70 I Am Who I Am Quotes On Why Your Individuality Matters

These I am who I am quotes will have you celebrating your unique essence in no time.

We have all heard it before, “I am what I am.”

Usually, it is a phrase said by someone who is owning up to something; or sometimes it is said when someone does something that others find disagreeable.

We find the phrase in song lyrics and see it used as a snappy comeback in our favorite shows.

College students often misquote the phrase, wondering which philosopher or scripture to attribute it to.

However, the concept of “I what I am” goes back a lot farther than you may realize, and many people do attribute it to a Hebrew phrase written in a Bible verse in the book of Exodus.

Today, many people use the phrase to signify their truth and acceptance of who they are.

What does the phrase mean to you?

Don’t forget to also check out these be yourself quotes to inspire your best life.

If you enjoy this article, check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily motivation. 

Browse our entire collection of inspirational quotes for more motivating ideas and concepts.

I am who I am quotes that give life meaning.

1. “I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

2. “My history defines who I am.” – Simone Elkeles

3. “Nobody can teach me who I am.” – Chinua Achebe

4. “I am one of the people who love the why of things.” – Catherine the Great

5. “I am what I am because of who we all are.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

6. “Who am I, for God’s sake, that I should be kind!” – Charles Dickens

7. “I am an educator who thinks globally.” – Paulo Freire

8. “My thoughts and actions made me who I am.” – Debasish Mridha

9. “I am someone who isn’t always perfect.” – Maisie Williams

10. I’m tired of defending my character. I am what I am. What you see is what you get.”- Dana Plato

I am who I am quotes from movies and actors.

11. “I am who I am today because of my mother.” – Kevin Hart

12. “I am who I am because of the people who influenced me growing up, and many of them were gay. No one has any right to tell anyone what makes a family.” – Drew Barrymore

13. “I am who I am. That’s why my friends and peers respect and appreciate me. I don’t change or cater my actions to fit my surroundings. I’m myself 24/7. People appreciate that.” – Kevin Hart

14. “I’m just going to live my life and be who I am.” – Halle Berry

15. “I’ve never been afraid to be who I really am on screen.” – Halle Berry

16. “I’m not a facelift person. I am what I am.” – Robert Redford

17. “I am what I am and I’m a horrible liar. I can’t do it. I’m just very candid.” – Pamela Anderson

18. “No, I am who I am. I’m not going to change for anybody.” ~ Calista Flockhart

19. “I am who I am because of the people who influenced me growing up, and many of them were gay. No one has any right to tell anyone what makes a family” ~ Drew Barrymore

I am who I am quotes from music and artists.

20. “Why should I care what other people think of me? I am who I am. And who I wanna be.” – Avril Lavigne

21. “I am who I am who I am who am I Requesting some enlightenment Could I have been anyone other than me?” – Dave Matthews

22. “I am who I am and I say what I think. I’m not putting a face on for the record.” – Eminem

23. “A lot of people, black, white, Mexican, young or old, fat or skinny have a problem being true to they self. They have a problem looking in the mirror and looking directly into their own souls. Only reason I am who I am today is because I can look directly into my face and find my soul.” – Tupac Shakur

24. “I am only a public entertainer who understands his time.” – Pablo Picasso

25. “I am one of those who are made for exceptions, not for laws.” – Oscar Wilde

26. “Your opinion doesn’t define who I am.” – Wiz Khalifa

27. “I don’t love who I am so I’m working on a fix.” – Kid Cudi

28. “I won’t apologize for who I am. “ – Selena Gomez

29. “I’m happy to be alive, I’m happy to be who I am.” – Michael Jackson

30. “I am who I am, you are who you are, and everything else is a perception based on acceptance, deception, smoke, mirrors, and so on.” – Jason Mraz

I am who I am quotes from philosophers and poets.

31. “When I discover who I am, I’ll be free.” – Ralph Ellison

32. “It’s amazing. I can do anything. And do it well. Any good thing, I can do it. That’s why I am who I am, yes, because God loves me and I’m amazed at it. I’m grateful for it.” – Maya Angelou

33. “Who I am really keeps surprising me.” – Nikki Giovanni

34. “You the one in all, say who I am. Say I am you.” – Rumi

35. “I cannot be a teacher without exposing who I am.” – Paulo Freire

36. “I am one who has been acquainted with the night.” – Robert Frost

37. “I am one of those people who quite enjoys responsibility.” – Stuart Pearce

38. “I am nobody! Who are you? Are you a nobody, too? – Emily Dickinson

39. “I don’t think of myself as pretty. I am what I am.” – Isabeli Fontana

40. “He saved me from being somebody else. I could have been prime minister, I could have been a prostitute on the streets, but I am what I am and Bob has a lot to do with that.” – Rita Marley

41. “I know that I am what I am. But I am not sure what I am.” – Mason Cooley

I am who I am quotes from athletes

42. “I’ve been more content with just who I am.” – Kevin Durant

43. “I like to be myself, and I don’t pretend. For instance, I don’t dress up for occasions; I am what I am.” – Virat Kohli

44. “I am who I am because of the people who I grew up with and where I’m from.” ~ Tim Duncan

45. “I’ve always been big. I’m never going to be an underwear model. But I am who I am, and that has its advantages and disadvantages.”- CC Sabathia

46. “I’m not interested in trying to work on people’s perceptions. I am who I am, and if you don’t take the time to learn about that, then your perception is going to be your problem.” – Jim Brown

47. “I’m not ashamed of who I am.” – Terry Bradshaw

48. “My family is everything. I am what I am thanks to my mother, my father, my brother, my sister… because they have given me everything. The education I have is thanks to them.” – Ronaldinho

49. “I am what I am. I don’t regret anything.”- Kamaru Usman

50. “Brother, if I’m going to be a heel, I’m going to turn who I am, what I am, and what I’m gonna do. I love it.”- Jimmy Snuka

I Am Who I Am To Feel Comfortable About Yourself

51. “I am who I am, and I think I have a good nature, by and large. But if someone takes advantage of that good nature, well then, you know, I’m not that nice a guy.” — Tom Hanks

52. “My sexuality is not a phase. I am who I am.” — Cara Delevingne

53. “I have this firm belief that I am who I am for a reason. If I change something, I’m cheating myself of whatever it is I’m supposed to learn from my body.” — Carrie Ann Inaba

54. “I have a quality where I sort of scare people. But I am who I am.” — Nicolas Ghesquiere

55. “I like what I like, I am who I am, I know what I want to do, you know what I’m saying?” — Kevin Durant

56. “I am who I am and I am what I am. And it’s beautiful. And it’s okay even if it doesn’t look like the sexiest Victoria Secret model. It also boils down to my interactions with people.” — Evangeline Lilly

57. I am who I am and I’ll be me with pride.” — Patrick Kelly

58. I made a lot of bad choices, but on the other hand, I am who I am, and I’m proud of my work, and I’m proud of my family, and those are also the product of choices, including financial choices, that I made.” — Neal Gabler

59. “I’m nobody’s deputy. I am who I am. I’m my own person.” — Mike Lee

60. “We all bullet point our triumphs, but I am who I am because of everything you don’t see on my CV. The stuff that doesn’t work out teaches you how to trust your instincts and adapt.” — Aimee Mullins

61. “I don’t really have a New Year’s resolution to go on a diet or anything like that. I am who I am, and I don’t want to be somebody else.” ― Karolina Kurkova

62. “God defines himself as “I am who I am”, which also means: My being is such that I shall always be present in every moment of becoming.” ― Hans Urs von Balthasar

63. “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” ― Dr. Seuss

64. “I am who I am, and there is nothing I can do about that.” ― Emma Thompson

65. She (my ex-wife) wanted me to stop being Evel Knievel. I am who I am. I’m not going to change. I’ll settle down the day they put me in a six-foot pine box.” ― Evel Knievel

66. “I am who I am. There’s no facade. No put-on. And being voted sexiest doesn’t concern me. Maybe that’s the sexy part.” ― Gerard Way

67. “But I also enjoy life… the more scrutiny I am under, the more confident I become. I am who I am. I can’t do anything about it, and I love who I am.” ― Khloe Kardashian

68. “I am who I am. In the end, I feel that what I’m accountable for is doing a good job as a football coach.” ― Bill Belichick

69. “I think you have to take me for me. I am who I am.” ― Harry Styles

70. “I am who I am, I am what I am, I do what I do and I ain’t never gonna do it any different. I don’t care who likes it and who don’t.” ― Buck Owens

What did you learn from these I am who I am quotes?

In the book of Exodus, Moses has an encounter with a burning bush and asks “Who are you?”

The answer he received was “Ehyeh asher ehyeh “ which translated from Hebrew into American English, can mean “I am that I am” or “I am what I am.”

This idea of “I am who I am” applies to us today as well.

Each of us came to earth for our own unique experience.

We are who we are, and it does not serve our growth and development if we hide who we are or stray from being as much of ourselves as possible.

It is said that each of us together with all that is in creation makes up the universe.

Each of us was so important that creation made sure we happened.

We are all so needed that if we were to not exist, creation itself would not be complete.

Each of us completes creation.

We are who we are.

What’s your biggest takeaway from these I am who I am quotes and sayings?

Do you have any other favorite quotes to add?

Let us know in the comment section below.