51 Eartha Kitt Quotes on Self-Love and Social Justice

Eartha Kitt was a multitalented performer, unafraid to speak her mind and forge her own path. Find out more about her thoughts and life by reading these 51 quotes.

Eartha Kitt, born in the year 1927, was a prolific actress and singer known for her iconic songs such as "This Is My Life," "I Want to Be Evil," and the popular, "Santa Baby."

Throughout her acting career, Kitt played roles in theatre and film, such as the Broadway musical "New Faces of 1952" and Catwoman in the "Batman" series, which aired in the 1960s.

Read the 51 quotes below to learn more about the woman behind the voice and screen.

Eartha Kitt’s quote: "My recipe for life is not being afraid of myself, afraid of what I think or of my opinions." | Image: AmoDays

Eartha Kitt Life Advice Quotes

"Sometimes it's good to fall down to see who will pick you up." — Eartha Kitt

"Thank God you've got a sense of humor, or you'd be in trouble." — Eartha Kitt

"Just because you are different does not mean that you have to be rejected." — Eartha Kitt

"Everything should be done with moderation and using common sense." — Eartha Kitt

"It's all about falling in love with yourself and sharing that love with someone who appreciates you, rather than looking for love to compensate for a self-love deficit." — Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt’s quote: "It's all about falling in love with yourself and sharing that love with someone who appreciates you, rather than looking for love to compensate for a self-love deficit." | Image: AmoDays

"Don't depend on other people to be responsible for you." — Eartha Kitt

"When we want to have our own style of living, it is nobody's business but ours. What we do in private is our private business." — Eartha Kitt

"Aging has a wonderful beauty, and we should have respect for that." — Eartha Kitt

"I fall in love with myself, and I want someone to share it with me. And I want someone to share me, with me." — Eartha Kitt

"I've never felt that fear is my enemy. Fear is my friend. It offers me a chance to stay alert, keep growing, continue creating something new. If you don't take that sort of risk, you learn nothing." — Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt’s quote: "Aging has a wonderful beauty, and we should have respect for that." | Image: AmoDays

"I have used all the manure that has been thrown on me as fertilizer to make me stronger." — Eartha Kitt

"The price we pay for being ourselves is worth it." — Eartha Kitt

"Staying on your own path means that you are on the right track. Don't let anyone deter you from that." — Eartha Kitt

"My recipe for life is not being afraid of myself, afraid of what I think or of my opinions." — Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt Quotes on Money and Materialism

"I am the original Material Girl." — Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt’s quote: "Don't make yourself stressed out over nonsensical things like material things." | Image: AmoDays

"Greed is so destructive. It destroys everything." — Eartha Kitt

"I think it's fun to look at people with big diamonds. I see them in my audience all the time, with the fur coat, a woman whose hand is always out front, or the two fingers are on the cheek to show her diamond. I don't have anything against that." — Eartha Kitt

"I still can't go over a subway grating without looking down to see if there is some money there." — Eartha Kitt

"Don't make yourself stressed out over nonsensical things like material things." — Eartha Kitt

"Greed can be very dangerous because you sacrifice your soul for the sake of something material, and then you start sacrificing people in order to keep that which is material." — Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt’s quote: "If you're looking for immediate rewards, you're only looking for the money." | Image: AmoDays

"I don't have to have the biggest house or the biggest car or the longest mink, but quality of life is really glamorous." — Eartha Kitt

"Jewelry, to me, is a pain in the derriere because you have to be watching it all the time." — Eartha Kitt

"If you're looking for immediate rewards, you're only looking for the money." — Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt Quotes on Men

"I've always said to my men friends, If you really care for me, darling, you will give me territory. Give me land, give me land." — Eartha Kitt

"I love men, and I like to get their attention." — Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt’s quote: "A man has always wanted to lay me down, but he never wanted to pick me up." | Image: AmoDays

"Young ghetto boys thought that in this society, the good guys lost and the bad guys won." — Eartha Kitt

"I love to tease men with my legs." — Eartha Kitt

"A man has always wanted to lay me down, but he never wanted to pick me up." — Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt's Quotes on Her Personal Life and Thoughts

"I punish myself more than anybody else does if I am stupid about my actions, and I suffer, really suffer." — Eartha Kitt

"I was considered an ugly duckling." — Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt’s quote: "I have to keep testing myself." | Image: AmoDays

"In the '50s, critics used to say I had a 'dangerous' act." — Eartha Kitt

"Eartha Mae is very shy. She's scared to be seen, scared of rejection, and even afraid of affection. Relationships can be rather uncomfortable for her. But, as Eartha Kitt, it's fine. I can accept and reject any time I want to. Do I ever reject? Not really. Although people think I do!" — Eartha Kitt

"The public has become my fairy godmother." — Eartha Kitt

"I was given away. If your mother gives you away, you think everybody who comes into your life is going to give you away." — Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt’s quote: "I never take anything for granted. I may slip any minute.” | Image: AmoDays

"I've always been multicultural myself. I'm not black, and I'm not white, and I'm not pink, and I'm not green. Eartha Kitt has no color, and that is how barriers are broken." — Eartha Kitt

"I've always accepted applause as making me feel worthwhile. I hope I die being applauded. Just put a chaise lounge under me and let me go." — Eartha Kitt

"I stayed on my own path and did not follow the herd. I made a way for myself." — Eartha Kitt

"I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma." — Eartha Kitt

"I never take anything for granted. I may slip any minute." — Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt’s quote: "I have used all the manure that has been thrown on me as fertilizer to make me stronger." | Image: AmoDays

"As the 'Batman' TV series was returning to ABC for its second season in 1967, the TV bosses decided to take Catwoman into another direction… lucky for me." — Eartha Kitt

"I have to keep testing myself." — Eartha Kitt

"I was called a naughty girl only because I was singing naughty songs." — Eartha Kitt

"Live theater, to me, is much [more] free than the movies or television." — Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt's Quotes on Her General Perspectives

Eartha Kitt’s quote: "Generally, the whole entertainment business now is bland." | Image: AmoDays

"I don't believe in bringing children into the world out of wedlock." — Eartha Kitt

"Truth is a theory that is constantly being disproved. Only lies, it seems, go on forever." — Eartha Kitt

"Innocence is one of the most exciting things in the world." — Eartha Kitt

"Generally, the whole entertainment business now is bland." — Eartha Kitts

Eartha Kitt's Quotes on Her Social and Political Perspectives

Eartha Kitt’s quote: "I do think that same-gender partners should be able to be married. Why not? If you share a life together, then who in the world should have anything to say about it?" | Image: AmoDays

"You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. No wonder the kids rebel." — Eartha Kitt

"Let's take care of the necessities first: give people jobs, and find a way to get us out of poverty." — Eartha Kitt

"The children of America are not rebelling for no reason. They are not hippies for no reason at all. We don't have what we have on Sunset Boulevard for no reason. They are rebelling against something. There are so many things burning the people of this country, particularly mothers. They feel they are going to raise sons — and I know what it's like, and you have children of your own, Mrs. Johnson — we raise children and send them to war." — Eartha Kit

"I do think that same-gender partners should be able to be married. Why not? If you share a life together, then who in the world should have anything to say about it?" — Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt’s quote: "Staying on your own path means that you are on the right track. Don't let anyone deter you from that." | Image: AmoDays

Kitt didn't only make waves in the music and acting industry but wasn't afraid to make controversial statements on social issues. She was blacklisted for criticizing the war in Vietnam while at a White House luncheon in the late 1960s.

Lady Bird Johnson, the first lady at the time, was in the room when she made these critiques. The CIA went as far as to call her "a sadistic nymphomaniac" in response. It was later found out that Kitt was subject to secret surveillance via the United States government. On Christmas Day of 2008, 81-year-old Kitt passed away in her home following her colon cancer diagnosis.

To delve into the mind of another famous vocalist, read these quotes by Adele.