---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If your self esteem really does depend on…"
description: "\"“If your self esteem really does depend on how you look, you're always going to be insecure. There's no way you can get around it. Even if you get the ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/portia-de-rossi-7193_beauty_if-your-self-esteem-really-does-depend-o_700124.png"
---

#  If your self esteem really does depend on how you look…

![“If your self esteem really does depend on how you look, you're always going to be insecure. There's no way you can get around it. Even if you get the perfect body, you're going to age. At some point, you have to take control, shift the focus, and decide that who you are, what you can contribute to…” quote by Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/portia-de-rossi-7193_beauty_if-your-self-esteem-really-does-depend-o_700124.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/portia-de-rossi-7193_beauty_if-your-self-esteem-really-does-depend-o_700124.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/portia-de-rossi-7193_beauty_if-your-self-esteem-really-does-depend-o_700124.png)

> ““If your self esteem really does depend on how you look, you're always going to be insecure. There's no way you can get around it. Even if you get the perfect body, you're going to age. At some point, you have to take control, shift the focus, and decide that who you are, what you can contribute to the world, what you do and say is so much more important than how you look””

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Self‑worth should be based on personal contributions and character, not on physical appearance, because appearance changes and cannot guarantee lasting confidence.

**In simple terms:** Value yourself for what you do, not how you look.

Key Takeaway

Focus on actions and impact.

Themes

self‑esteem identity growth

Mood

reflective empowering thoughtful

Type

advice motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- career development
- personal relationships
- public speaking
- mental health
- social media use

Key Concepts

psychology social comparison aging

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you measure your value beyond looks?
- What habits reinforce inner confidence?

A Different Perspective

Physical appearance is often emphasized by society, making it hard to shift focus without external support.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Esteem Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esteem-really-1637608/) [Going Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-age-845938/) [Going Insecure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-insecure-1586598/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Perfect Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-body/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Self esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-esteem/) [Self image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-image/)

## Related quotes

> [If your self-esteem really does depend on how you look you're always going to be insecure. There's no way you can get around it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/if-your-self-esteem-really-does-depend-on-how-you-look-you-re-always-2/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [“Ridiculous really, when you think that I come from a broken home and I probably have low self-esteem. But the way I see it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsty-eagar/ridiculous-really-when-you-think-that-i-come-from-a-broken-home-and-i/)

[Kirsty Eagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsty-eagar/)

> [It was a very vulnerable time going from being insecure about my body and who I am to becoming comfortable with me. I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-latifah/it-was-a-very-vulnerable-time-going-from-being-insecure-about-my-body/)

[Queen Latifah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-latifah/)

> [When I was a teenager, my self esteem was really low. But when I stood next to Yunho and his crooked teeth, I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaejoong/when-i-was-a-teenager-my-self-esteem-was-really-low-but-when-i-stood/)

[Jaejoong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaejoong/)

> [“The perfect body protects its owner from disease, gives birth to amazing new people and stops your bones from falling out. The end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-hill/the-perfect-body-protects-its-owner-from-disease-gives-birth-to/)

[Heather Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-hill/)

> [The thing about women playing boys is that we're not going to age, and we're not going to go through puberty in the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-adlon/the-thing-about-women-playing-boys-is-that-we-re-not-going-to-age-and/)

[Pamela Adlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-adlon/)

> [“In a man, you have to look for character and security, going beyond his age.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-a-man-you-have-to-look-for-character-and-security-going-beyond-his/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [When I was 27, I didn't have a clue what was going on! At that age, to have that much power and to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-graham/when-i-was-27-i-didn-t-have-a-clue-what-was-going-on-at-that-age-to/)

[Stephen Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-graham/)

> [I look back on it, yeah, I'm in a much worse financial position than I was eight years ago. I'm going to have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-babbitt/i-look-back-on-it-yeah-i-m-in-a-much-worse-financial-position-than-i/)

[Bruce Babbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-babbitt/)

> [He's irreplaceable, but I think the thing about Benzema is he's not going to rely on his physicality because he's not super powerful so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/he-s-irreplaceable-but-i-think-the-thing-about-benzema-is-he-s-not/)

[Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/)

> [The age of automation is going to be the age of "do it yourself".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/the-age-of-automation-is-going-to-be-the-age-of-do-it-yourself/)

[Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/)

> [Someone said to me the other day: "Well, you're eventually going to live until 110." And I said: "Well, who's going to keep me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/someone-said-to-me-the-other-day-well-you-re-eventually-going-to-live/)

[Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/)

> [“The nice thing about dating in your fifties is the people that are going to age well are easy to spot!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-nice-thing-about-dating-in-your-fifties-is-the-people-that-are/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [I think the music that I'm writing and the stuff I'm going to do as I age will age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-geiger/i-think-the-music-that-i-m-writing-and-the-stuff-i-m-going-to-do-as-i/)

[Teddy Geiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-geiger/)

> [“My heart sank. 'You're not going to age another day,' I mumbled to myself. 'You'll never grow old.' He was done. I hadn't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-r-martin/my-heart-sank-you-re-not-going-to-age-another-day-i-mumbled-to-myself/)

[Kelley R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-r-martin/)

## More by Portia de Rossi

> [In high school I had sex with girls quite a few times. They were straight women who I convinced to jump in the sack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/in-high-school-i-had-sex-with-girls-quite-a-few-times-they-were/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [Supermodels are over, and the new picture girl has become the television actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/supermodels-are-over-and-the-new-picture-girl-has-become-the/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [I knew that I was gay, I knew it. I just couldn't see myself as a gay woman, even though that's where my heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-knew-that-i-was-gay-i-knew-it-i-just-couldn-t-see-myself-as-a-gay/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [You don't have to be emaciated or vomiting to be suffering. All people who live their lives on a diet are suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/you-don-t-have-to-be-emaciated-or-vomiting-to-be-suffering-all-people/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [I began to see myself as someone who can help others understand diversity rather than feeling like a social outcast. Ellen taught me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-began-to-see-myself-as-someone-who-can-help-others-understand/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [The most important thing for me was to never, ever, ever deny it. But I didn't really have the courage to talk about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/the-most-important-thing-for-me-was-to-never-ever-ever-deny-it-but-i/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [I would eat 300 calories a day - a lot of Jell-O and no-sugar everything, of course. I was doing Pilates, weight-training, circuit training;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-would-eat-300-calories-a-day-a-lot-of-jell-o-and-no-sugar/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [The diet industry is making a lot of money selling us fad diets, nonfat foods full of chemicals, gym memberships, and pills while we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/the-diet-industry-is-making-a-lot-of-money-selling-us-fad-diets/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [I really never stopped thinking about Ellen, because I just haven't felt that kind of energy with anyone in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-really-never-stopped-thinking-about-ellen-because-i-just-haven-t/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [Even if I'm hormonal and I feel like I've got a couple pounds of water weight, I will never starve myself, I will never,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/even-if-i-m-hormonal-and-i-feel-like-i-ve-got-a-couple-pounds-of/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [Restriction generates yearning. You want what you cannot have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/restriction-generates-yearning-you-want-what-you-cannot-have/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [I didn't choose the fact that I was gay, but I did choose whether to live my life as a gay woman-that was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-didn-t-choose-the-fact-that-i-was-gay-but-i-did-choose-whether-to/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [You live with the fear people might find out. Then you actually have the courage to tell people and they go, I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/you-live-with-the-fear-people-might-find-out-then-you-actually-have/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [I'm living by example by continuing on with my career and having a full, rich life, and I am incidentally gay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-m-living-by-example-by-continuing-on-with-my-career-and-having-a/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [I stumbled into acting and just loved it. I deferred law school-and I'm still deferred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-stumbled-into-acting-and-just-loved-it-i-deferred-law-school-and-i/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

[Explore all 93 Portia de Rossi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

## More Beauty quotes

> [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/)

[Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

> [How could anybody confuse truth with beauty, I thought as I looked at him. Truth came with sunken eyes, bony or scarred, decayed. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/how-could-anybody-confuse-truth-with-beauty-i-thought-as-i-looked-at/)

[Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/)

> [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/)

[John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/)

> [To fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain, to swing on the spiral of our divinity, and still be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tool/to-fathom-the-power-to-witness-the-beauty-to-bathe-in-the-fountain-to/)

[Tool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tool/)

> [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/)

[Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/)

> [“We've all met people who are beautiful on the outside, however, when they open their mouths to speak, they have nothing of substance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/we-ve-all-met-people-who-are-beautiful-on-the-outside-however-when/)

[Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/)

> [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/)

[Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/)

> [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/)

[Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/)

> [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/)

[Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/)

> [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/)

[Tumblr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tumblr/)

> [Time can but make her beauty over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/time-can-but-make-her-beauty-over-again/)

[William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/)

> [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/)

[Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/)

> [“What about you? What do you do?” I needed to ask questions, draw him out. I needed to find out all the information I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-avery-ellison/what-about-you-what-do-you-do-i-needed-to-ask-questions-draw-him-out/)

[Kate Avery Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-avery-ellison/)

[Browse all 24,662 Beauty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“If your self esteem really does depend on how you look, you're always going to be insecure. There's no way you can get around it. Even if you get the perfect body, you're going to age. At some point, you have to take control, shift the focus, and decide that who you are, what you can contribute to the world, what you do and say is so much more important than how you look”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Portia de Rossi"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/if-your-self-esteem-really-does-depend-on-how-you-look-you-re-always/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Beauty"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/if-your-self-esteem-really-does-depend-on-how-you-look-you-re-always/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/portia-de-rossi-7193_beauty_if-your-self-esteem-really-does-depend-o_700124.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/portia-de-rossi-7193_beauty_if-your-self-esteem-really-does-depend-o_700124.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/portia-de-rossi-7193_beauty_if-your-self-esteem-really-does-depend-o_700124.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If your self esteem really does depend on how you look, you're always going to be insecure. There's no way…” — Portia de Rossi",
                "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": "Portia de Rossi",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“If your self esteem really does...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/if-your-self-esteem-really-does-depend-on-how-you-look-you-re-always/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/if-your-self-esteem-really-does-depend-on-how-you-look-you-re-always/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
