Mae West Quotes on Men, Marriage, and More

Mae West was a legendary actress, singer, and playwright who spent seven decades in the spotlight. To dive into her unique perspective, check out the Mae West quotes below. 

What do you know about Mae West? 

Her professional career began as a Vaudeville performer at age 14. She spent years as a Vaudeville performer and then moved onto Broadway, participating in plays throughout the 1910s to the early 1930s.

In 1932, she landed her first role in a feature film: Paramount Pictures’ Night After Night. Throughout her long-term career, she acted in 12 different films. West was also a popular rock n’ roll singer as well as an established playwright.

Want to learn more about the life of Mae West? Read the quotes below. 

Don’t forget to also check out these Jhene Aiko quotes on creativity, self care and more.

Powerful Mae West quotes

1. “I believe that it’s better to be looked over than it is to be overlooked.” – Mae West

2. “Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often.” ― Mae West

3. “He who hesitates is a damned fool.” – Mae West

4. “Personality is the glitter that sends your little gleam across the footlights and the orchestra pit into that big black space where the audience is.” – Mae West

5. “It ain’t no sin if you crack a few laws now and then, just so long as you don’t break any.” – Mae West

6. “Love thy neighbor – and if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating, it will be that much easier.” – Mae West

7. “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” ― Mae West

8. “Virtue has its own reward, but no sale at the box office.” – Mae West

9. “Keep a diary, and someday it’ll keep you.” – Mae West

10. “Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly.” – Mae West

11. “You are never too old to become younger!” ― Mae West

12. “Everyone has the right to run his own life- even if you’re heading for a crash. What I’m against is blind flying.” ― Mae West

13. “Cultivate your curves – they may be dangerous but they won’t be avoided.” – Mae West

Relatable Mae West quotes 

14. “I generally avoid temptation unless I can’t resist it.” – Mae West

15. “To err is human, but it feels divine.” – Mae West

16. “Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before.” – Mae West

17. “I’m no model lady. A model’s just an imitation of the real thing.” ― Mae West

18. “I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure.” ― Mae West

19. “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.” – Mae West

20. “I only have ‘yes’ men around me. Who needs ‘no’ men?” – Mae West

21. “I never loved another person the way I loved myself.” – Mae West

22. “It’s hard to be funny when you have to be clean.” – Mae West

23. “I only read biographies, metaphysics and psychology. I can dream up my own fiction.” ― Mae West

24. “I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond.” – Mae West

25. “The score never interested me, only the game.” – Mae West

26. “I speak two languages, Body and English.” – Mae West

27. “When I’m good I’m very, very good, but when I’m bad, I’m better.” – Mae West

28. “Every man I meet wants to protect me. I can’t figure out what from.” – Mae West

Mae West quotes on men and women

29. “A man can be short and dumpy and getting bald but if he has fire, women will like him.” – Mae West

30. “A hard man is good to find.” – Mae West

31. “When women go wrong, men go right after them.” – Mae West

32. “Ladies who play with fire must remember that smoke gets in their eyes.” ― Mae West

33. “Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere.” ― Mae West

34. “A dame that knows the ropes isn’t likely to get tied up.” ― Mae West

35. “Don’t keep a man guessing too long – he’s sure to find the answer somewhere else.” – Mae West

36. “I’ve no time for broads who want to rule the world alone. Without men, who’d do up the zipper on the back of your dress? ” ― Mae West

37. “I have found men who didn’t know how to kiss. I’ve always found time to teach them.” ― Mae West

38. “Women like a man with a past, but they prefer a man with a present.” ― Mae West

39. “Men are my hobby, if I ever got married I’d have to give it up.” ― Mae West

40. “Women with pasts interest men because they hope history will repeat itself.” ― Mae West

Mae West quotes on love and dating

41. “Love isn’t an emotion or an instinct – it’s an art.” – Mae West

42. “Don’t cry for a man who’s left you–the next one may fall for your smile.” ― Mae West

43. “Save a boyfriend for a rainy day – and another, in case it doesn’t rain.” – Mae West
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44. “Look your best – who said love is blind?” – Mae West

45. “Getting married is like trading in the adoration of many for the sarcasm of one.” ― Mae West

46. “A woman in love can’t be reasonable – or she probably wouldn’t be in love.” – Mae West

47. “All discarded lovers should be given a second chance, but with somebody else.” – Mae West

48. “Marriage is a fine institution, but I’m not ready for an institution.” – Mae West

49. “I’m single because I was born that way.” – Mae West

50. “Love conquers all things except poverty and toothache.” – Mae West

More Mae West quotes and sayings

51. “Positive thoughts generate positive feelings and attract positive life experiences. You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West

52. “Your real security is yourself. You know you can do it, and they can’t ever take that away from you.” – Mae West

53. “If a little is great, and a lot is better, then way too much is just about right!” – Mae West

54. “It’s not the men in my life that count, it’s the life in my men.” – Mae West

55. “The best way to hold a man is in your arms.” – Mae West

56. “Flattery will get you everywhere.” – Mae West

57. “Give a man free hands, and you’ll know where to find them.” – Mae West

58. “Words should be used as tools of communication and not as a substitute for action.” – Mae West

59. “I freely chose the kind of life I led because I was convinced that a woman has as much right as a man to live the way she does if she does no actual harm to society.” – Mae West

60. “One and one is two, and two and two is four, and five will get you ten if you know how to work it.” – Mae West

Have you ever struggled to censor yourself? 

Mae West often dealt with censorship throughout her professional career from the film industry. As an actress and playwright, she was well-known for her edgy and sexually suggested dialogue. Her most distinguishable factors were heavily censored by The Motion Picture Production Code. With the Production Code constantly disrupting her vision, West became so frustrated that she took a 27-year break from the film industry. 

The concept of censorship is still a frequent discussion throughout our society, especially surrounding free speech. Despite who may be trying to censor you, we’re here to remind you that your ideas are valuable and your voice matters. 

Which of these Mae West quotes and sayings? Who should we feature next on Everyday Power? Tell us your thoughts below!