Marilyn Monroe was an American actress and model whose massive stardom and celebrity status made her a lasting icon in the history of Hollywood. Even over half a century after her untimely death, her influence and beauty are still revered by many. Far from just a pretty face and enviable figure, Monroe was a wise and intelligent woman whose many famous quotes about life and success continue to provide insight and inspiration for millions of people around the world.

Introduction To Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe was born in 1926 as Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles, California, to an unmarried couple. However, she did not grow up with either of her parents; instead, she was sent to various foster homes in her youth, with her poverty further compounding her sense of rootlessness and the overall instability of her early years.

Monroe did not have a linear trajectory to success. Her ambition endured throughout, however, and eventually in 1946, she signed a contract with Twentieth Century Fox, marking the official launch of her professional acting career. Since then, she has left a lasting impression on the world in numerous ways—as a model, actress, sex symbol, and celebrity—and her many inspirational quotes have struck a chord with countless readers and lovers of the iconic figure.

Famous Quotes From Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe left the world with many famous quotes and words of wisdom. Here is a selection of some of her most famous and inspirational quotes:

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

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

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

  4. “The real lover is the man who can thrill you by kissing your forehead”

  5. “Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you’re exactly the same.”

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

  7. “Hollywood is a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.”

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

  9. “It’s better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone.”

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

Quotes About Life and Passion

Marilyn Monroe’s quotes about life touch on everything from holding onto your passion to never letting limits stop you. Here is a selection of some of her most famous and inspirational quotes about life, passion, and following your own unique path:

  1. “Sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together.”

  2. “The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows.”

  3. “It is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”

  4. “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.”

  5. “If you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”

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

  7. “The body is meant to be seen, not all covered up.”

  8. “The thing I want more than anything else? I want to be wonderful.”

  9. “No one ever told me I was pretty when I was a little girl. All little girls should be told they’re pretty, even if they aren’t.”

  10. “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.”

Quotes About Love

Being a woman in love, Marilyn Monroe did not shy away from expressing her thoughts on the ups and downs of relationships, and how to make them last. Here is a selection of her most profound and insightful quotes about love:

  1. “Awise girl kisses but doesn’t love, listens but doesn’t believe, and leaves before she is left.”

  2. “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.”

  3. “I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am 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.”

  4. “That’s the trouble, a sex symbol becomes a thing. But if I’m going to be a symbol of something I’d rather have it sex than some other things we’ve got symbols of.”

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

  6. “Love and sex are as much a part of life as breathing.”

  7. “This life is what you make it. No matter what, you’re going to mess up sometimes, it’s a universal truth.”

  8. “I’m never going to be a housewife or the mother of a family. I’m never going to be the symbol of any particular thing. I’m only going to be me.”

  9. “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, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”

  10. “When it comes to love, you can never be too late.”

Quotes About Happiness and Success

Marilyn Monroe espoused an array of quotes about success, ambition and success in both career and personal life. Here is a selection of her most famous and uplifting quotes about happiness and success:

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

  2. “Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you’re exactly the same.”

  3. “I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am 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.”

  4. “You’ll never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”

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

  6. “It’s win-win for everyone when you share your ideas and create solutions that work for everyone involved.”

  7. “This life is what you make it. No matter what, you’re going to mess up sometimes, it’s a universal truth.”

  8. “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”

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

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

More Inspirational Quotes From Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe had a productive career that spanned decades, and with it came countless lessons, thoughts, and words of wisdom. Here is a selection of some of Marilyn Monroe’s most famous and inspirational quotes:

  1. “The pillows need fluffing, the heart needs mending, and I’m ready to start pretending.”

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

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