--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can either hold yourself up to the…" description: "\"You can either hold yourself up to the unrealistic standards of others, or ignore them and concentrate on being happy with yourself as you are.\" — Jeph..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/157/jeph-jacques-29234_being-happy-with-you_you-can-either-hold-yourself-up-to-the-u_2250103.jpg" --- # You can either hold yourself up to the unrealistic… ![“You can either hold yourself up to the unrealistic standards of others, or ignore them and concentrate on being happy with yourself as you are.” quote by Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/157/jeph-jacques-29234_being-happy-with-you_you-can-either-hold-yourself-up-to-the-u_2250103.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/157/jeph-jacques-29234_being-happy-with-you_you-can-either-hold-yourself-up-to-the-u_2250103.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/157/jeph-jacques-29234_being-happy-with-you_you-can-either-hold-yourself-up-to-the-u_2250103.jpg) > “You can either hold yourself up to the unrealistic standards of others, or ignore them and concentrate on being happy with yourself as you are.” [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. You can either chase impossible external standards or reject them and accept self‑acceptance, choosing personal happiness over societal pressure. **In simple terms:** Choose self‑acceptance over unrealistic expectations. Key Takeaway Prioritize personal happiness over others’ standards. Themes self‑esteem mental health individualism societal pressure Mood encouraging thoughtful Type self‑help philosophical When to use this quote - personal development - well‑being practices - mindfulness exercises Key Concepts authenticity self‑compassion boundary setting Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify realistic personal goals? - What steps help maintain self‑acceptance? A Different Perspective Ignoring external standards may cause isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being happy with yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-happy-with-yourself/) [Concentrate Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concentrate-happy-5136725/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happy with yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-with-yourself/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Hold Unrealistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hold-unrealistic-5136727/) [Ignore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignore/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Standards Ignore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards-ignore-5136728/) [Unrealistic Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unrealistic-standards-5136726/) ## Related quotes > [Independnce comes from you knowing who you are and you being happy with yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/independnce-comes-from-you-knowing-who-you-are-and-you-being-happy/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/ask-yourself-whether-you-are-happy-and-you-cease-to-be-so/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [You have to be in love with yourself before anyone else can fall in love with you; to be happy with yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-allen/you-have-to-be-in-love-with-yourself-before-anyone-else-can-fall-in/) [Lily Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-allen/) > [To me 'they lived happily ever after' means to be happy with yourself! My parents always taught me that being happy has to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/to-me-they-lived-happily-ever-after-means-to-be-happy-with-yourself/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [You have to be happy with yourself first of all - that's the most important thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aly-michalka/you-have-to-be-happy-with-yourself-first-of-all-that-s-the-most/) [Aly Michalka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aly-michalka/) > [You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/you-must-love-yourself-before-you-love-another-by-accepting-yourself/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Exploiting yourself sexually is not a good look. I don't find it encouraging...I just stand there and sing. I'm not worried that I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele/exploiting-yourself-sexually-is-not-a-good-look-i-don-t-find-it/) [Adele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele/) > [Fame or integrity: which is more important? Money or happiness: which is more valuable? Success or failure: which is more destructive? If you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fame-or-integrity-which-is-more-important-money-or-happiness-which-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The problem is, I don't think I've got too much to offer at the minute. I'm busy working on myself. This sounds like real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-williams/the-problem-is-i-don-t-think-i-ve-got-too-much-to-offer-at-the-minute/) [Robbie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-williams/) > [Music will inevitably get you into Philosophy, and once you logically see that through, will end up getting you into Theology. Once you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gino-vannelli/music-will-inevitably-get-you-into-philosophy-and-once-you-logically/) [Gino Vannelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gino-vannelli/) > [You do learn things and one of them is that happiness has nothing to do with validation from other people, the important thing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/you-do-learn-things-and-one-of-them-is-that-happiness-has-nothing-to/) [Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/) > [I think no matter what you look like, the key is to first of all be happy with yourself. And then you know if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele/i-think-no-matter-what-you-look-like-the-key-is-to-first-of-all-be/) [Adele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele/) > [You need to be happy with yourself or you'll never be able to be happy in a relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/you-need-to-be-happy-with-yourself-or-you-ll-never-be-able-to-be/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never be truly fulfilled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/if-you-look-to-others-for-fulfillment-you-will-never-be-truly/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [I collect art, and I drink wine... things that I like that I had never been exposed to. But I never said, 'I'm going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-collect-art-and-i-drink-wine-things-that-i-like-that-i-had-never/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) ## More by Jeph Jacques > [“That's me- brutally honest, only instead of brutality there's smiles!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/that-s-me-brutally-honest-only-instead-of-brutality-there-s-smiles/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > [What's the point of havin' a rapier wit if I can't use it to stab people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/what-s-the-point-of-havin-a-rapier-wit-if-i-can-t-use-it-to-stab/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > [The trick to writer's block is to sack up and write through it, you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/the-trick-to-writer-s-block-is-to-sack-up-and-write-through-it-you-see/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > [“What's the point of having a rapier wit if I can't use it to stab people?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/what-s-the-point-of-having-a-rapier-wit-if-i-can-t-use-it-to-stab/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > [Spontaneous kindness is to hipsters as high beams are to deer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/spontaneous-kindness-is-to-hipsters-as-high-beams-are-to-deer/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > [A good relationship is like fireworks: loud, explosive, and liable to maim you if you hold on too long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/a-good-relationship-is-like-fireworks-loud-explosive-and-liable-to/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > ['Light fuse and get away' may work for a Roman candle, but not so much for the wrath of a woman scorned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/light-fuse-and-get-away-may-work-for-a-roman-candle-but-not-so-much/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > [The TV Tropes QC page is every single idiotic comment from my forums distilled into one HTML document.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/the-tv-tropes-qc-page-is-every-single-idiotic-comment-from-my-forums/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > [“All life isn't suffering, sometimes there are parties and makeouts! And marijuana!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/all-life-isn-t-suffering-sometimes-there-are-parties-and-makeouts-and/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > [The quickest way to a man's heart really is through his stomach, because then you don't have to chop through that pesky rib cage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/the-quickest-way-to-a-man-s-heart-really-is-through-his-stomach/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > [If only corporal punishment cured low self-esteem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/if-only-corporal-punishment-cured-low-self-esteem/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > [Bachelor's degrees make pretty good placemats if you get 'em laminated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/bachelor-s-degrees-make-pretty-good-placemats-if-you-get-em-laminated/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > [There are two ways to pass a hurdle: leaping over or plowing through... There needs to be a monster truck option.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/there-are-two-ways-to-pass-a-hurdle-leaping-over-or-plowing-through/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > [You ought to expect better of people. It encourages you to be a better person yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/you-ought-to-expect-better-of-people-it-encourages-you-to-be-a-better/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) > [“Affirmative. Death-Bot 9000 would rather avoid internet drama.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/affirmative-death-bot-9000-would-rather-avoid-internet-drama/) [Jeph Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) [Explore all 18 Jeph Jacques quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/) ## More Being happy with yourself quotes > [Independnce comes from you knowing who you are and you being happy with yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/independnce-comes-from-you-knowing-who-you-are-and-you-being-happy/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never be truly fulfilled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/if-you-look-to-others-for-fulfillment-you-will-never-be-truly/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [You need to be happy with yourself or you'll never be able to be happy in a relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/you-need-to-be-happy-with-yourself-or-you-ll-never-be-able-to-be/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [I think no matter what you look like, the key is to first of all be happy with yourself. And then you know if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele/i-think-no-matter-what-you-look-like-the-key-is-to-first-of-all-be/) [Adele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele/) > [You do learn things and one of them is that happiness has nothing to do with validation from other people, the important thing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/you-do-learn-things-and-one-of-them-is-that-happiness-has-nothing-to/) [Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/) > [Music will inevitably get you into Philosophy, and once you logically see that through, will end up getting you into Theology. Once you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gino-vannelli/music-will-inevitably-get-you-into-philosophy-and-once-you-logically/) [Gino Vannelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gino-vannelli/) > [The problem is, I don't think I've got too much to offer at the minute. I'm busy working on myself. This sounds like real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-williams/the-problem-is-i-don-t-think-i-ve-got-too-much-to-offer-at-the-minute/) [Robbie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-williams/) > [Fame or integrity: which is more important? Money or happiness: which is more valuable? Success or failure: which is more destructive? If you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fame-or-integrity-which-is-more-important-money-or-happiness-which-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Exploiting yourself sexually is not a good look. I don't find it encouraging...I just stand there and sing. I'm not worried that I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele/exploiting-yourself-sexually-is-not-a-good-look-i-don-t-find-it/) [Adele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele/) > [You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/you-must-love-yourself-before-you-love-another-by-accepting-yourself/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [You have to be happy with yourself first of all - that's the most important thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aly-michalka/you-have-to-be-happy-with-yourself-first-of-all-that-s-the-most/) [Aly Michalka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aly-michalka/) > [To me 'they lived happily ever after' means to be happy with yourself! My parents always taught me that being happy has to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/to-me-they-lived-happily-ever-after-means-to-be-happy-with-yourself/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [You have to be in love with yourself before anyone else can fall in love with you; to be happy with yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-allen/you-have-to-be-in-love-with-yourself-before-anyone-else-can-fall-in/) [Lily Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-allen/) > [Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/ask-yourself-whether-you-are-happy-and-you-cease-to-be-so/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [I collect art, and I drink wine... things that I like that I had never been exposed to. But I never said, 'I'm going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-collect-art-and-i-drink-wine-things-that-i-like-that-i-had-never/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) [Browse all 16 Being happy with yourself quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-happy-with-yourself/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can either hold yourself up to the unrealistic standards of others, or ignore them and concentrate on being happy with yourself as you are.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeph Jacques" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/you-can-either-hold-yourself-up-to-the-unrealistic-standards-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being happy with yourself" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/you-can-either-hold-yourself-up-to-the-unrealistic-standards-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/157/jeph-jacques-29234_being-happy-with-you_you-can-either-hold-yourself-up-to-the-u_2250103.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/157/jeph-jacques-29234_being-happy-with-you_you-can-either-hold-yourself-up-to-the-u_2250103.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/157/jeph-jacques-29234_being-happy-with-you_you-can-either-hold-yourself-up-to-the-u_2250103.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can either hold yourself up to the unrealistic standards of others, or ignore them and concentrate on…” — Jeph Jacques", "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": "Jeph Jacques", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-jacques/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can either hold yourself up...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/you-can-either-hold-yourself-up-to-the-unrealistic-standards-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-jacques/you-can-either-hold-yourself-up-to-the-unrealistic-standards-of/#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 } } ] } ```