Sometimes, life becomes a battlefield of emotions. We all face moments when others’ words cut deep. It’s natural to feel hurt, but those who lash out often do so from their own pain.
Here, we’ve gathered quotes that reflect the struggles of those who put others down to feel better. These words offer insights into their minds and remind us to stay kind.
Understanding Through Quotes: The Psychology of Putting Others Down
“People who repeatedly attack your confidence and self-esteem are quite aware of your potential, even if you are not.” – Wayne Gerard Trotman
“Some people try to be tall by cutting off the heads of others.” – Paramahansa Yogananda
“The less confident you are, the more serious you have to act.” – Tara Leigh Cobble
“People will love you. People will hate you. And none of it will have anything to do with you.” – Abraham Hicks
“The only way to feel good about yourself is to start feeling good about yourself.” – Charles F. Glassman
“Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.” – Beyoncé
“Often those that criticize others reveal what he himself lacks.” – Shannon L. Alder
“Some people only hate you because of the way other people love you.” – Anonymous
“Insecure people only eclipse your sun because they’re jealous of your daylight and tired of their dark, starless nights.” – Shannon L. Alder
“People who fail focus on others. People who succeed focus on themselves.” – Tony Robbins
“Don’t let someone else’s bitterness become your responsibility.” – Anonymous
“The less you respond to negative people, the more peaceful your life will become.” – Unknown
“Some people create their own storms and then get mad when it rains.” – Anonymous
“Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Tear down someone else’s happiness, and you only reinforce your own unhappiness.” – Patrick Rothfuss
“When people undermine your dreams, predict your doom or criticize you, remember, they’re telling you their story, not yours.” – Cynthia Occelli
“Some people have so little going on in their lives, they would rather discuss yours.” – Unknown
“A lion does not concern himself with the opinion of sheep.” – George R.R. Martin
“The people who are trying to make you look bad, and make you feel bad, are just doing so out of their own personal insecurities.” – Unknown
“People may flatter themselves just as much by thinking that their faults are always present to other people’s minds, as if they believe that the whole world is plotting to flatter and praise them.” – Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” – Dalai Lama
Quotes About the Impact of Putting Others Down
“People who repeatedly attack your confidence and self-esteem are quite aware of your potential, even if you are not.” – Wayne Gerard Trotman
“You only lift yourself up by lowering others when you’re standing on a very weak foundation.” – Shannon L. Alder
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Blowing out someone else’s candle doesn’t make yours shine brighter.” – Max Lucado
“When people put you down, it says more about them than it does about you.” – Unknown
“Small people delight in pulling others down because they feel taller doing it.” – Napoleon Hill
“Kindness is a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain
“To put someone down, you must first cup your hand beneath them. Be careful, you may be lifting them higher than anticipated.” – Anonymous
“The less you respond to negative people, the more peaceful your life will become.” – Unknown
“Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” – Buddha
“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.” – Wayne Dyer
“Putting others down does not raise you up.” – Unknown
“It’s hard to give a positive spin to someone’s negativity; better to let them go.” – Paulo Coelho
“Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.” – Albert Einstein
“Compassionate people are geniuses in the art of living, more necessary to the dignity, security, and joy of humanity than the discoverers of knowledge.” – Albert Einstein
“Criticism is an indirect self-boasting.” – Emmet Fox
“People who love themselves, don’t hurt other people. The more we hate ourselves, the more we want others to suffer.” – Dan Pearce
“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” – J.M. Barrie
“By putting others down, all we really do is tarnish our own character.” – Anonymous
“To belittle is to be little.” – Unknown
Quotes Highlighting the Consequences of Feeling Superior
“The moment you feel superior, you separate yourself from the human collective.” – John Doe
“Arrogance is a creature. It does not have senses. It has only a sharp tongue and the pointing finger.” – Toba Beta
“Superiority complex is a symptom of an inferiority complex.” – Alfred Adler
“He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.” – Confucius
“Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.” – Thomas Merton
“Belittling others to elevate oneself is the act of a small mind.” – Emily Dickinson
“The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.” – Robert Hughes
“Shining by diminishing others only dims your own light.” – Unknown
“A true genius admits that he/she knows nothing.” – Albert Einstein
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates
“Putting someone down will never bring you up.” – Unknown
“Arrogance is the camouflage of insecurity.” – Tim Fargo
“The higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk.” – Cicero
“A superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions.” – Confucius
“The wise man knows he is but a speck in the infinite.” – Lao Tzu
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” – C. S. Lewis
“To belittle, you have to be little.” – Kahlil Gibran
“A lion doesn’t concern himself with the opinion of sheep.” – George R.R. Martin
“When you judge another, you do not define them; you define yourself.” – Wayne Dyer
“The fastest way to rise is not to climb over others but to lift them up with you.” – Unknown
Inspirational Quotes for Overcoming the Habit of Putting Others Down
“Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” – Buddha
“When you judge others, you do not define them; you define yourself.” – Earl Nightingale
“Don’t let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” – Dalai Lama
“People who are truly strong lift others up. People who are truly powerful bring others together.” – Michelle Obama
“Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates. At the first gate, ask yourself ‘Is it true?’ At the second gate ask, ‘Is it necessary?’ At the third gate ask, ‘Is it kind?'” – Rumi
“Blowing out someone else’s candle doesn’t make yours shine any brighter.” – Unknown
“What you say about others says a lot about you.” – Unknown
“You can tell more about a person by what they say about others than you can by what others say about them.” – Audrey Hepburn
“people will judge you anyway. Don’t live your life impressing others. Live your life impressing yourself.” – Eunice Camacho Infante
“The highest form of wisdom is kindness.” – The Talmud
“Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?” – Marcus Aurelius
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” – Plato
“Criticizing others is easy, but it doesn’t make you superior; understanding them and practicing empathy does.” – Original
“Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.” – Maya Angelou
“Be an encourager. The world has plenty of critics already.” – Dave Willis
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” – Dalai Lama
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” – Mother Teresa
“If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.” – Buddha
“Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.” – Jesse Jackson
Famous Figures Speak: Quotes on Avoiding the Tendency to Demean Others
“The only way to elevate oneself is to lift others up, not to push them down.” – Unknown
“No one heals themselves by wounding another.” – Saint Ambrose
“When they go low, we go high.” – Michelle Obama
“People try to rain on your parade because they have no parade of their own.” – Jeffrey Gitomer
“Hurt people hurt people.” – Will Bowen
“Never look down on someone unless you’re helping them up.” – Jesse Jackson
“Be nice to people on your way up because you might meet them on your way down.” – Jimmy Durante
“The way we treat people we think can do nothing for us reveals the true nature of our character.” – Unknown
“When you judge another, you do not define them; you define yourself.” – Wayne Dyer
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Criticism is easy; achievement is difficult.” – Winston Churchill
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” – Jennifer Dukes Lee
“You can’t lift yourself by putting others down.” – Unknown
“It’s not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.” – L.R. Knost
“To belittle, you have to be little.” – Kahlil Gibran
“Speak ill of no man, but speak all the good you know of everybody.” – Benjamin Franklin
“He who wants to secure the good of others has already secured his own.” – Confucius
“What you think of yourself is much more important than what people think of you.” – Seneca
“Before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes.” – Proverb
“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” – Rumi
The Conclusion
Reflecting on the “Putting Others Down to Feel Better Quotes” list, it’s clear that words carry power. Whether used to uplift or to criticize, our words shape our relationships and our self-esteem. The quotes highlighted the importance of kindness and self-awareness, proving that hurting others to boost oneself is never the right path.
Next time you’re tempted to put someone down, consider the impact of your words, not just on others, but on your own character. Let these quotes remind us all to choose empathy and compassion. After all, lifting others up is the surest way to build true confidence and create a positive environment for everyone.