Janet Jackson quotes:

I'm no expert. I have no psychic powers, and I sure don't possess any secret wisdom. I'm just Janet. I have strengths, weaknesses, fears, happiness, sadness. I experience joy and I experience pain. I'm highly emotional. I'm very vulnerable.

By age seven, I used to comb my hair for performances, just pull my hair up into a bun. Granted, it wasn't a very intricate hairstyle. Still, to be that responsible and disciplined at age seven is unusual.

When I'm feeling down on myself or not feeling good about who I am, or maybe something happened and I'm feeling depressed, I eat to fill that void. Afterwards I'll beat myself up about it. I regret doing it, but I'll turn around and do it again.

Big sisters and brothers... I am telling you, it never changes.

Dreams can become a reality when we possess a vision that is characterized by the willingness to work hard, a desire for excellence, and a belief in our right and our responsiblity to be equal members of society.

I think it's been a little difficult at times for the audience, because they've told me they see me as a family member. So to see your little sister sing about sex... I think they are pretty used to it now.

As a child, I had to get up early for school or work. I'd get ready by myself. I'd set my alarm to wake me up very early in the morning, and be off to work, the family driver driving me every morning. I did it alone, my parents never coming in to wake me up.

People tend to put entertainers on pedestals. We're human beings, just like you. You may see us smiling, and whether we have money or not, we still have bills to pay, we still have our stresses. I think a lot of people want to focus on others' shortcomings to make themselves feel better. And it's a very sad thing.

In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you.

My parents are very competitive, so we are very competitive as kids. But it's a good kind of competition; it's not a jealousy. You always want to do your best, and if it can't be you, you want it to be your brother or your sister, you know what I mean?

In 1977, at age ten, I was cast on the TV sitcom 'Good Times.' My character was Penny, an abused child in desperate need of love. I really didn't want to do the show. I didn't want to be away from my family.

You get used to working with one choreographer. You kind of get stuck in that vein and you work your way out of it, picking up someone else's style, their flavor. It takes a bit of time.

To have someone to relate to and hopefully enjoy the music and get a positive message out of it, to make the best music that we possibly could, those were the goals.

Competition is great. And as long as it's friendly and not a malicious thing, then I think it's cool.

I kinda see everyone as competition. I'm a very competitive person. But I think that's good. Competition is great. And as long as it's friendly and not a malicious thing, then I think it's cool.

A lot of people who start work at a very young age never grow up because they never got that opportunity to be a child, so they hold on to that and still do a lot of childish, silly things.

I'm just trying to get used to living on a fixed income. Now, it's going to get unfixed.

In complete darkness, it is only knowledge and wisdom that separates us.

I always get bored with my hair. That's why I would always change it throughout my career.

I would hope my legacy would be bringing smiles to faces. Happiness with my music.

When I was younger, I thought you had to be in control of your own life. That takes a lot of discipline, hard work and focus. You just can't let it all fall by the wayside. Later on, I learned that God is really in control of everything. But you still have to put your best foot forward and be the best you can possibly be.

It has taken me most of my adult life to come to terms with who I am. To do that, I had to break free of attitudes that brought me down.

I'm flattered that other artists consider me a role model.

I don't have a lot of friends.

I was never pushed into the religion by my mother or anyone else. I made up my own mind when I was old enough. I am not a religious person, but I am spiritual.

I'd adopt. And I think that if I'm really supposed to have kids, it will happen, if that's God's plan for me.

I've always been a tomboy. I've always liked to wear red, black, and white, and mostly pants.

There are artists, true performers that have come before me who have been a big inspiration to me. I hope I do the same for others.

People can have rhinoceros skin, but there's a point when something's going to hurt you.

I wanted to be on my own and get out of the house. We were the kind of kids that - we - obeyed our parents. If they said no, you don't ask why.

I'm happy with the people that I have around me. And they've been friends of mine since I was young, for a very long time.

You get yourself up for it somehow, and your endurance and the crowd gets you up, too.

Being on 'Good Times' was the first time I was around a group of people that wasn't my family.

Every body type is different - that's what makes you unique. What makes you special is you, and you are different from the next person.

Control meant not only taking care of myself but living in a much less protected world. And doing that meant growing a tough skin.

I like to collaborate on my music. The creative process is fun, and you get a lot of ideas from having discussions about it. Ultimately, the final decision is mine.

I get so much energy from the fans.

I feel everyone is put here for a reason. Everyone has a calling. I always thought my real calling was to help other people.

Touring is very grueling. It's very taxing on the body and living out of your suitcase, going from city to city, night after night. It's a tough job.

I believe in a higher power. I believe in inspiration.

You can tell someone who doesn't have love in their life, then someone who is in love.

I'm scared to fall in love, afraid to love so fast, cuz everytime I fall in love, it seems to never last.

That's always - that's been another dream of mine, to do a Broadway play. An award winning Broadway play.

I have a pretty bad temper. But you have to really push me to see it. But everybody has their things.

I'm convinced that we Black women possess a special indestructible strength that allows us to not only get down, but to get up, to get through, and to get over.

My dad taught us that there's no greater distance than that between first and second place.

My first crush was Barry Manilow. He performed on TV and I taped it. When no was around I'd kiss the screen.

To a world sick with racism, get well soon.

Believe in yourself. Have faith in yourself because no one else is going to...

I was a very quiet kid. A really sweet kid, I might add.

I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.

I am the baby in the family, and I always will be. I am actually very happy to have that position. But I still get teased. I don't mind that.

I think it's great if a guy has a good sized package.

I am not a religious person, but I am spiritual. But I don't believe in things like guilt.

I have a very strong family.

People do see me as sweet and innocent. Not to say that I am not those things. But I have other sides to me.

If I wasn't singing, I'd probably be, probably an accountant.

My first crush was Barry Manilow. He performed on TV and I taped it. When no one was around I'd kiss the screen.

I was very independent growing up, but there were things that were bothering me that I never told anybody. I would talk to our animals at home.

No word is absolutely wrong or dirty or insulting. It all depends upon context and intention.

I've never been one for keeping a journal, so my songs were my journals. They allowed me to express my feelings and let people know what was going on with me. I knew that somebody would relate.

There is a moment when you get older when your metabolism slows down and you don't feel like working out any more, so you don't want to keep yourself fit any more, but that's your decision. Why should you be judged for it?

We're all driven to premieres or nightclubs and seen the rope separating those who can enter and those who can't. Well, there's also a velvet rope we have inside of us, keeping others from knowing our feelings.

When I gained weight in 2005, my nutritionist was very worried. I was close to having diabetes.

I'm a very competitive person. But I think that's good.

I like myself a lot more than I used to. I had a very difficult time in my twenties especially. It was hard for me to look in the mirror and find something that I liked about myself.

I'm fine the way I am. There's nothing wrong with me.

I think people really connect with the idea of someone who's gained and lost weight in this very public way, and also someone who's an emotional eater.

Another side to me is this very sexual being. When I look back on my life, it's always been there. It's been there since I was 10 years old, having the imagination that I had.

I can be happy with who I am, not what I should be, or what I might have been, or what someone tells me I must be.

I don't believe in luck. ... It's persistence, hard work, and not forgetting your dream.

I'll meet a guy now, and the next thing I know they'll be sweating and their hands will be shaking. And I feel so bad - I don't even know what to say to them. Then there are other guys who come on too strong, and they're just all over you. The nice ones are the ones who are in-between - the ones who aren't scared and who aren't all over you.

The greatest achievement to any human being is to love God, yourself, and others.

I'm shy, although I'm not shy with my friends and family.

The pain is necessary. Sometimes pain is the teacher we require, a hidden gift of healing and hope.

I feel most people's sexuality is enormously complicated. That's what it means to be human. Wouldn't it be great if we honored that complexity rather than turn it into gossip or ridicule? Wouldn't it be great if we accepted sexual diversity, in ourselves and others, without condemning it?

You can never be happy until you understand why you're doing what you're doing.

I have so much more confidence in myself now than I ever did before.

Theres nothing more depressing than having everything and still feeling sad. We must learn to water our spiritual garden.

When I finally make up my mind that I want to do something, it's never been hard for me to do.

I wanted to be a jockey. I'm serious. First time I got on a horse, I loved it. That's what I wanted to be, but my dad asked me to start performing with my family.

The only thing that bothers me is that the girls come up to me and say, "I'm dating your ex-husband." I'm happy that he's dating girls and getting out...

I love you - but don't touch me.

I've never tried pot; I've never tried anything.

I have met Mariah before and she's really cool and so funny. Everyone has been given the wrong impression of her, and maybe it is her doing. But you have to remember that celebrities are always in the spotlight and are sometimes forced to conduct themselves in a different way than they normally do. That's how it is in the business. I have met artists who are real divas, but Mariah Carey is not one of them. She is a very sweet person, and what nobody sees off camera is the real person she is on the inside.

It's very hard trying to have love and a career at the same time. For those who can, great, but I can't.

You dont have to hold on to the pain, to hold on to the memory.

Just like Marilyn Monroe is a lot of girls' idol, that's how I feel about Dorothy Dandridge. And she any Marilyn were very close friends. She went through a lot, and people told her that she couldn't do certain things, but she didn't let that bother her. She said in her mind that she was going to do them and that nothing was impossible, and she did it. It was so sad... She died from drugs, and drinking as well.

I don't see anything wrong with staying young looking as long as you can.

You can't worry about pleasing other people; you have to please yourself.

I like to have a lot of fun. I just don't see myself as being sexy. It's more sass - more attitude - than sex.

I like to read. Autobiographies.

I work with a lot of different charities, and by that I don't mean merely by giving money, but by really getting involved hands-on. I've always said that one of the reasons why I was put on this Earth was to help people. That's something I've always enjoyed both here in America and if I have the opportunity when I'm traveling out of the country. For example, I like to visit orphanages to spend time with the children. That's very important to me.

I was raised with a ton of brothers and sisters where, obviously, the music running in and out of the house was very eclectic. So, I had a lot under my belt by the time I grew up. It all depends upon the mood that I'm in, the space that I'm in and what I'm feeling at that moment. But definitely!

You have to feel good about yourself.

If people want to know the truth, why don't they just come to me and ask?

My first name ain't baby, it's Janet, Miss Jackson if you're nasty

It is my belief that we all have the need to feel special. It is this need that can bring out the best in us, yet the worst in us.

I was sheltered, and there's good and bad to that. The good was not getting into the drugs and the alcohol and the really sorry stuff, and the bad was finally coming out into the real world and trying to deal with it, which was hard for me.

There are people that regardless of what it is, if it's something that's stressful, whatever it may be, they don't eat, they lose a lot of weight, a divorce, they get real thin. I'm the opposite.

Bound together by our beliefs, we are like minded individuals, sharing a common vision, pushing toward a world rid of color lines.

Too many lives go up in smoke - It's nice to laugh but don't be the joke.

Add to the world's confusion, we teach our kids rules that we don't adhere to ourselves.

I can be an emotional eater.

I feel that when two people are married - not that you have to totally give up your career - you have to spend time with one another, get to know each other more, just share things with each other.

That's a part of me going back to what I used to do.

It was the Control album that was really about what I wanted to do.

That's what I think I am: a lot of fun - a lot of fun to be with.

I've talked about sex a great deal in my music for a great while now. I feel very comfortable with it.

I truly felt that was going to be my last tour. So here we are again and I'm saying this will probably be my last tour. That's truly the way I'm looking at it.

When I do get married again, I'm just going to take time off.

I can feel your body pressed against my body. When you start to poundin', love to feel you throbbin'.

I was out once and had wine and I got sick to my stomach, and I vowed I would never drink again.

I still have certain goals that I want. Grammies... Other awards... an Oscar one day...

I've never been into what am I going to do next, trying to reinvent myself.

I had a pretty sexual imagination for a kid.

Food has always brought me comfort and the bingeing is triggered when I'm in a space that is not positive.

Ever since I was little, I loved to eat. I started eating when I wasn't hungry. My weight has always been up and down.

When you hear bad things about yourself, just put your energies into something else; it's no good crying about it. Just put it into your music - it'll make you stronger.

I was two when we left Indiana, and I don't really remember it that well.