30+ Inspirational Reality Check Quotes: Insightful Quotes

reality check quotes

Reality can often be harsher than what we wish or dream for. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in our own thoughts and emotions, losing sight of what’s real.

Periodically stepping back to take an objective look at our situation, known as a “reality check” is important for growth and progress.

In this post, I’m sharing reality check quotes on life, love, and inspirational quotes.

These quotes offer thoughtful perspectives on both the value and sometimes painful aspects of reality checks.

Whether you’re feeling lost, overwhelmed, or just need a little push in the right direction, these quotes can help you gain a better perspective on life, remind you of what really matters, and help you stay grounded.

Inspirational Reality Check Quotes

#1. “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle

Aristotle - reality check quotes

#2. “In a dark time, the eye begins to see.”- Theodore Roethke

Theodore Roethke - Reality check quotes

#3. “Don’t wish for a good life if you’re not ready to suffer.”- Maxime Lagacé

Maxime Lagacé - reality check quotes

#4. “Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people.” – Carl Jung.

Carl Jung - reality check quotes

#5. “The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.” – Nathaniel Branden.

Nathaniel Branden - Famous quotes on change

#6. “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” – Albert Einstein.

Albert Einstein - reality check quotes

#7. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates

Socrates - reality check quotes

#8. “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” – Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick - reality check quotes

#9. “The more you try to avoid suffering, the more you suffer, because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you, in proportion to your fear of being hurt. The one who does most to avoid suffering is, in the end, the one who suffers most.” – Thomas Merton

Thomas Merton - reality check quotes

Reality Check Quotes On Life

#10. “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon

John Lennon - reality check quotes

#11. “The reality of life is that your perceptions – right or wrong – influence everything else you do. When you get a proper perspective of your perceptions, you may be surprised how many other things fall into place.” – Roger Birkman

Roger Birkman - reality check quotes

#12. “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault

Philip K. Dick - reality check quotes

#13. “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” – Søren Kierkegaard

_Søren Kierkegaard - reality check quotes

#14. “One of the most courageous decisions you’ll ever make is to finally let go of what is hurting your heart and soul.” – Brigitte Nicole

Brigitte Nicole - reality check quotes

#15. “Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.” – Jack London

Jack London - reality check quotes

#16. “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking. – Albert Einstein.

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#17. “The moment you take responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you can change anything in your life.”- Hal Elrod.

Hal Elrod - reality check quotes

#18. “In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” – Eleanor Roosevelt.

Eleanor Roosevelt - reality check quotes

#19. “The biggest wake-up call in life is when you realize you are responsible for your own happiness and no one else.”

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Reality Check Quotes On Love

Here are some quotes that offer a reality check on the complex and sometimes challenging nature of love:

#20. “The course of true love never did run smooth.” – William Shakespeare

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#21. “Real love doesn’t meet you at your best. It meets you in your mess.” – J.S. Park

#22. “The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it.” – Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks

#23. “Love is an endless mystery, for it has nothing else to explain it.” – Rabindranath Tagore

reality check quotes - Rabindranath Tagore

#24. “A healthy relationship will never require you to sacrifice your friends, your dreams, or your dignity.” – Mandy Hale

_Mandy Hale - reality check quotes

#25. “Love doesn’t make the world go ’round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” – Franklin P. Jones

Franklin P. Jones

#26. “Don’t settle for a relationship that won’t let you be yourself.” – Oprah Winfrey

reality check quotes - Oprah Winfrey

#27. “Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.” – Osho

Osho- reality check quotes

Sad Reality Check Quotes

Here are some quotes that reflect a more somber and introspective perspective, providing a sad reality check:

#28. “Reality continues to ruin my life.” – Bill Watterson

Bill Wattersons

#29. “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” – Ernest Hemingway

reality check quotes - Ernest Hemingway

#30. “The saddest thing about love is that not only the love cannot last forever, but even the heartbreak is soon forgotten.” – William Faulkner.

_William Faulkner - reality check quotes

#31. “One day, you will wake up, and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.” – Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho - reality check quotes

#32. “The saddest summary of life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.” – Louis E. Boone.

reality check quotes - Louis E. Boone

#33. “The truth is everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.” – Bob Marley.

Bob Marley- reality check quotes

#34. “The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.” W.M. Lewis

_W.M. Lewis - reality check quotes

#35. “The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal, and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again, but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same, not would you want to.” – Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

reality check quotes - Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Reality Check Quotes on Growth and Resilience

#36. “The only way to grow is to step out of your comfort zone.”

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#37. “Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.” – Rikki Rogers.

Rikki Rogers - reality check quotes

#38. “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

reality check quotes - Albert Einstein

#39. “The only time you fail is when you fall down and stay down.” – Stephen Richards.

_Stephen Richards - reality check quotes

#40. “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.”- Vince Lombardi.

Vince Lombardi - reality check quotes

#41. “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” – Walter Elliot.

reality check quotes - Walter Elliot

Funny Reality Check Quotes

Here are some more funny reality check quotes:

#42. “Reality check: You can never please everyone. So, just focus on making yourself laugh and be happy. It’s cheaper than therapy.”

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#43. “Reality check: I thought growing up would involve a lot more napping.”

43 reality check quotes

#44. “I’m not lazy; I’m in energy-saving mode.”

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#45. “My superpower is making things awkward.”

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#46. “I’m not arguing; I’m just explaining why I’m right. You should understand it’s a reality check.”

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#47. “Reality check: I’m not antisocial; I’m just pro-solitude.”

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48. “I’m not short; I’m just more down to earth than most people.”

48 reality check quotes

#49. “My reality check bounced.”

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#50. “I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything until I’ve had my coffee.”

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Conclusion

In conclusion, reflecting on these reality check quotes can help cultivate a grounded mindset.

It’s all too easy to get caught up in unrealistic hopes, fantasies, and expectations. However, true happiness and success come from accepting life as it is, focusing on what we can control, and making the most of each present moment.

If you enjoy reading these quotes, here are some more quotes you might like to read: