Our Favorite Marilyn Monroe Quotes on Love, Life and Everything in Between

I’m selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I’m out of control, and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.

Success makes so many people hate you. I wish it wasn’t that way. It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you.

I am trying to find myself. Sometimes that’s not easy.

Fear is stupid. So are regrets.

A smart girl leaves before she is left.

I restore myself when I’m alone.

We should all start to live before we get too old.

The nicest thing for me is sleep, then at least I can dream.

If I’d observed all the rules, I’d never have got anywhere.

Dogs never bite me – just humans.

We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle.

Sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together.

If I’d observed all the rules I’d never have got anywhere.

You never know what life is like, until you have lived it.

A career is wonderful, but you can’t curl up with it on a cold night.

Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.

I live to succeed, not to please you or anyone else.

Just because you fail once doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail at everything.

It’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.

I wanted to be treated as a human being who had earned a few rights since her orphanage days.

I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love.

A strong man doesn’t have to be dominant toward a woman. He doesn’t match his strength against a woman weak with love for him. He matches it against the world.

The real lover is the man who can thrill you just by touching your head or smiling into your eyes – or just by staring into space.

I have always had a talent for irritating women since I was fourteen.

Before marriage, a girl has to make love to a man to hold him. After marriage, she has to hold him to make love to him.

I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love.

All I want is to be loved, for myself and for my talent.

Men who thinks that a woman’s past love affairs lessens her love for them are usually and weak.

A wise girl kisses but doesn’t love, listens but doesn’t believe, and leaves before she is left.

I have feelings too. I am still human. All I want is to be loved, for myself and for my talent.

It’s often just enough to be with SOMEONE. I don’t need to touch them. Not even talk. A feeling passes between you bith. YOU’RE NOT ALONE.

I could never pretend something I didn’t feel. I could never make love if I didn’t love, and if I loved I could no more hide the fact tham change the color of my eyes.

You might make yourself fly as to make yourself love.

It’s better to be unhappy alone that unhappy with someone – so far.

You better believe when the conversation is getting shorter with you… it’s getting longer with someone else.

I think that love and work are the only things that really happen to us.

I think there’s two things in human beings… that they want to be alone, but they also want to be together.

She was a girl who knew how to be happy even when she was sad. And that’s sad.

Husbands are chiefly good as lovers when they are betraying their wives.

A woman can bring a new love to each man she loves, providing there are not too many.

Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.

It is wonderful to have someone praise you, to be desired.

I always have a full-length mirror next to the camera when I’m doing publicity stills. That way, I know how I look.

If you’re gonna be two-faced at least make one of them pretty.

Hollywood is a place where they’ll play you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.

Sometimes you just have to throw on a crown and remind them who they’re dealing with.

If I worry about other bitches, I’d be just like them… another worried b*tch.

When it comes down to it, let them think what they want. If they care enough to bother with what I do, then I’m already better than them anyway.

Respect is one of life’s greatest treasures. I mean, what does it all add up to if you don’t have that?

Always, always, always believe in yourself. Because if you don’t, then who will, sweetie?

To all the girls who think you’re fat because you’re not a size zero. You’re the beautiful one. It’s society who’s ugly.

Sometimes I’ve been to a party where no one spoke to me for a whole evening. The men, frightened by their wives or sweeties, would give me a wide berth. And the ladies would gang up in a corner to discuss my dangerous character.

I’m the type of person that tries to fall back asleep in the morning just to finish a dream.

Dreaming about being an actress, is more exciting then being one.

Sometimes I think it would be easier to avoid old age; to die young. But then you’d never complete your life, would you? You’d never wholly know you.

Naturally, there are times when every woman likes to be flattered… to feel she is the most important thing in someone’s world. Only a man can paint this picture.

I want to grow old without facelifts. I want to have the courage to be loyal to the face I have made.

In Hollywood a girl’s virtue is much less important than her hairdo. You’re judged by how you look, not by what you are. Hollywood’s a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for kiss, and fifty cents for your soul. I know, because I turned down the first offer often enough and held out for the fifty.

This life is what you make it. No matter what, you’re going to mess up sometimes, it’s a universal truth. But the good part is you get to decide how you’re going to mess it up.

A smile is the best makeup a girl can wear.

Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world.

I said pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together.

I’ve read all of Shakespeare and practiced a lot of lines. … I am going to do Juliet first. Don’t laugh. What, with what makeup, costume and camera can do, my acting will create a Juliet who is 14, an innocent virgin.

Sometimes, wearing a scarf and a polo coat and no makeup and with a certain attitude of walking, I go shopping or just look at people living. But then, you know, there will be a few teenagers who are kind of sharp, and they’ll say, ‘Hey, just a minute. You know who I think that is?’ And they’ll start tailing me. And I don’t mind.

Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.

Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.

I don’t know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot!

I know I will never be happy, but I know I can be gay!

A woman knows by intuition, or instinct, what is best for herself.

What good is it being Marilyn Monroe? Why can’t I just be an ordinary woman?

I don’t mind living in a man’s world as long as I can be a woman in it.

One of the best things that ever happened to me is that I’m a woman. That is the way all females should feel.

A man makes you feel important – makes you glad you are a woman.

A girl doesn’t need anyone that doesn’t need her.

All a girl really wants from a guy is for him to prove to her that they are not all the same.

If you can make a woman laugh, you can make her do anything.

I’m very definitely a woman and I enjoy it.

How wrong is it for a woman to expect a man to build the world she wants, rather than create it herself.

When it comes down to it, I let them think what they want. If they care enough to bother with what I do, then I’m already better than them.

I’ve never fooled anyone. I’ve let people fool themselves. They didn’t bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn’t argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn’t.

She was a girl who knew how to be happy even when she was sad. And that’s important—you know

All little girls should be told they are pretty, even if they aren’t.

Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.

Boys think girls are like books, If the cover doesn’t catch their eye they won’t bother to read what’s inside.”

I’m a failure as a woman. My men expect so much of me, because of the image they’ve made of me – and I’ve made of myself – as a sex symbol.. but my anatomy is the same as any other womn’s and I can’t live up to it.

A woman can’t be alone. She needs a man. A man and a woman support and strengthen each other. She just can’t do it by herself.

Friends accept you the way you are.

I’ll think I have a few wonderful friends and all of a sudden, ooh, here it comes. They do a lot of things. They talk about you to the press, to their friends, tell stories, and you know, it’s disappointing.

I think one of the basic reasons men make good friends is that they can make up their minds quickly.

Friendship is the bestiest thing that comes to life . Friends will always be there for you don’t worry about the fakes worry about the people who had your back from the start and never treated you wrong always remember they are your real friends don’t never take them as granted because one day your going to lose a good friend by the way your action’s are when you see a good friend stick to that person .

I remember when I was in high school I didn’t have a new dress for each special occasion. The girls would bring the fact to my attention, not always too delicately. The boys, however, never bothered with the subject. They were my friends, not because of the size of my wardrobe but because they liked me.

I always say a kiss on the hand feels very good, but a diamond tiara lasts forever.

I love a natural look in pictures.

Girdles and wire stays should have never been invented. No man wants to hug a padded bird cage.

I’ll think I have a few wonderful friends and all of a sudden, ooh, here it comes. They do a lot of things. They talk about you to the press, to their friends, tell stories, and you know, it’s disappointing.

I am involved in a freedom ride protesting the loss of the minority rights belonging to the few remaining earthbound stars. All we demanded was our right to twinkle.

I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.

Sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together.

Millions of people live their entire lives without finding themselves. But it is something I must do.

I restore myself when I’m alone. A career is born in public – talent in privacy.

We should all start to live before we get old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets.

Success makes so many people hate you. I wish it wasn’t that way. It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you.

They think I’m crazy, but trust me… I’m 100% there.

A man has a tendency to accept you the way you are, while most women immediately start to pick flaws and want to change you.

Fame is fickle, and I know it. It has its compensations but it also has its drawbacks, and I’ve experienced them both.

Just because you fail once, doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don’t, then who will

This life is what you make it. Not matter what, you’re going to mess up sometimes, it’s a universal truth.

It’s all make believe, isn’t it?

I don’t want to make money, I just want to be wonderful.

Creativity has got to start with humanity and when you’re a human being, you feel, you suffer.

With fame, you know, you can read about yourself, somebody else’s ideas about you, but what’s important is how you feel about yourself – for survival and living day to day with what comes up.

It stirs up envy, fame does. People feel fame gives them some kind of privilege to walk up to you and say anything to you – and it won’t hurt your feelings – like it’s happening to your clothing.

Fame is like caviar, you know — it’s good to have caviar but not when you have it at every meal.

The worst thing that happens to people when they dress up and go to a party is that they leave their real selves at home. They’re like people on a stage playing somebody else. They play that they’re important, and they want you to meet their importance, not themselves.

The truth is I’ve never fooled anyone. I’ve let people fool themselves. They didn’t bother to find out who and what I was.

Sometimes I feel my whole life has been one big rejection.

Nothing’s ever easy as long as you go on living.

I am not a victim of emotional conflicts. I am human.

You know, most people really don’t know me.

A career is wonderful, but you can’t curl up with it on a cold night.

When I was five I think, that’s when I started wanting to be an actress.

I am alone; I am always alone no matter what.

There are many times when a woman will ask another girl friend how she likes her new hat. She will reply, ‘Fine,’ but slap her hand to her forehead the minute the girl leaves to yipe, ‘What a horror!’

I think I have always had a little humor.

I don’t digest things with my mind.

An actress is not a machine, but they treat you like a machine. A money machine.

I don’t mind making jokes, but I don’t want to look like one.

All my stepchildren carried the burden of my fame. Sometimes they would read terrible things about me, and I’d worry about whether it would hurt them. I would tell them: ‘Don’t hide these things from me. I’d rather you ask me these things straight out, and I’ll answer all your questions.’

We human beings are strange creatures and still reserve the right to think for ourselves.

The trouble with censors is that they worry if a girl has cleavage. They ought to worry if she hasn’t any.

I defy gravity.

Some of my foster families used to send me to the movies to get me out of the house and there I’d sit all day and way into the night. Up in front, there with the screen so big, a little kid all alone, and I loved it. I loved anything that moved up there and I didn’t miss anything that happened and there was no popcorn either.

If I’m a star, then the people made me a star.

I’ve found men are less likely to let petty things annoy them.

Confidentially, the type of male I find most enjoyable for a friend is one who has enough fire and assurance to speak up for his convictions.

I have evolved my own exercises, for the muscles I wish to keep firm, and I know they are right for me because I can feel them putting the proper muscles into play as I exercise.

Next to my husband, and along with Marlon Brando, I think that Yves Montand is the most attractive man I’ve ever met.

I’ve never dropped anyone I believed in.

I knew I belonged to the public and to the world, not because I was talented or even beautiful, but because I had never belonged to anything or anyone else.

I am invariably late for appointments – sometimes as much as two hours. I’ve tried to change my ways but the things that make me late are too strong, and too pleasing.

I want to be an artist, not… a celluloid aphrodisiac.

There is just no comparison between having a dinner date with a man and staying home playing canasta with the girls.

I learned to walk as a baby, and I haven’t had a lesson since.

I’m looking forward to becoming a marvelous – excuse the word marvelous – character actress. like Marie Dressler, like Will Rogers.

My dinners at home are startlingly simple. Every night, I stop at the market near my hotel and pick up a steak, lamb chops or some liver, which I broil in the electric oven in my room. I usually eat four or five raw carrots with my meat, and that is all. I must be part rabbit; I never get bored with raw carrots.

If your man is a sports enthusiast, you may have to resign yourself to his spouting off in a monotone on a prize fight, football game or pennant race.

What I really want to say: That what the world really needs is a real feeling of kinship. Everybody: stars, laborers, Negroes, Jews, Arabs. We are all brothers.

I guess I have always been deeply terrified to really be someone’s wife since I know from life one cannot love another, ever, really.

Only the public can make a star. It’s the studios who try to make a system out of it.

I’ve been on a calendar, but I’ve never been on time.

Men are so willing to respect anything that bores them.

Having a child, that’s always been my biggest fear. I want a child and I fear a child.

I often wake up in the night, and I like to have something to think about.