Boundary-setting wisdom: the best personal space quotes

As humans, we all have an innate need for personal space. It’s something that is essential for our mental and emotional wellbeing. But sometimes we struggle with setting boundaries when it comes to our personal space. We don’t want to be rude or offend anyone, but at the same time, we need to protect ourselves.

Fear not! In this article, we’ve collated some of the best personal space quotes from famous people throughout history who were also proponents of self-care and boundary-setting. Read on!

What is Personal Space?

Before diving into the sea full of inspiration bringing you nothing but tranquility and valuable knowledge, let us stop by and discuss what personal space means.
According to Oxford Languages (source without reference), Personal Space refers to “the physical area immediately surrounding someone, into which any encroachment feels threatening or uncomfortable”.
Are you following clearly? No? Scroll up a bit and re-read the definition once again.

Quotes

Now let’s dive in head first(or toe first depending on your preference) into the lush abyss filled with eye-opening quotes; perfect for guidance towards creating healthy boundaries within your life.

Quote 1:

“I am mine before I am ever anyone else’s.” — Nayyirah Waheed

Note: If you are struggling with setting up boundaries because you fear hurting others’ feelings then this quote sounds like good news TO YOU!
Here’s one thing many people forget – You are yours before you ever belong to anyone. And, as such, it’s important not to allow yourself to be reduced by anybody else’s opinions/requests/others’ desires that somehow cross the boundaries of your personal space.

Quote 2:

“I have learned over time that when someone asks for my attention, something must be given…” — Arielle Estoria

This next quote simply states the fact that whenever somebody requests our presence or attention, there will always be some part of us being extracted and required from within ourselves in order to respond adequately. “Something must be given” is a reminder to protect personal energy at all times!

Quote 3:

“Respect goes both ways. If you don’t respect me I won’t respect you.” — Gene Simmons

Gene Simmons (famous band musician) firmly but politely reminds everyone out there who struggles with setting up boundaries out of fear they might look arrogant – respect is part and parcel. One can only give what they receive accordingly.
If someone does not show respect towards you (useful informaiton) why should one create comfort zones around themself?

Quote 4:

“You teach people how to treat you by what you allow/disallow into your life.”

Tony Gaskins Jr.

Sounds crazy? Hear me out! Mr.Tony Gaskin shares more wisdom worth thinking about… “We all have been treated badly at least once in our life because we allowed it”.
What if borders were set earlier on? Wouldn’t this eventually reduce mistreatment cases drastically? Just sayin’.

Quote 5:

“Boundaries are a necessary thing because most people take kindness as weakness.”

As weird as it sounds… Yet true! Many individuals see kindness and courtesy wrongly; these traits for some translate into an opening bridge allowing uncontrolled crossing through their personal space & triggers their tolerance limit.

Tables

Next up, let’s have a look at some tables that can help you better understand the different types of personal space and how to identify them.

Types of Personal Space

Type Distance from person (in feet)
Intimate 0-1’5”
Personal 1’5” – 4’
Social 4-12′
Public Over 12

The table above shows the four categories in which our personal spaces exist.
As you can see the Intimate level is for close friends/family/partners when sharing secrets or emotions in general; maintaining distance here could feel weird or uncomfortable.
While at the Public boundary, one might not even know that they are infringing someone else’s Personal Boundary.

Bullet points

Below are some bullet points summarizing key takeaways from what we’ve covered so far:

  • It’s important to prioritize your own needs before considering anyone else’s feelings.
  • Setting boundaries communicates your self-respect whilst increasing respect towards others.
  • Nobody should force themselves into another person’s Safe territory without prior consent because everyone has personal limits.

Conclusion

In summary, there are plenty of great quotes out there that emphasize just how essential it is to set healthy boundaries when it comes to our personal space. By doing so, we communicate our priorities about regardens towards ourselves as valuable entities in this world(byesies aliens!). In addition, we promote building stronger relationships through mutual respect & common sense(let us be honest!) on where these borders start and end(even those lines may become blurrier with time).
So why not try out these steps? Set Boundaries politely but firmly,& finally make sure You Respect Yourself( insert drum roll emoji).

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