--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A woman who does not guard and treasure…" description: "\"“A woman who does not guard and treasure herself cannot be of very much value to anyone else.”\" — John D. MacDonald" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/john-d-macdonald-8277_guard_a-woman-who-does-not-guard-and-treasure_1674922.jpg" --- # A woman who does not guard and treasure herself cannot be… ![“A woman who does not guard and treasure herself cannot be of very much value to anyone else.” quote by John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/john-d-macdonald-8277_guard_a-woman-who-does-not-guard-and-treasure_1674922.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/john-d-macdonald-8277_guard_a-woman-who-does-not-guard-and-treasure_1674922.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/john-d-macdonald-8277_guard_a-woman-who-does-not-guard-and-treasure_1674922.jpg) > ““A woman who does not guard and treasure herself cannot be of very much value to anyone else.”” [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑respect is essential; without it, one cannot offer genuine value to others. **In simple terms:** Respect yourself to be valuable. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑worth before seeking external validation. Themes self‑respect value relationships Mood reflective serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - dating - career - friendships Key Concepts self‑esteem boundaries self‑worth Questions to Reflect On - How do you practice self‑respect daily? - What boundaries protect your value? A Different Perspective Self‑esteem alone does not guarantee healthy relationships; mutual respect is also needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Guard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guard/) [Guard Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guard-treasure-662422/) [Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treasure/) [Treasure Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treasure-value-506255/) [Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/) [Woman Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-does-531657/) ## Related quotes > [It is very difficult to guard a treasure of which all men have the key.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/it-is-very-difficult-to-guard-a-treasure-of-which-all-men-have-the-key/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Somewhere there's a treasure that has no value to anyone but you, and a secret that's meaningless to everyone except you, and a frontier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brezsny/somewhere-there-s-a-treasure-that-has-no-value-to-anyone-but-you-and/) [Rob Brezsny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brezsny/) > [Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/guard-well-within-yourself-that-treasure-kindness-know-how-to-give/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) > [A conscious lifetime... is a treasure beyond value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/a-conscious-lifetime-is-a-treasure-beyond-value/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/nothing-is-more-priceless-and-more-worthy-of-preservation-than-the/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [Most people now seem to treasure anything they value in proportion to the extent that it's followed about and surrounded by the vulgar public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-leverson/most-people-now-seem-to-treasure-anything-they-value-in-proportion-to/) [Ada Leverson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-leverson/) > [Unlike the treasure that we value in this world, the world of GOD is forever true and eternal. So next time you study His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/unlike-the-treasure-that-we-value-in-this-world-the-world-of-god-is/) [Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/) > [When does one register that one is a woman? Does she become a woman when she becomes responsible; when she falls in love; when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rekha/when-does-one-register-that-one-is-a-woman-does-she-become-a-woman/) [Rekha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rekha/) > [I do believe fashion should work as hard as a woman does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-menkes/i-do-believe-fashion-should-work-as-hard-as-a-woman-does/) [Suzy Menkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-menkes/) > [When a woman does not want something to go on she has to say stop. And she always has the right to change her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-karina/when-a-woman-does-not-want-something-to-go-on-she-has-to-say-stop-and/) [Anna Karina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-karina/) > [When a man truly loves a woman, he does what he has to do to keep her and to make her happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-a-man-truly-loves-a-woman-he-does-what-he-has-to-do-to-keep-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Any woman who does not thoroughly enjoy tramping across the country on a clear frosty morning with a good gun and a pair of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/any-woman-who-does-not-thoroughly-enjoy-tramping-across-the-country/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Only by being a man or woman for others does one become fully human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-arrupe/only-by-being-a-man-or-woman-for-others-does-one-become-fully-human/) [Pedro Arrupe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-arrupe/) > [Housework is what a woman does that nobody notices unless she hasn't done it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/housework-is-what-a-woman-does-that-nobody-notices-unless-she-hasn-t/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [I'm every woman. I cook, I clean, wash the clothes, fold them up. Do the massages. I got the part a woman does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-brat/i-m-every-woman-i-cook-i-clean-wash-the-clothes-fold-them-up-do-the/) [Da Brat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-brat/) ## More by John D. MacDonald > [“Please not yet. Those are the three eternal words. Please not yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/please-not-yet-those-are-the-three-eternal-words-please-not-yet/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [...it isn't foolish or wicked to enjoy. Wickedness is hurting people on purpose. I love what you are and who you are and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/it-isn-t-foolish-or-wicked-to-enjoy-wickedness-is-hurting-people-on/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [“Ask for two, and they give you the third free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/ask-for-two-and-they-give-you-the-third-free/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [“It was to have been a quiet evening at home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/it-was-to-have-been-a-quiet-evening-at-home/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [Now it stands to reason, mister, any damn fool stares into the sun long enough, he'll end up seeing exactly what some other damn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/now-it-stands-to-reason-mister-any-damn-fool-stares-into-the-sun-long/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [You have to start knowing yourself so well that you begin to know other people. A piece of us is in every person we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/you-have-to-start-knowing-yourself-so-well-that-you-begin-to-know/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [“Victims, he thought, were birds and animals and people who arrived at the wrong place at the wrong time, usually in too big a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/victims-he-thought-were-birds-and-animals-and-people-who-arrived-at/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [ The dividing line \[between friends and acquaintances\] is communication, I think. A friend is someone to whom you can say any jackass thing that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/the-dividing-line-between-friends-and-acquaintances-is-communication/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [I want story, wit, music, wryness, color, and a sense of reality in what I read, and I try to get it in what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/i-want-story-wit-music-wryness-color-and-a-sense-of-reality-in-what-i/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [ \[To\] me organized religion, the formalities and routines, \[is\] like being marched in formation to look at a sunset. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/to-me-organized-religion-the-formalities-and-routines-is-like-being/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [Old friend, there are people—young and old—that I like, and people that I do not like. The former are always in short supply. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/old-friend-there-are-people-young-and-old-that-i-like-and-people-that/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [Way over half the murders committed in this country are by close friends or relatives of the deceased. A gun makes a loud and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/way-over-half-the-murders-committed-in-this-country-are-by-close/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [“Bugs would eat the wax. Chaw the old canvas. And one day there will be a mutation, and we will have new ones that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/bugs-would-eat-the-wax-chaw-the-old-canvas-and-one-day-there-will-be/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [“...her dark eyes were like twin entrances to two deep caves. Nothing lived in those caves. Maybe something had, once upon a time. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/her-dark-eyes-were-like-twin-entrances-to-two-deep-caves-nothing/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [“She went inside and watched him walk back toward sixteen,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/she-went-inside-and-watched-him-walk-back-toward-sixteen/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) [Explore all 80 John D. MacDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) ## More Guard quotes > [There's always a good point guard in this league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/there-s-always-a-good-point-guard-in-this-league/) [Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/) > [First at the outset, let me commend the great men and women of the United States Coast Guard for what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vito-fossella/first-at-the-outset-let-me-commend-the-great-men-and-women-of-the/) [Vito Fossella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vito-fossella/) > [The coffers are full of money and equipment for the Ferguson Police and the Missouri National Guard to put down a potential uprising, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/the-coffers-are-full-of-money-and-equipment-for-the-ferguson-police/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [This miracle of me is mine to own and keep, and mine to guard, and mine to use, and mine to kneel before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/this-miracle-of-me-is-mine-to-own-and-keep-and-mine-to-guard-and-mine/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [You don't have to run from baseline to baseline when you play guard. That helps me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-havlicek/you-don-t-have-to-run-from-baseline-to-baseline-when-you-play-guard/) [John Havlicek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-havlicek/) > [“Some, in an effort to protect and preserve the gospel message, have become like the guards in that museum, fueled by fear that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-hipps/some-in-an-effort-to-protect-and-preserve-the-gospel-message-have/) [Shane Hipps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-hipps/) > [Well, for me, my favourite 'Indiana Jones' is 'The Last Crusade,' because you get tears in your eyes when you see the old guard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/well-for-me-my-favourite-indiana-jones-is-the-last-crusade-because/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [I don't know how many people have ever seen the National Guard break in somewhere, but they mean business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzie-smith/i-don-t-know-how-many-people-have-ever-seen-the-national-guard-break/) [Ozzie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzie-smith/) > [I still say, to this day, I could not guard Nigel Lloyd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nurse/i-still-say-to-this-day-i-could-not-guard-nigel-lloyd/) [Nick Nurse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nurse/) > [I can't think of much higher praise to give a player than to say, 'This point guard reminds me of Jason Kidd.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howland/i-can-t-think-of-much-higher-praise-to-give-a-player-than-to-say-this/) [Ben Howland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howland/) > [Who will guard the guards ? If we're the guards of society, then who will watch us and make sure that we're not dangerous?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/who-will-guard-the-guards-if-we-re-the-guards-of-society-then-who/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [Who is to guard the guards themselves?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/who-is-to-guard-the-guards-themselves/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [I can always make trouble for who I guard and control the effort I bring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/i-can-always-make-trouble-for-who-i-guard-and-control-the-effort-i/) [Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/) > [Defensively, I think I'm very versatile, I can guard different positions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-knox/defensively-i-think-i-m-very-versatile-i-can-guard-different-positions/) [Kevin Knox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-knox/) > [“Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/guard-with-jealous-attention-the-public-liberty-suspect-everyone-who/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) [Browse all 567 Guard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guard/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A woman who does not guard and treasure herself cannot be of very much value to anyone else.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John D. MacDonald" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/a-woman-who-does-not-guard-and-treasure-herself-cannot-be-of-very/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Guard" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/a-woman-who-does-not-guard-and-treasure-herself-cannot-be-of-very/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/john-d-macdonald-8277_guard_a-woman-who-does-not-guard-and-treasure_1674922.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/john-d-macdonald-8277_guard_a-woman-who-does-not-guard-and-treasure_1674922.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbf/john-d-macdonald-8277_guard_a-woman-who-does-not-guard-and-treasure_1674922.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A woman who does not guard and treasure herself cannot be of very much value to anyone else.” — John D. MacDonald", "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": "John D. MacDonald", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A woman who does not guard...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/a-woman-who-does-not-guard-and-treasure-herself-cannot-be-of-very/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/a-woman-who-does-not-guard-and-treasure-herself-cannot-be-of-very/#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 } } ] } ```