Top 100 Self Control Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “If you lose self-control everything will fall.”

— John Wooden

Also featured in: Discipline Quotes, Coaching Quotes, Basketball Quotes

2. “The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term, is the indispensable prerequisite for success.”

— Brian Tracy

Also featured in: Success Quotes, Discipline Quotes, Patience Quotes, Motivational Quotes for Work

3. “You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

— Marcus Aurelius

Also featured in: Focus Quotes, Quotes About Strength, Mind Quotes, Philosophical Quotes

4. “The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.”

— Dalai Lama XIV

Also featured in: Spiritual Growth Quotes, Buddhist Quotes, Peace Quotes, Encouraging Quotes

5. “You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.”

— Wayne W. Dyer

Also featured in: Psychology Quotes, Self-Realization Quotes, Personality Quotes, Mental Health Quotes

6. “The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.”

— Marcus Aurelius

Also featured in: Mental Strength Quotes, Mind Quotes, Wise Quotes, Thought Provoking Quotes

7. “A moment of patience in a moment of anger prevents a thousand moments of regret.”

— Ali ibn Abi Talib

Also featured in: Patience Quotes, Emotional Quotes, Positive Short Quotes, Choices Quotes

8. “It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles.”

— Buddha

Also featured in: Live Life Quotes, Enlightenment Quotes, Reflection Quotes, Mental Strength Quotes

9. “When you are offended at any man’s fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger.”

— Epictetus

Also featured in: Wisdom Quotes, Philosophical Quotes, Spirituality Quotes

10. “It is in your power to withdraw yourself whenever you desire. Perfect tranquility within consists in the good ordering of the mind, the realm of your own.”

— Marcus Aurelius

Also featured in: Quotes About Thinking, Philosophical Quotes, Philosophy Quotes, Desire Quotes

11. “Weaken a bad habit by avoiding everything that occasioned it or stimulated it, without concentrating upon it in your zeal to avoid it. Then divert your mind to some good habit and steadily cultivate it until it becomes a dependable part of you.”

— Paramahansa Yogananda

Also featured in: Habit Quotes

12. “Thirteen virtues necessary for true success: temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility.”

— Benjamin Franklin

Also featured in: Morality Quotes, Values Quotes, Virtue Quotes

13. “Every act of self-discipline increases your confidence, trust, and belief in yourself and your abilities.”

— Brian Tracy

Also featured in: Discipline Quotes, Self-Worth Quotes, Mental Strength Quotes, Career Development Quotes

14. “NO MORE. No more excuses. No more: “I’ll start tomorrow.” No more: “Just this once.” No more accepting the shortfalls of my own will. No more taking the easy road. No more bowing down to whatever unhealthy or unproductive thoughts float through my mind.”

— Jocko Willink

Also featured in: Persistence Quotes, Discipline Quotes, Willpower Quotes, Mental Strength Quotes, Goal Setting Quotes

15. “Nothing truly stops you. Nothing truly holds you back. For your own will is always within your control.”

— Epictetus

Also featured in: Intention Quotes, Resilience Quotes, Freedom Quotes

16. “In life our first job is this, to divide and distinguish things into two categories: externals I cannot control, but the choices I make with regard to them I do control. Where will I find good and bad? In me, in my choices.”

— Epictetus

Also featured in: Focus On Yourself Quotes, Accountability Quotes, Epic Quotes, Responsibility Quotes

17. “A man may conquer a million men in battle but one who conquers himself is, indeed, the greatest of conquerors.”

— Buddha

Also featured in: Willpower Quotes, Peace of Mind Quotes, Buddhist Quotes, Path Quotes

18. “You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.”

— Buddha

Also featured in: Deep Quotes About Life, Emotion Quotes, Wellness Quotes, Wisdom Quotes

19. “Love yourself and be awake- Today, tomorrow, always. First establish yourself in the way, Then teach others, And so defeat sorrow. To straighten the crooked You must first do a harder thing- Straighten yourself. You are your only master. Who else? Subdue yourself, And discover your master.”

— Buddha

Also featured in: Self-Care Quotes, Self-Worth Quotes, Self-Love Quotes, Enlightenment Quotes

20. “You either control your mind or it controls you.”

— Napoleon Hill

Also featured in: Short Motivational Quotes, Powerful Motivational Quotes, Mindset Quotes, Quotes About Thinking

21. “He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.”

— Lao Tzu

Also featured in: Self-Worth Quotes, Self-Realization Quotes, Inspirational Life Quotes, Life Philosophy Quotes

22. “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who overcomes his enemies.”

— Aristotle

Also featured in: Deep Quotes About Life, Philosophy Quotes, Virtue Quotes

23. “If you wish to control others you must first control yourself.”

— Miyamoto Musashi

Also featured in: Short Quotes, Focus On Yourself Quotes, Warrior Quotes, Thought Provoking Quotes

24. “Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don’t control what you think, you can’t control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward.”

— Napoleon Hill

Also featured in: Discipline Quotes, Motivational Work Quotes, Short Inspirational Quotes, Personality Quotes

25. “Objective judgement, now, at this very moment. Unselfish action, now, at this very moment. Willing acceptance – now, at this very moment – of all external events. That’s all you need.”

— Marcus Aurelius

Also featured in: Meaningful Quotes, Life Philosophy Quotes, Mind Quotes, Intelligent Quotes

26. “One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself.”

— Leonardo da Vinci

Also featured in: Self-Realization Quotes, Being Yourself Quotes, Short Deep Quotes, Mastery Quotes

27. “I learned long ago to focus on things you can control and don’t even pay attention to things you don’t.”

— Bryan Cranston

Also featured in: Focus Quotes, Mindset Quotes, Tuesday Motivational Quotes, Good Day Quotes

28. “Rule your mind or it will rule you.”

— Horace

Also featured in: Mental Strength Quotes, Quotes About Thinking, Epic Quotes, Philosophy Quotes

29. “Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power.”

— Seneca

Also featured in: Willpower Quotes, Mind Quotes, Choices Quotes, Character Quotes

30. “Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts.”

— Og Mandino

Also featured in: Strong Quotes, Motivational Monday Quotes, Powerful Motivational Quotes, Taking Action Quotes, Inspirational Quotes for Men

31. “No man is free who is not master of himself.”

— Epictetus

Also featured in: Self-Esteem Quotes, Wise Quotes, Epic Quotes

32. “Without discipline, there’s no life at all.”

— Katharine Hepburn

Also featured in: Discipline Quotes, Short Quotes About Life

33. “Don’t Criticize, Condemn, Or Complain.”

— Dale Carnegie

Also featured in: Positivity Quotes, Positive Life Quotes, Short Inspirational Quotes, Short Inspiring Quotes

34. “Choose not to be harmed and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed and you haven’t been.”

— Marcus Aurelius

Also featured in: Perspective Quotes, Deep Quotes, Mental Strength Quotes, Mind Quotes

35. “Self-control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power.”

— James Allen

Also featured in: Quotes About Strength, Short Positive Quotes, Self-Realization Quotes, Willpower Quotes, Mental Health Quotes

36. “If you conquer yourself, then you conquer the world.”

— Paulo Coelho

Also featured in: Self-Esteem Quotes, Self-Realization Quotes, Positive Motivational Quotes, Life Lessons Quotes

37. “Conquer your mind and conquer the world.”

— Guru Nanak

Also featured in: Short Motivational Quotes, Positive Motivation Quotes, Willpower Quotes

38. “Good habits are the key to all success. Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure.”

— Og Mandino

Also featured in: Positive Inspirational Quotes, Motivational Quotes for Work, Motivational Quotes for Success, Live Life Quotes, Quotes About Work

39. “Discipline yourself and others won't need to.”

— John Wooden

Also featured in: Coaching Quotes, Excellence Quotes, Personal Responsibility Quotes, Graduation Quotes

40. “We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.”

— Epictetus

Also featured in: Mindset Quotes, Choices Quotes, Challenges Quotes, Philosophy Quotes

41. “O Divine Providence, I ask not for more riches but more wisdom with which to make wiser use of the riches you gave me at birth, consisting in the power to control and direct my own mind to whatever ends I might desire.”

— Napoleon Hill

Also featured in: Motivational Quotes About Life, Self-Empowerment Quotes, Mind Quotes, Friday Inspirational Quotes

42. “Discipline is built by consistently performing small acts of courage.”

— Robin S. Sharma

Also featured in: Courage Quotes, Friday Motivational Quotes, Good Morning Inspirational Quotes

43. “Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it.”

— Seneca

44. “The one who has no control over his desires has no control over his mind.”

— Ali ibn Abi Talib

Also featured in: Desire Quotes

45. “Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.”

— Confucius

Also featured in: Morality Quotes, Reflection Quotes, Character Quotes, Virtue Quotes

46. “The great secret is a controlled imagination and a well-sustained attention, firmly and repeatedly focused on the object to be accomplished.”

— Neville Goddard

Also featured in: Focus Quotes, Fulfillment Quotes, Manifestation Quotes, Quotes About Thinking, Imagination Quotes

47. “With self-discipline most anything is possible.”

— Theodore Roosevelt

Also featured in: Personal Responsibility Quotes, Performance Quotes, Work Ethic Quotes, Taking Action Quotes

48. “I’m Starting With The Man In The Mirror I’m Asking Him To Change His Ways And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change.”

— Michael Jackson

Also featured in: Music Quotes, Choices Quotes, Quotes About Trying, Quotes About Songs

49. “Give up all desire for enjoyment in earth or heaven. Control the organs of the senses and control the mind. Bear every misery without even knowing that you are miserable. Think of nothing but spiritual freedom.”

— Swami Vivekananda

Also featured in: Enlightenment Quotes, Spiritual Growth Quotes, Giving Up Quotes, Spirituality Quotes

50. “We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day.”

— Richard G. Scott

Also featured in: Optimistic Quotes, Commitment Quotes, Habit Quotes, Self-Improvement Quotes