--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can't forgive yourself, how can…" description: "\"If you can't forgive yourself, how can you expect me to?\" — Anonymous" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/anonymous-1_can-t-forgive_if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-how-can-yo_1071126.jpg" --- # If you can't forgive yourself, how can you expect me to? ![“If you can't forgive yourself, how can you expect me to?” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/anonymous-1_can-t-forgive_if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-how-can-yo_1071126.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/anonymous-1_can-t-forgive_if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-how-can-yo_1071126.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/anonymous-1_can-t-forgive_if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-how-can-yo_1071126.jpg) > “If you can't forgive yourself, how can you expect me to?” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes that self‑forgiveness is a prerequisite for extending forgiveness to others. **In simple terms:** You must forgive yourself before forgiving others. Key Takeaway Practice self‑compassion first. Themes forgiveness self‑acceptance relationships Mood empathetic introspective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - counseling - conflict resolution - personal growth - spiritual practice Key Concepts psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - What blocks your self‑forgiveness? - How can you nurture self‑compassion? A Different Perspective Self‑criticism can hinder forgiveness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Can't forgive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-t-forgive/) [Forgive yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgive-yourself/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Forgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiving/) ## Related quotes > [You can't forgive your sin. Only God can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-hunt/you-can-t-forgive-your-sin-only-god-can/) [Johnny Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-hunt/) > [“If you expect honesty, be honest. If you expect forgiveness, forgive. If you expect a whole person, you have to be a whole person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-crockett/if-you-expect-honesty-be-honest-if-you-expect-forgiveness-forgive-if/) [Kristen Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-crockett/) > [If you can't forgive yourself, you think you're never going to be able to forgive yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hader/if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-you-think-you-re-never-going-to-be-able-2/) [Bill Hader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hader/) > [But grief makes a monster out of us sometimes . . . and sometimes you say and do things to the people you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/but-grief-makes-a-monster-out-of-us-sometimes-and-sometimes-you-say/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [We all make mistakes, don't we? But if you can't forgive yourself, you'll always be an exile in your own life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/we-all-make-mistakes-don-t-we-but-if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-you/) [Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/) > [Learn from your mistakes. Forgive yourself. Move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/learn-from-your-mistakes-forgive-yourself-move-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love yourself! Forgive yourself! Accept yourself! You are YOU and thats the beginning and the end - no apologies, no regrets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-yourself-forgive-yourself-accept-yourself-you-are-you-and-thats/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forgive those who insult you, attack you, belittle you or take you for granted. But more than this...Forgive yourself for allowing them to hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forgive-those-who-insult-you-attack-you-belittle-you-or-take-you-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes you just have to let go of the guilt and forgive yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-just-have-to-let-go-of-the-guilt-and-forgive-yourself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you can forgive yourself then you will no longer see the reflection of your own internal judgement in the faces of the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-trussell/if-you-can-forgive-yourself-then-you-will-no-longer-see-the/) [Duncan Trussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-trussell/) > [Forgive yourself for what you think you've done or not done. At every moment, you had your reasons for all of your actions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/forgive-yourself-for-what-you-think-you-ve-done-or-not-done-at-every/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [Be gentle with yourself, learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself, for only as we have the right attitude toward ourselves can we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilferd-peterson/be-gentle-with-yourself-learn-to-love-yourself-to-forgive-yourself/) [Wilferd Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilferd-peterson/) > [The more you rejoice in your own forgiveness, the quicker you will be to forgive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-more-you-rejoice-in-your-own-forgiveness-the-quicker-you-will-be/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The most important thing about being a father is being able to forgive yourself. If you don't forgive yourself, you're not going to forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evander-holyfield/the-most-important-thing-about-being-a-father-is-being-able-to/) [Evander Holyfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evander-holyfield/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Can't forgive quotes > [You can't forgive your sin. Only God can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-hunt/you-can-t-forgive-your-sin-only-god-can/) [Johnny Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-hunt/) > [At that point, Noriko finally breaks down and begins to cry sobbing into her hands as the floodgates open - this young woman who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/at-that-point-noriko-finally-breaks-down-and-begins-to-cry-sobbing/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [There are so many factors when you think of your own films. You think of the people you worked on it with, and somehow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-romero/there-are-so-many-factors-when-you-think-of-your-own-films-you-think/) [George A. Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-romero/) > [If you feel you can't forgive, ask God to penetrate your unforgiveness with His love. When we have to do the impossible, God says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stormie-omartian/if-you-feel-you-can-t-forgive-ask-god-to-penetrate-your-unforgiveness/) [Stormie Omartian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stormie-omartian/) > [God dealt with our whole situation on the cross; there is nothing left for you to settle. Just say to Him, 'Lord, I cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/god-dealt-with-our-whole-situation-on-the-cross-there-is-nothing-left/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [If you can't forgive, don't ask to be forgiven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/if-you-can-t-forgive-don-t-ask-to-be-forgiven/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [The weak can never forgive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-weak-can-never-forgive/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [... but if I've learned one thing, it's this: forgiveness is crucial. If you can't forgive someone you're mad at, that anger will poison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brewer/but-if-i-ve-learned-one-thing-it-s-this-forgiveness-is-crucial-if-you/) [Heather Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brewer/) > [We all make mistakes, don't we? But if you can't forgive yourself, you'll always be an exile in your own life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/we-all-make-mistakes-don-t-we-but-if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-you/) [Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/) > [Someone with whom we have a lifetime's worth of lessons to learn is someone whose presence in our lives forces us to grow...those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/someone-with-whom-we-have-a-lifetime-s-worth-of-lessons-to-learn-is/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Whores and writers, Mahound. We are the people you can't forgive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/whores-and-writers-mahound-we-are-the-people-you-can-t-forgive/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I don't like this," he said. I don't like knowing you can't forgive me, Claire. Please, I said I was sorry, what do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/i-don-t-like-this-he-said-i-don-t-like-knowing-you-can-t-forgive-me/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [It's not that we have too much mother, but too little father. We can't forgive our mothers for taking the place of our fathers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-pittman/it-s-not-that-we-have-too-much-mother-but-too-little-father-we-can-t/) [Frank Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-pittman/) > [Love can sort of rebound and regrow and reinvent itself around a lot of things, but when somebody can't forgive themself for something, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-mcgraw/love-can-sort-of-rebound-and-regrow-and-reinvent-itself-around-a-lot/) [Tim McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-mcgraw/) > [But grief makes a monster out of us sometimes . . . and sometimes you say and do things to the people you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/but-grief-makes-a-monster-out-of-us-sometimes-and-sometimes-you-say/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) [Browse all 26 Can't forgive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-t-forgive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you can't forgive yourself, how can you expect me to?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-how-can-you-expect-me-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Can't forgive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-how-can-you-expect-me-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/anonymous-1_can-t-forgive_if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-how-can-yo_1071126.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/anonymous-1_can-t-forgive_if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-how-can-yo_1071126.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/anonymous-1_can-t-forgive_if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-how-can-yo_1071126.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you can't forgive yourself, how can you expect me to?” — Anonymous", "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": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you can't forgive yourself, how...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-how-can-you-expect-me-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-can-t-forgive-yourself-how-can-you-expect-me-to/#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 } } ] } ```