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Daily Inspiration Quote by Jaclyn Smith

"You have to be reasonable with yourself and not feel guilty when things aren't perfect"

About this Quote

In a culture that sells perfection like a subscription service, Jaclyn Smith’s line reads like a small act of rebellion: stop treating your own life as a product launch. The key move is how she pairs “reasonable” with “guilty.” She’s not arguing for lower standards or a shrugging complacency; she’s targeting the moral sting we attach to falling short. “Guilt” is what turns a missed workout, a messy house, or an imperfect career pivot into a character indictment. Smith’s advice is basically: don’t prosecute yourself for being human.

Coming from an actress whose public image was built under relentless scrutiny, the context matters. Celebrity culture trains women especially to perform seamlessness: ageless beauty, effortless success, a body that never bloats and a mood that never sours. “When things aren’t perfect” nods to that impossible contract, but the sentence refuses to romanticize the hustle required to maintain it. The subtext is a boundary: your worth doesn’t rise and fall with optics.

The intent feels practical, even maternal, the kind of wisdom that survives because it’s usable. “Be reasonable” implies a negotiated peace with reality: setting expectations that account for fatigue, time, money, and grief. It’s not self-help glitter; it’s a permission slip to choose sustainability over performance. And in 2026, with burnout treated like a badge and “optimization” masquerading as self-care, that’s sharper than it sounds.

Quote Details

TopicSelf-Love
SourceHelp us find the source
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Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Smith, Jaclyn. (2026, January 16). You have to be reasonable with yourself and not feel guilty when things aren't perfect. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-have-to-be-reasonable-with-yourself-and-not-112845/

Chicago Style
Smith, Jaclyn. "You have to be reasonable with yourself and not feel guilty when things aren't perfect." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-have-to-be-reasonable-with-yourself-and-not-112845/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"You have to be reasonable with yourself and not feel guilty when things aren't perfect." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-have-to-be-reasonable-with-yourself-and-not-112845/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

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About the Author

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Jaclyn Smith (born October 26, 1947) is a Actress from USA.

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