--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: he said: (1) accept yourself, (2) forget…" description: "\"“he said: (1) accept yourself, (2) forget yourself, (3) find something to do and to care about that is more important to you than you are.”\" — John Holt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/john-holt-14171_accept_he-said-1-accept-yourself-2-forget-yours_2342924.jpg" --- # he said: (1) accept yourself, (2) forget yourself, (3)… ![“he said: (1) accept yourself, (2) forget yourself, (3) find something to do and to care about that is more important to you than you are.” quote by John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/john-holt-14171_accept_he-said-1-accept-yourself-2-forget-yours_2342924.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/john-holt-14171_accept_he-said-1-accept-yourself-2-forget-yours_2342924.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/john-holt-14171_accept_he-said-1-accept-yourself-2-forget-yours_2342924.jpg) > ““he said: (1) accept yourself, (2) forget yourself, (3) find something to do and to care about that is more important to you than you are.”” [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self-transcendence involves accepting, forgetting, and dedicating oneself to higher causes beyond ego. **In simple terms:** Let go of self, serve greater purpose. Key Takeaway Prioritize higher purpose. Themes selflessness purpose growth Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - volunteering - career choice - creative projects Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What causes inspire you beyond yourself? - How can you balance self-care with selflessness? A Different Perspective Risk of losing personal identity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept/) [Accept Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept-forget-4960598/) [Accept yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept-yourself/) [Care Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care-important-707996/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Said Accept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-accept-1234838/) ## Related quotes > [“Accept what it, forget what was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-fitzmaurice/accept-what-it-forget-what-was/) [Sue Fitzmaurice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-fitzmaurice/) > [I often ask people if they would like to give their organs when they pass on, and they say "Well, I'm not so sure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-hagman/i-often-ask-people-if-they-would-like-to-give-their-organs-when-they/) [Larry Hagman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-hagman/) > [People said I should accept the world. Bullshit! I don't accept the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/people-said-i-should-accept-the-world-bullshit-i-don-t-accept-the/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“And I’ll accept everything about you. You don’t have to forget how you loved him before—I’ll still take care of you.” Yokozawa doesn’t quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miyako-fujisaki/and-i-ll-accept-everything-about-you-you-don-t-have-to-forget-how-you/) [Miyako Fujisaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miyako-fujisaki/) > [“Life's too short to worry about what other people think,'' Mom said.''Anyway, they should accept us for who we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/life-s-too-short-to-worry-about-what-other-people-think-mom-said/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“If God put me into your life to keep you from wearing a fucking tail," Reagan said, "I accept the assignment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/if-god-put-me-into-your-life-to-keep-you-from-wearing-a-fucking-tail/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“Accept yourself, and you won’t have the need to be accepted by others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-pinell/accept-yourself-and-you-won-t-have-the-need-to-be-accepted-by-others/) [Rob Pinell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-pinell/) > [“Accept yourself: flaws, quirks, talents, secret thoughts, all of it, and experience true liberation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-leigh-mercree/accept-yourself-flaws-quirks-talents-secret-thoughts-all-of-it-and/) [Amy Leigh Mercree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-leigh-mercree/) > [You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/you-don-t-need-to-be-accepted-by-others-you-need-to-accept-yourself/) [Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/) > [“If you want to be accepted, accept yourself and what you have. Not what you think you feel and what you want. Accept your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-marie-aguilar/if-you-want-to-be-accepted-accept-yourself-and-what-you-have-not-what/) [Ann Marie Aguilar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-marie-aguilar/) > [When you do your best you learn to accept yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/when-you-do-your-best-you-learn-to-accept-yourself/) [Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/) > [Dear self, please accept yourself more, please love yourself, please make the right choices, please know what is good for you and please please,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-self-please-accept-yourself-more-please-love-yourself-please/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We're told, everybody, that all things are bad. Bad is not good and good is not bad. Bad and good go together. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-manson/we-re-told-everybody-that-all-things-are-bad-bad-is-not-good-and-good/) [Charles Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-manson/) > [“You are divine, when you accept yourself, when you believe in yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-ray/you-are-divine-when-you-accept-yourself-when-you-believe-in-yourself/) [Amit Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-ray/) > [The moment you accept yourself, you become beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-moment-you-accept-yourself-you-become-beautiful/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) ## More by John Holt > [“When children are very young, they have natural curiosities about the world and explore them, trying diligently to figure out what is real. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/when-children-are-very-young-they-have-natural-curiosities-about-the/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [The idea of painless, nonthreatening coercion is an illusion. Fear is the inseparable companion of coercion, and its inescapable consequence. If you think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/the-idea-of-painless-nonthreatening-coercion-is-an-illusion-fear-is/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [The biggest enemy to learning is the talking teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/the-biggest-enemy-to-learning-is-the-talking-teacher/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“Fear, boredom, and resistance--they all go to make what we call stupid children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/fear-boredom-and-resistance-they-all-go-to-make-what-we-call-stupid/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“Much of what we call History is the success stories of madmen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/much-of-what-we-call-history-is-the-success-stories-of-madmen/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [Schools assume that children are not interested in learning and are not much good at it, that they will not learn unless made to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/schools-assume-that-children-are-not-interested-in-learning-and-are/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“John, if you ever get a family, there’s one thing you should know. No matter how well you get along with your children when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/john-if-you-ever-get-a-family-there-s-one-thing-you-should-know-no/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [It is hard not to feel that there must be something very wrong with much of what we do in school, if we feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/it-is-hard-not-to-feel-that-there-must-be-something-very-wrong-with/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“Why do they do this? Because it gives them a license to act like tyrants and to feel like saints. “Do what I tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/why-do-they-do-this-because-it-gives-them-a-license-to-act-like/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“We learn to do something by doing it. There is no other way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/we-learn-to-do-something-by-doing-it-there-is-no-other-way/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [Since we can't know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/since-we-can-t-know-what-knowledge-will-be-most-needed-in-the-future/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“Leaders are not, as we are often led to think, people who go along with huge crowds following them. Leaders are people who go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/leaders-are-not-as-we-are-often-led-to-think-people-who-go-along-with/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [People should be free to find or make for themselves the kinds of educational experience they want their children to have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/people-should-be-free-to-find-or-make-for-themselves-the-kinds-of/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“Someone asked the other day, "Why do we go to school?" Pat, with vigor unusual in her, said, "So when we grow up we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/someone-asked-the-other-day-why-do-we-go-to-school-pat-with-vigor/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“I doubt very much if it is possible to teach anyone to understand anything, that is to say, to see how various parts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/i-doubt-very-much-if-it-is-possible-to-teach-anyone-to-understand/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) [Explore all 46 John Holt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) ## More Accept quotes > [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/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [The fans can accept a poor performance, but they won't take it when you choose not to put in the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pep-guardiola/the-fans-can-accept-a-poor-performance-but-they-won-t-take-it-when/) [Pep Guardiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pep-guardiola/) > [“See, I know what they think about me. That I’m some project. And, yeah, I’ll accept their help. But I’m gonna pay my way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsty-eagar/see-i-know-what-they-think-about-me-that-i-m-some-project-and-yeah-i/) [Kirsty Eagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsty-eagar/) > [If you're disabled or different from what general society deems normal, it's fine. There will always be people who won't accept you, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millicent-simmonds/if-you-re-disabled-or-different-from-what-general-society-deems/) [Millicent Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millicent-simmonds/) > [Things don't go on forever, and the quicker you accept that change is inevitable, the happier you're gonna be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-anastasio/things-don-t-go-on-forever-and-the-quicker-you-accept-that-change-is/) [Trey Anastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-anastasio/) > [It's very important to me that people accept me as a transgendered female. But it's ridiculous to a lot of people and I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-arquette/it-s-very-important-to-me-that-people-accept-me-as-a-transgendered/) [Alexis Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-arquette/) > [I've always taken care of myself, and I'm a non-conformist, so I don't accept the negativity that comes with birthdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-van-dam/i-ve-always-taken-care-of-myself-and-i-m-a-non-conformist-so-i-don-t/) [Rob Van Dam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-van-dam/) > [Not harder than it should be, no. We're about the business, we're about the work. It's all about the work, always. We have fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-fuqua/not-harder-than-it-should-be-no-we-re-about-the-business-we-re-about/) [Antoine Fuqua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-fuqua/) > [I wish I could just accept that I'm not that good and not be shy about the fact that I'm not that professional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-gainsbourg/i-wish-i-could-just-accept-that-i-m-not-that-good-and-not-be-shy/) [Charlotte Gainsbourg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-gainsbourg/) > [I cannot accept being silent in the face of injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-crockett/i-cannot-accept-being-silent-in-the-face-of-injustice/) [Jasmine Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-crockett/) > [“I hope there is less stigma and judgment against working moms and childless career women. All should be acceptable positions and society should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chan-heng-chee/i-hope-there-is-less-stigma-and-judgment-against-working-moms-and/) [Chan Heng Chee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chan-heng-chee/) > [“Of course I can accept you for who you are. You are someone I need to change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-glasbergen/of-course-i-can-accept-you-for-who-you-are-you-are-someone-i-need-to/) [Randy Glasbergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-glasbergen/) > [I can't be that kind of person others want me to be.I know I can't please everybody for just being me But I'm glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/i-can-t-be-that-kind-of-person-others-want-me-to-be-i-know-i-can-t/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [I don't care who you are,Where you from,As long as you love me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mks-vibz/i-don-t-care-who-you-are-where-you-from-as-long-as-you-love-me/) [Mks Vibz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mks-vibz/) [Browse all 2,963 Accept quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“he said: (1) accept yourself, (2) forget yourself, (3) find something to do and to care about that is more important to you than you are.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Holt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/he-said-1-accept-yourself-2-forget-yourself-3-find-something-to-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accept" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/he-said-1-accept-yourself-2-forget-yourself-3-find-something-to-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/john-holt-14171_accept_he-said-1-accept-yourself-2-forget-yours_2342924.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/john-holt-14171_accept_he-said-1-accept-yourself-2-forget-yours_2342924.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/john-holt-14171_accept_he-said-1-accept-yourself-2-forget-yours_2342924.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“he said: (1) accept yourself, (2) forget yourself, (3) find something to do and to care about that is more…” — John Holt", "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 Holt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“he said: (1) accept yourself, (2)...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/he-said-1-accept-yourself-2-forget-yourself-3-find-something-to-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/he-said-1-accept-yourself-2-forget-yourself-3-find-something-to-do/#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 } } ] } ```