--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not that I didn't love myself…" description: "\"It's not that I didn't love myself before. Sometimes we don't realize that we are compromising ourselves. To understand that a person is not good for y..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a96/jennifer-lopez-1227_breakup_it-s-not-that-i-didn-t-love-myself-befor_1409799.jpg" --- # It's not that I didn't love myself before. Sometimes we… ![“It's not that I didn't love myself before. Sometimes we don't realize that we are compromising ourselves. To understand that a person is not good for you, or that that person is not treating you in the right way, or that he is not doing the right thing for himself - if I stay, then I am not doing…” quote by Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a96/jennifer-lopez-1227_breakup_it-s-not-that-i-didn-t-love-myself-befor_1409799.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a96/jennifer-lopez-1227_breakup_it-s-not-that-i-didn-t-love-myself-befor_1409799.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a96/jennifer-lopez-1227_breakup_it-s-not-that-i-didn-t-love-myself-befor_1409799.jpg) > “It's not that I didn't love myself before. Sometimes we don't realize that we are compromising ourselves. To understand that a person is not good for you, or that that person is not treating you in the right way, or that he is not doing the right thing for himself - if I stay, then I am not doing the right thing for me. I love myself enough to walk away from that now.” [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing self‑worth means leaving relationships that harm you, even if love remains. **In simple terms:** Leave harmful ties to protect yourself. Key Takeaway Prioritize self‑respect over staying. Themes self‑respect boundaries relationships Mood reflective empowering Type advice personal development When to use this quote - breakups - friendship endings - career moves - setting limits Key Concepts self‑care personal growth emotional health Questions to Reflect On - What signs show a relationship is damaging? - How can you nurture self‑love after a split? A Different Perspective Leaving can be painful and socially challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breakup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breakup/) [Compromise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compromise/) [Doing the right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-the-right-thing/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) [Right way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-way/) ## Related quotes > [As a newly married person, as much as I would love for my husband to buy into the 'my way or the highway' philosophy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/as-a-newly-married-person-as-much-as-i-would-love-for-my-husband-to/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [I am too good for you, it took me this long to realize I was compromising too much by being with you! I deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/i-am-too-good-for-you-it-took-me-this-long-to-realize-i-was/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Thanks to those who didn't love me back, couldn't love me, and refused to love me. You taught me how to love myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/thanks-to-those-who-didn-t-love-me-back-couldn-t-love-me-and-refused/) Pacifiersucker > [The biggest obstacle I've had to overcome is loving myself 100%. And that's still a battle. I love myself, but sometimes you can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-epps/the-biggest-obstacle-i-ve-had-to-overcome-is-loving-myself-100-and/) [Mike Epps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-epps/) > [I love myself...I love you. I love you...I love myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/i-love-myself-i-love-you-i-love-you-i-love-myself/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Oh, I'm so inadequate. And I love myself!.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-ryan/oh-i-m-so-inadequate-and-i-love-myself/) [Meg Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-ryan/) > [My willingness to be intimate with my own deep feelings creates the space for intimacy with another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/my-willingness-to-be-intimate-with-my-own-deep-feelings-creates-the/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [I love myself for all my mistakes and missteps. They have been very valuable to me. They have taught me many things. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/i-love-myself-for-all-my-mistakes-and-missteps-they-have-been-very/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-brice/let-the-world-know-you-as-you-are-not-as-you-think-you-should-be/) [Fanny Brice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-brice/) > [I try to be feminist in, like, I love myself and I don't need someone else's approval.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-lee/i-try-to-be-feminist-in-like-i-love-myself-and-i-don-t-need-someone/) [Amy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-lee/) > [Love as much as you can from wherever you are. This line is especially good to recall when you feel frightened, crazy, or have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thaddeus-golas/love-as-much-as-you-can-from-wherever-you-are-this-line-is-especially/) [Thaddeus Golas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thaddeus-golas/) > [I'm tired of living unable to love anyone. I don't have a single friend - not one. And, worst of all, I can't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-m-tired-of-living-unable-to-love-anyone-i-don-t-have-a-single/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [When you're in shape, you don't have to walk up to somebody and say, 'Yo, I love myself.' You look like you care for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrese-gibson/when-you-re-in-shape-you-don-t-have-to-walk-up-to-somebody-and-say-yo/) [Tyrese Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrese-gibson/) > [I was excellent. Everybody loved me. I love myself, and I like bums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cardinal-richelieu/i-was-excellent-everybody-loved-me-i-love-myself-and-i-like-bums/) [Cardinal Richelieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cardinal-richelieu/) > [A lover asked his beloved, Do you love yourself more than you love me? Beloved replied, I have died to myself and I live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-lover-asked-his-beloved-do-you-love-yourself-more-than-you-love-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Jennifer Lopez > [I remain an eternal optimist about love. I believe in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-remain-an-eternal-optimist-about-love-i-believe-in-love/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [My own style influences have to do with where I grew up, in the Bronx, and I still like to wear bangles and big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/my-own-style-influences-have-to-do-with-where-i-grew-up-in-the-bronx/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [I like to maintain a certain sense of fantasy in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-like-to-maintain-a-certain-sense-of-fantasy-in-my-life/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [I've played more villains than anything else. And I love playing villains, because I can just be evil and do whatever I want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-ve-played-more-villains-than-anything-else-and-i-love-playing/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [Beauty is only skin deep. What's really important is finding a balance of mind, body and spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/beauty-is-only-skin-deep-what-s-really-important-is-finding-a-balance/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [I don't look at people and see color and race. I see inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-don-t-look-at-people-and-see-color-and-race-i-see-inside/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [I'm very comfortable with being productive. I like doing things, and I like creating things. As far as being powerful, I guess I'm comfortable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-m-very-comfortable-with-being-productive-i-like-doing-things-and-i/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [The rise of salsa was such an important time in musical history, not just in Latin music but music in general, because these guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/the-rise-of-salsa-was-such-an-important-time-in-musical-history-not/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [I judge people on how they smell, not how they look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-judge-people-on-how-they-smell-not-how-they-look/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [ I think that's very important for romantic comedies, that they do deal with \[modern\]issues. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-think-that-s-very-important-for-romantic-comedies-that-they-do-deal/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [You've gotta do things that make you happy. As women, we tend to give away a lot. We take care of a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/you-ve-gotta-do-things-that-make-you-happy-as-women-we-tend-to-give/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [It's like being in the middle of a tornado. It's like, whooooooosh, you know what I'm saying? It's like Dorothy-you wake up and find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/it-s-like-being-in-the-middle-of-a-tornado-it-s-like-whooooooosh-you/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [Always follow your heart. Sometimes it's gonna hurt - but you're going to be fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/always-follow-your-heart-sometimes-it-s-gonna-hurt-but-you-re-going/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [I've always had a huge fear of dying or becoming ill. The thing I'm most afraid of, though, is being alone, which I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-ve-always-had-a-huge-fear-of-dying-or-becoming-ill-the-thing-i-m/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [I only do what my gut tells me to. I think it's smart to listen to other people's advice, but at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-only-do-what-my-gut-tells-me-to-i-think-it-s-smart-to-listen-to/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) [Explore all 270 Jennifer Lopez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) ## More Breakup quotes > [After a bad relationship and you think life is over when its far from, pick your self up and show the person who let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/after-a-bad-relationship-and-you-think-life-is-over-when-its-far-from/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [ \[attempts to save the relationship on the phone but said the wrong word while talking\] It didn't come out right, but I wasn't in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paritoshik-sharma/attempts-to-save-the-relationship-on-the-phone-but-said-the-wrong/) [Paritoshik Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paritoshik-sharma/) > [If you leave someone for another person, don't be surprised if that person leaves you for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-leave-someone-for-another-person-don-t-be-surprised-if-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's fucking terrifying that no matter how many promises they made, no matter how long you've been together, someone can get up & walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larissa-derrah/it-s-fucking-terrifying-that-no-matter-how-many-promises-they-made-no/) Larissa Derrah > [If it's too hard, walk away. There are a million other people out there who won't make you feel bad!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-it-s-too-hard-walk-away-there-are-a-million-other-people-out-there/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Learning to trust is hard for many people, especially those who have been through bad break ups and who have experienced heartache from situations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/learning-to-trust-is-hard-for-many-people-especially-those-who-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It changes you a little bit every time you either break someone's heart or get your heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seyfried/it-changes-you-a-little-bit-every-time-you-either-break-someone-s/) [Amanda Seyfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seyfried/) > [“Dry your eyes mate, I know you want to make her see how much this pain hurts, but you’ve got to walk away now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-skinner/dry-your-eyes-mate-i-know-you-want-to-make-her-see-how-much-this-pain/) [Mike Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-skinner/) > [You see, at the beginning we weren't fighters. We weren't yellers or throwers, even if we eventually came to be. It would take time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinaw-mengestu/you-see-at-the-beginning-we-weren-t-fighters-we-weren-t-yellers-or/) [Dinaw Mengestu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinaw-mengestu/) > [The pain experienced during a breakup is as individual as the millions of people who go through it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tigress-luv/the-pain-experienced-during-a-breakup-is-as-individual-as-the/) Tigress Luv > [Wishing you knew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wishing-you-knew/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Feeling addicted to an ex makes letting them go excruciatingly hard even when you rationally want to move on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-cortney-warren/feeling-addicted-to-an-ex-makes-letting-them-go-excruciatingly-hard/) Dr. Cortney Warren > [I take a step back, and let you go. I told you I'm not bulletproof; Now you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-take-a-step-back-and-let-you-go-i-told-you-i-m-not-bulletproof-now/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [Break ups are painful, but if initiated at the right time can fuel one's sense of optimism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dov-davidoff/break-ups-are-painful-but-if-initiated-at-the-right-time-can-fuel-one/) [Dov Davidoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dov-davidoff/) > [If they walk out of your life they're telling you to move on because they're not in love with you. It hurts, but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/if-they-walk-out-of-your-life-they-re-telling-you-to-move-on-because/) [SONYA PARKER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) [Browse all 1,846 Breakup quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breakup/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not that I didn't love myself before. Sometimes we don't realize that we are compromising ourselves. To understand that a person is not good for you, or that that person is not treating you in the right way, or that he is not doing the right thing for himself - if I stay, then I am not doing the right thing for me. I love myself enough to walk away from that now.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer Lopez" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/it-s-not-that-i-didn-t-love-myself-before-sometimes-we-don-t-realize/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Breakup" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/it-s-not-that-i-didn-t-love-myself-before-sometimes-we-don-t-realize/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a96/jennifer-lopez-1227_breakup_it-s-not-that-i-didn-t-love-myself-befor_1409799.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a96/jennifer-lopez-1227_breakup_it-s-not-that-i-didn-t-love-myself-befor_1409799.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a96/jennifer-lopez-1227_breakup_it-s-not-that-i-didn-t-love-myself-befor_1409799.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's not that I didn't love myself before. Sometimes we don't realize that we are compromising ourselves. To…” — Jennifer Lopez", "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": "Jennifer Lopez", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's not that I didn't love...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/it-s-not-that-i-didn-t-love-myself-before-sometimes-we-don-t-realize/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/it-s-not-that-i-didn-t-love-myself-before-sometimes-we-don-t-realize/#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 } } ] } ```