The exact words
What we know
The sentence was attached to Eleanor Roosevelt early, while she was First Lady in the 1930s and one of the most admired women in America. That makes it different from many misattributions, which appear decades after a person’s death. But the fact that a newspaper or magazine credited her does not mean she said it. Researchers who have searched her daily “My Day” column, her books and her speeches have not found it.
Roosevelt wrote and spoke constantly, so it is possible she said something like it in a talk that was not recorded, or that an interviewer paraphrased her. It is equally possible the line was attached to her because it sounded like the kind of thing she would say. Without a primary source, there is no way to know.
Why it sounds like her
Roosevelt was painfully shy as a young woman and wrote openly about overcoming insecurity. In her 1960 book You Learn by Living she offered practical advice on facing fear and building confidence, and her public life was a long exercise in ignoring people who mocked her looks, her voice and her politics. The sentence captures that attitude so well that it has outlived any question about its origin.
How to use it
Credit it as “attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt.” That is honest and still gives the line its weight. If you want words she certainly wrote, her remarks at the United Nations in 1958, about human rights beginning “in small places, close to home,” are verified and just as moving.
What people get wrong
A line from one of Eleanor Roosevelt's books or speeches.
A saying credited to her during her lifetime, but never found in her own words. She may have said it in conversation, or it may have been attached to her.
Timeline
- 1930sThe saying appears in print credited to Eleanor Roosevelt, then First Lady.
- 1930s–1962Roosevelt writes her daily “My Day” column and several books; the sentence has not been found in them.
- TodayOne of the most popular quotes credited to any woman, printed on posters and in self-help books.
Use it in a speech
Questions people ask
Did Eleanor Roosevelt say “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent”?
It was credited to her during her lifetime, beginning in the 1930s, but researchers have not found it in her columns, books, speeches or letters. She may have said it informally, but there is no record.
Where can I find Eleanor Roosevelt's real words?
Her daily “My Day” columns (1935–1962) are digitized by the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project at George Washington University, along with many of her speeches and articles.
How should I credit the quote?
As “attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt,” which is accurate and widely accepted.
Cite this quote
Don't cite this line as Eleanor Roosevelt's words. There is no reliable source showing they said it. If you need to mention it, say it is “often attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt” and, if you want a reference, cite this page: