--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don’t condemn yourself or lose heart when…" description: "\"“Don’t condemn yourself or lose heart when you sometimes fail to measure up to your own principles; instead, get back up, embrace the imperfection of y..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_confidence_don-t-condemn-yourself-or-lose-heart-whe_1102830.jpg" --- # Don’t condemn yourself or lose heart when you sometimes… ![“Don’t condemn yourself or lose heart when you sometimes fail to measure up to your own principles; instead, get back up, embrace the imperfection of your own humanity, and go back with confidence and energy to your pursuit. —MARCUS AURELIUS” quote by Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_confidence_don-t-condemn-yourself-or-lose-heart-whe_1102830.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_confidence_don-t-condemn-yourself-or-lose-heart-whe_1102830.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_confidence_don-t-condemn-yourself-or-lose-heart-whe_1102830.jpg) > ““Don’t condemn yourself or lose heart when you sometimes fail to measure up to your own principles; instead, get back up, embrace the imperfection of your own humanity, and go back with confidence and energy to your pursuit. —MARCUS AURELIUS”” [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When we fall short of our ideals, we should acknowledge imperfection, recover with renewed vigor, and continue striving toward our goals. **In simple terms:** Accept failure, recover, and keep pursuing goals. Key Takeaway Embrace imperfection and persist. Themes resilience self‑compassion growth Mood determined hopeful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - personal setbacks - career challenges - creative projects Key Concepts Stoicism self‑improvement Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to embrace your humanity? - How can you turn a setback into motivation? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Embrace Imperfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embrace-imperfection-2898893/) [Humanity Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity-confidence-2898894/) [Imperfection Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfection-humanity-2898895/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marcus-aurelius-244640/) ## Related quotes > [“An empty pageant; a stage play; flocks of sheep, herds of cattle; a bone flung among a pack of dogs; a crumb tossed into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-garcia-martinez/an-empty-pageant-a-stage-play-flocks-of-sheep-herds-of-cattle-a-bone/) [Antonio Garcia Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-garcia-martinez/) > [I had always thought, for 'Roman Empire,' I would love to do the death of Marcus Aurelius in the snow. 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If I'm in a bar now and some pretty girl is talking to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-think-it-s-good-to-know-more-than-the-average-guy-if-i-m-in-a-bar/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it’s all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” – Marcus Aurelius Ever”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-scott/very-little-is-needed-to-make-a-happy-life-it-s-all-within-yourself/) [S.J. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-scott/) > [There is such a torture, happily unknown to ancient tyranny, as talking a man to death. Marcus Aurelius advises to assent readily to great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/there-is-such-a-torture-happily-unknown-to-ancient-tyranny-as-talking/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [“Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor and philosopher, wrote, “Every morning when I leave my house, I say to myself, ‘Today I shall meet an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-grover-bolton/marcus-aurelius-the-roman-emperor-and-philosopher-wrote-every-morning/) [Dorothy Grover Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-grover-bolton/) > [“The only wealth which you will keep forever is the wealth you have given away.” –Marcus Aurelius, 121–180 AD”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-jay/the-only-wealth-which-you-will-keep-forever-is-the-wealth-you-have-2/) [Francine Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-jay/) > [“I think you’re going to find Marcus Aurelius particularly useful.’ ‘For what?’ I asked. Nightingale hesitated. ‘Quoting, mainly,’ he said. ‘And thus maintaining an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/i-think-you-re-going-to-find-marcus-aurelius-particularly-useful-for/) [Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/) ## More by Sheldon Whitehouse > [How arrogant - how very far from humility - would be the self-satisfied, smug assurance that God, a tidy-up-after-us God will come and clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/how-arrogant-how-very-far-from-humility-would-be-the-self-satisfied/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Muzzling our leading scientists benefits no one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/muzzling-our-leading-scientists-benefits-no-one/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Make your life your work, not your talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/make-your-life-your-work-not-your-talk/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Citizens United is a disgrace of a decision, holding that corporate money is corporate speech and entitled to the same First Amendment protection as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/citizens-united-is-a-disgrace-of-a-decision-holding-that-corporate/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [We must unequivocally reject any cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/we-must-unequivocally-reject-any-cuts-to-social-security-or-medicare/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Implementing the so-called 'Buffett Rule' would restore some badly needed fairness to our tax system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/implementing-the-so-called-buffett-rule-would-restore-some-badly/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [To be clear, I don't know whether the fossil fuel industry and its allies engaged in the same kind of racketeering activity as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/to-be-clear-i-don-t-know-whether-the-fossil-fuel-industry-and-its/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [The fossil fuel industry has taken control of, and powered up, architecture and methods originally built by the tobacco industry and others to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/the-fossil-fuel-industry-has-taken-control-of-and-powered-up/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Getting past the influence of the fossil fuel industry will take courage, especially on the part of the Republican majority whom they so relentlessly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/getting-past-the-influence-of-the-fossil-fuel-industry-will-take/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [We have seen the big loan servicers drag their feet in the Obama administration's well-intentioned mortgage modification program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/we-have-seen-the-big-loan-servicers-drag-their-feet-in-the-obama/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [We are here to do God's work. He's not here to do ours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/we-are-here-to-do-god-s-work-he-s-not-here-to-do-ours/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Talking to my Senate Republican colleagues about climate change is like talking to prisoners about escaping. The conversations are often private, even furtive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/talking-to-my-senate-republican-colleagues-about-climate-change-is/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [If everyone on the Court always voted for the prosecution against the defendant, for the corporation against the plaintiffs, and for the government against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/if-everyone-on-the-court-always-voted-for-the-prosecution-against-the/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [These core principles - helping patients, preventing medical errors, promoting best practices and improving quality - are the reasons that health IT is featured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/these-core-principles-helping-patients-preventing-medical-errors/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [The Heartland Institute is about as biased as they come, and it's funded by the likes of Exxon and the Koch brothers. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/the-heartland-institute-is-about-as-biased-as-they-come-and-it-s/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) [Explore all 138 Sheldon Whitehouse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) ## More Confidence quotes > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I was just confident my work was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/i-was-just-confident-my-work-was-good/) [Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/) > [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I look for someone who has confidence. Also someone whose energetic, cause I'm NOT that energetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-jonas/i-look-for-someone-who-has-confidence-also-someone-whose-energetic/) [Nick Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-jonas/) > [Why shouldn't I be confident? I'm well educated, I can deliver a line, and I have more than three expressions. That's good right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/why-shouldn-t-i-be-confident-i-m-well-educated-i-can-deliver-a-line/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [I was very confident on the stage, and I stood out in a red gown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-johnson/i-was-very-confident-on-the-stage-and-i-stood-out-in-a-red-gown/) [Nicole Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-johnson/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Browse all 11,290 Confidence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Don’t condemn yourself or lose heart when you sometimes fail to measure up to your own principles; instead, get back up, embrace the imperfection of your own humanity, and go back with confidence and energy to your pursuit. —MARCUS AURELIUS”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sheldon Whitehouse" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/don-t-condemn-yourself-or-lose-heart-when-you-sometimes-fail-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Confidence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/don-t-condemn-yourself-or-lose-heart-when-you-sometimes-fail-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_confidence_don-t-condemn-yourself-or-lose-heart-whe_1102830.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_confidence_don-t-condemn-yourself-or-lose-heart-whe_1102830.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11d/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_confidence_don-t-condemn-yourself-or-lose-heart-whe_1102830.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Don’t condemn yourself or lose heart when you sometimes fail to measure up to your own principles; instead…” — Sheldon Whitehouse", "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": "Sheldon Whitehouse", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Don’t condemn yourself or lose heart...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/don-t-condemn-yourself-or-lose-heart-when-you-sometimes-fail-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/don-t-condemn-yourself-or-lose-heart-when-you-sometimes-fail-to/#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 } } ] } ```