” ― Sonya Parker

18. “There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” ― Nelson Mandela

19. “Never settle for less than your dreams, somewhere, sometime, someday, somehow, you’ll find them.” ― Danielle Steel

20. “Never settle for less than you desire or deserve because when you except crumbs people will assume that you are happy with scraps.” ― Stacye Branche

‘I deserve better’ quotes about the fight for equality and justice

21. “The power lunch is no longer just for men. We all deserve a seat at the table.” ― Whitney Wolfe Herd

22. “Whether it’s salary or a promotion or a job, I think it’s important for women to ask for what they think they deserve.” ― Susan Wojcicki

23. “All first responders do noble work, and all of them deserve our respect and our appreciation.” ― William Barr

24. “All human beings deserve equal treatment, no matter their gender identity or sexuality.” ― Andreja Pejic

25. “Women and girls should be able to determine their own future, no matter where they are born.” ― Melinda Gates

26. “Having to fight for the thing you want doesn’t mean you deserve it any less.” ― Anna Kendrick

27. “Justice, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Some see an innocent victim. Others will see evil incarnate getting exactly what’s deserved.” ― Emily Thorne

28. “Somewhere in this small world, you can find a place where everyone appreciates you more than you think you deserve.” ― M.F. Moonzajer, LOVE, HATRED AND MADNESS

29. “If you are a woman, reading my tale, learn to fight for your rights and the respect you deserve as a human being. But, if you are a man, reading my tale, learn to respect women and, likewise, advocate for them.” ― Yanan Melo, Aggressing the Predatory Lions

30. “Do not expect to get your rights in the corrupted country as you deserve.” ― Kamaran Ihsan Salih

‘I deserve better’ quotes about respect, love, and relationships

31. “You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.” ― Buddha

32. “Even if you have a million flaws you still deserve love and respect.” ― Sonya Parker

33. “Everyone of us deserves to be with someone who makes us happy somebody who won’t complicate our life, somebody who knows our value, someone who won’t hurt us.” ― Unknown

34. “Sometimes it takes a heartbreak to shake us awake and help us see we are worth so much more than we’re settling for.” ― Unknown

35. “I’m not single, I’m not taken, I’m simply on reserve for the one who deserves my heart.” ― Mitch Cuento

36. “Yes, I deserve a spring–I owe nobody nothing.” ― Virginia Woolf, A Writer’s Diary

37. “Respect yourself enough to know you deserve the very best.” ― Unknown

38. “If you can’t Respect her, you don’t Deserve Her!” ― Udayveer Singh

39. “You don’t deserve my image in your head. You don’t deserve my memories in your chest.”― Jamie Weise

40. “Don’t settle, even if you have to remain alone for a lifetime. You deserve someone who will appreciate you for both for your beauty and your bruises.” ― A.R. Lucas

‘I don’t deserve this’ and actually deserve better quotes

41. “I don’t appreciate the disrespect, because I’ve been playing hurt for a guy who won’t respect you. I don’t deserve it … It’s time for me to move on.” ― Melvin Mora

42. “Sometimes life doesn’t give you something you want, not because you don’t deserve it, but because you deserve more.” ― Unknown

43. “We cannot achieve more in life than what we believe in our heart of hearts we deserve to have.” ― James R. Ball

44. “I think I know that I deserve better. And so I try for better. I’m never so put off that I would ever walk out of a place not having tried the best I could.” ― Maya Angelou

45. “To be successful, forget what you feel and remember what you deserve. Your courage, dedication and hard work make you deserve to take you on a new high and reaching your goal.” ― D Ranil Kr Sinha

46. “Relationships: If you put up with it, you’re going to end up with it.Set the standard you want and don’t settle for less.” ― Steve Maraboli

47. “We should not give away a moment to anyone who does not deserve it.”― Deb Caletti, The Secret Life of Prince Charming

48. “I will not try to convince you to love me, to respect me, to commit to me. I deserve better than that; I AM BETTER THAN THAT…Goodbye.” ― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

49. “Someday, I will let you go and it wouldn’t ache, someday I will realize, I deserve more.”― Nitya Prakash

50. “You were never meant to fight for the love you deserve. It should have come your way effortlessly…” ― Samiha Totanji

‘I deserve better’ quotes for when you have had enough

51. “Fight for the things you deserve.” ― Anuj Jasani

52. “Deserve what you love; love what you deserve.” ― Shweta Tale

53. “Having patience always gives you what you deserve.” ― Fatma Alfalasi

54. “Some people don’t deserve even your thinking for a moment.” ― Arbab J. Edhi

55. “The people who have you apologizing for your love are the ones who don’t deserve it.” ― Nitya Prakash

56. “I’m guilty of giving people more chances than they deserve but when I’m done, I’m done.” ― Turcois Ominek

57. “Once you have decided to achieve what you deserve, you deserve what you have decided to achieve.” ― Anuj Jasani

58. “Do not be disappointed if no one appreciates your true feelings, because they do not deserve them.” ― M.F. Moonzajer

59. “Don’t appreciate me, I’m not up to it. Don’t criticize me, I don’t deserve it. Just be my friend and forgive me, because I am craving for it.” ― Debasish Mridha

60. “Don’t ever say that, Fennrys,” she said. “I don’t ever want to hear you say that you don’t deserve or you aren’t worthy. You do. You are.” ― Lesley Livingston, Starling

I Deserve Better Relationships Quotes 

61. “Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.” — Robert Tew

62. “No matter how qualified or deserving we are, we will never reach a better life until we can imagine it for ourselves and allow ourselves to have it.” — Richard Bach

63. “We only get what we believe that we deserve. Raise the bar, raise your standards and you will receive a better outcome.”- Joel Brown

64. “Stop blaming everybody and everything for what’s going on. If you really believe that you deserve better, then you would have it.”- Bobby Williams

65. “Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary.” – Oscar Wilde

66. “The moment you settle for less than you deserve is the moment you get less than you deserve.”― Nishan Panwar

67. “Don’t stay stuck on the people who’ve hurt you. Move on and let your future give you the better that you deserve.”- Trent Shelton

68. “I want it to be better than okay. You deserve better than okay.” – Tammara Webber

69. “If you really believe that you deserve better, work on you, not them.”- Bobby Williams

70. “There are better people in the world, do not let the worst do the worst to you, you deserve the best in life.”- Michael Bassey Johnson

I Deserve Better Quotes To Empower You

71. “If you’re asking too much you know you deserve too much so never trade yourself for less.” — Anuj Jasani

72. “You have value and you deserve better.” — Ken Poirot

73. “When you earn something, you never have to worry about justifying that you truly deserve it.” — Ronda Rousey

74. “You don’t deserve to understand the truth, if all that you want is just the normal life.” — Toba Beta

75. “The moment you choose to settle for less, is the moment you’re choosing to hand over your opportunity of what you really deserve to someone else.” — London Mond

76. “You deserve to be happy, not in the arms of someone who keeps you waiting but of someone who wants you now, love you forever & never leaves.” — Chelle Mish

77. “You have value and you deserve better.” — Ken Poirot

78. “It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.” — Mark Twain

79. “You deserve love and you’ll get it.” — Amy Poehler

80. “When you earn something, you never have to worry about justifying that you truly deserve it.” — Ronda Rousey

I Deserve Better Quotes To Keep In Mind

81. “Don’t hate your enemies, they don’t even deserve it.” ― M.F. Moonzajer

82. “The fact that you have failed to get the lesser proves conclusively that you deserve the greater.” ― Christian D. Larson

83. “Never leave the egg if you are not laid. Don’t leave the laid eggs there not hatched. You deserve the best; you were created to use every gift in you!” ― Israelmore Ayivor

84. “Never allow impatience to rob you of what you truly deserve.” ― Lailah Gifty Akita

85. “That’s the thing about success and happiness. Every time I fall in love I become absolutely, pathologically obsessed. The moment that you have what you want, and you’re not totally ready for it, you become obsessed with the idea that you don’t deserve it.” ― Sara Quin

86. “If there ever comes a day when anyone gets what they deserve…then I would still get you, and you would still get me” ― A.K. Larkwood

87. “I like helping people. Especially people who deserve it.” ― Paula Stokes

88. “He was even. He didn’t give people anything if they didn’t deserve it.

But he was considered odd..!” ― Mahendar Singh Jakhar

89. “We have a saying in my country that a beautiful woman deserves love.” (…)

“Ugly women do not?” asked the queen as if genuinely curious.” ― Megan Whalen Turner

90. “Not every day you get to be on the other side of the table. Maybe this is how it feels to love someone who doesn’t deserve your love.” ― Sarvesh Jain

What did you learn from these I deserve better quotes?

Just how do you come to the realization that you do, in fact, deserve better than you are getting?

Well, it may start out with the tears and feelings I mentioned earlier, but there are also a few other signs.

Do you feel like you are being taken for granted? Are your efforts and gestures never acknowledged or reciprocated? Do you feel like second rate?

These are indicators that you deserve a partner or a work role where you are appreciated, at the bare minimum! Is there a “standard” to what people deserve, and how is this decided?

Some people expect to be treated like royalty in a relationship, and others just want decent behavior. There is a whole range of treatment in between “queen” and “basic human” being status.

Here are a few things that I think everyone deserves in their lives, and we should all strive to spread these things out into the world. The first is laughter.

People deserve to experience humor and joy, and laughter really is the best medicine. Support is also something that everyone should expect and is easy to provide.

At the end of the day, be in situations that make you feel happy, safe, and cherished.

Do you need a foot rub every day or is it enough for you to have someone give you a hug and acknowledge your difficult day? That is up to you, but whatever it is that you believe you deserve, go and get it with intention!

What’s your biggest takeaway from these I deserve better quotes and sayings? Do you have any other favorite quotes to add? Let us know in the comment section below.