---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want people to be able to influence…"
description: "\"I want people to be able to influence themselves. We convince ourselves, and that allows us to convince others.\" — Amy Cuddy"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/amy-cuddy-13505_convince_i-want-people-to-be-able-to-influence-th_1375269.png"
---

#  I want people to be able to influence themselves. We…

![“I want people to be able to influence themselves. We convince ourselves, and that allows us to convince others.” quote by Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/amy-cuddy-13505_convince_i-want-people-to-be-able-to-influence-th_1375269.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/amy-cuddy-13505_convince_i-want-people-to-be-able-to-influence-th_1375269.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/amy-cuddy-13505_convince_i-want-people-to-be-able-to-influence-th_1375269.png)

> “I want people to be able to influence themselves. We convince ourselves, and that allows us to convince others.”

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Empowering self‑influence enables us to persuade others effectively.

**In simple terms:** Control yourself to influence others.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate self‑awareness and confidence.

Themes

self‑empowerment influence confidence

Mood

motivational reflective

Type

inspirational practical

When to use this quote

- leadership training
- personal coaching
- team building

Key Concepts

psychology social dynamics self‑efficacy

Questions to Reflect On

- How does self‑confidence affect your ability to lead?
- What barriers hinder self‑influence?

A Different Perspective

Self‑influence may be limited by external constraints.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Allows Convince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allows-convince-4747126/) [Convince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convince/) [Convince Allows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convince-allows-4747127/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Influence Convince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence-convince-1653495/) [Others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/others/) [Ourselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ourselves/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/)

## Related quotes

> [I understand the importance of political power, so I will use my strength and influence to convince as many people as I can within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-danon/i-understand-the-importance-of-political-power-so-i-will-use-my/)

[Danny Danon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-danon/)

> [“When leading up the chain of command, use caution and respect. But remember, if your leader is not giving the support you need, don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocko-willink/when-leading-up-the-chain-of-command-use-caution-and-respect-but/)

[Jocko Willink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocko-willink/)

> [Well, I don't think of myself as a feminist at all. As soon as we start labeling and categorizing ourselves and others, that's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leo/well-i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-feminist-at-all-as-soon-as-we-start/)

[Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/)

> [The outlines of the needed psychology of becoming can be discovered by looking within ourselves; for it is knowledge of our own uniqueness that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-outlines-of-the-needed-psychology-of-becoming-can-be-discovered/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The most excellent and divine counsel, the best and most profitable advertisement of all others, but the least practiced, is to study and learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-charron/the-most-excellent-and-divine-counsel-the-best-and-most-profitable/)

[Pierre Charron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-charron/)

> [Religious people today are courts and juries. When it comes down to it, Jesus died on the cross so that we could learn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-faye-bakker/religious-people-today-are-courts-and-juries-when-it-comes-down-to-it/)

[Tammy Faye Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-faye-bakker/)

> [“It is important to consider others at least as important as ourselves. This is the essence of spirituality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/it-is-important-to-consider-others-at-least-as-important-as-ourselves/)

[Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/)

> [“When we allow ourselves to show some patience and take time to listen to the others, we may learn a lot about ourselves. Patience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/when-we-allow-ourselves-to-show-some-patience-and-take-time-to-listen/)

[Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/)

> [God knows we are subtle creatures who are more than able to use candour to avoid acknowledging our deceptions of others and ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/god-knows-we-are-subtle-creatures-who-are-more-than-able-to-use/)

[Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/)

> [Kids are pretty resilient. You don't have to be at every volleyball game. We can't guilt ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-burns/kids-are-pretty-resilient-you-don-t-have-to-be-at-every-volleyball/)

[Ursula Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-burns/)

> [What we prefer to do is operate our investment bank in a way that is like what investment banks used to be, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-stephens/what-we-prefer-to-do-is-operate-our-investment-bank-in-a-way-that-is/)

[Warren Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-stephens/)

> [If we believe that a person seeking refuge is to be pitied, feared, despised, and looked down upon, we are doing ourselves a disservice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clemantine-wamariya/if-we-believe-that-a-person-seeking-refuge-is-to-be-pitied-feared/)

[Clemantine Wamariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clemantine-wamariya/)

> [In Free, we managed ourselves, and it was too tough for us to handle all of what that entailed when we got to touring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/in-free-we-managed-ourselves-and-it-was-too-tough-for-us-to-handle/)

[Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/)

> [Our whole thing was that we wanted to challenge ourselves and go out of the box that everyone else was doing, and even what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-real/our-whole-thing-was-that-we-wanted-to-challenge-ourselves-and-go-out/)

[B-Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-real/)

> [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

## More by Amy Cuddy

> [Your body language shapes who you are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/your-body-language-shapes-who-you-are/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [“A warm, trustworthy person who is also strong elicits admiration, but only after you’ve established trust does your strength become a gift rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/a-warm-trustworthy-person-who-is-also-strong-elicits-admiration-but/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [There is no one who is present all the time, but you work on becoming present when you are interacting with people who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/there-is-no-one-who-is-present-all-the-time-but-you-work-on-becoming/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [I sometimes work with a communications and media training firm called KNP Communications. It's nice to bring the research to the practitioners; I learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/i-sometimes-work-with-a-communications-and-media-training-firm-called/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [When we close ourselves off, we're not just closing ourselves off to other people, we're closing ourselves off from ourselves and impeding ourselves. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/when-we-close-ourselves-off-we-re-not-just-closing-ourselves-off-to/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [“the root of our human frustration and daily anxiety is our tendency to live for the future, which is an abstraction,” and that “our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/the-root-of-our-human-frustration-and-daily-anxiety-is-our-tendency/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [That's the dream scenario: when people approach these stressful situations not focused on that concrete outcome but just focused on being there and being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/that-s-the-dream-scenario-when-people-approach-these-stressful/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [Practice smiling by holding a pencil between your teeth for twenty minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/practice-smiling-by-holding-a-pencil-between-your-teeth-for-twenty/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [I hear from so many women who really started to pay attention to it at all times and stopped, you know, touching their faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/i-hear-from-so-many-women-who-really-started-to-pay-attention-to-it/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [Too many of us suffer from pervasive feelings of personal powerlessness. We have a terrible habit of obstructing our own paths forward, especially at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/too-many-of-us-suffer-from-pervasive-feelings-of-personal/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [You have to buy what you're selling. If you don't buy what you're selling, nobody will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/you-have-to-buy-what-you-re-selling-if-you-don-t-buy-what-you-re/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [Trust is the conduit for influence; it's the medium through which ideas travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/trust-is-the-conduit-for-influence-it-s-the-medium-through-which/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [When you have a novel, exciting finding, that gets attention. People are going to push back, and that's honestly how science should work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/when-you-have-a-novel-exciting-finding-that-gets-attention-people-are/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [I'm good enough; I'm smart enough. Self-affirmation is where people list their core values. These are things that really make them who they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/i-m-good-enough-i-m-smart-enough-self-affirmation-is-where-people/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

> [The whole body-mind thing comes into play, when you are feeling that self-doubt and your body is not going to help you if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/the-whole-body-mind-thing-comes-into-play-when-you-are-feeling-that/)

[Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

[Explore all 50 Amy Cuddy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/)

## More Convince quotes

> [“Sometimes we want something to be true so badly that we convince ourselves that it is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/sometimes-we-want-something-to-be-true-so-badly-that-we-convince/)

[Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/)

> [The privilege of prayer to me is one of the most cherished possessions, because faith and experience alike convince me that God himself sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-grenfell/the-privilege-of-prayer-to-me-is-one-of-the-most-cherished/)

[Wilfred Grenfell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-grenfell/)

> [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/)

[Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/)

> [The first duty of a wise advocate is to convince his opponents that he understands their arguments, and sympathies with their just feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/the-first-duty-of-a-wise-advocate-is-to-convince-his-opponents-that/)

[Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/)

> [Once you convince people that they're victims, you really own them because you've just told them that whatever problems they have in life, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/once-you-convince-people-that-they-re-victims-you-really-own-them/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [The people on the QVC shopping channel convince me that life is worth living. They see the good in everything. People who go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-vegas/the-people-on-the-qvc-shopping-channel-convince-me-that-life-is-worth/)

[Johnny Vegas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-vegas/)

> [“What can I say to convince you the Houses of Parliament dissolve night after night to become the fluid dream of the Thames? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisel-mueller/what-can-i-say-to-convince-you-the-houses-of-parliament-dissolve/)

[Lisel Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisel-mueller/)

> [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/human-beings-have-the-incredible-capacity-for-denial-i-think-they-do/)

[David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/)

> [“If you can convince yourself, you can convince the other fellow,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/if-you-can-convince-yourself-you-can-convince-the-other-fellow/)

[Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/)

> [Don't lie to yourself about what you can't or can achieve. Convince yourself on a realistic level that you can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-lie-to-yourself-about-what-you-can-t-or-can-achieve-convince/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Don't ever let anyone convince you that your imagination is wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-bianco/don-t-ever-let-anyone-convince-you-that-your-imagination-is-wrong/)

[Giuseppe Bianco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuseppe-bianco/)

> [It's hard to convince your agents and managers to do theater, because it's not as financially rewarding and it takes up a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-helberg/it-s-hard-to-convince-your-agents-and-managers-to-do-theater-because/)

[Simon Helberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-helberg/)

> [I guess that is the strange part of the human brain that people have studied for eons - is hatred and self-hatred. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/i-guess-that-is-the-strange-part-of-the-human-brain-that-people-have/)

[Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/)

> [I knew I shouldn't like him cause I know it's not working, and everybody tells me that, and I convince myself I don't... and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/i-knew-i-shouldn-t-like-him-cause-i-know-it-s-not-working-and/)

[Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/)

> [The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-statesmen-will-invent-cheap-lies-putting-the-blame-upon-the/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

[Browse all 1,431 Convince quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convince/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I want people to be able to influence themselves. We convince ourselves, and that allows us to convince others.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Amy Cuddy"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/i-want-people-to-be-able-to-influence-themselves-we-convince/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Convince"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/i-want-people-to-be-able-to-influence-themselves-we-convince/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/amy-cuddy-13505_convince_i-want-people-to-be-able-to-influence-th_1375269.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/amy-cuddy-13505_convince_i-want-people-to-be-able-to-influence-th_1375269.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/amy-cuddy-13505_convince_i-want-people-to-be-able-to-influence-th_1375269.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I want people to be able to influence themselves. We convince ourselves, and that allows us to convince…” — Amy Cuddy",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Amy Cuddy",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I want people to be able...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/i-want-people-to-be-able-to-influence-themselves-we-convince/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/i-want-people-to-be-able-to-influence-themselves-we-convince/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
