Quote Of The Day By Diane Keaton: 'The More We Embrace What Our Own Feelings About Beauty Are...'

The late Diane Keaton was one of the most iconic actors of our time, beloved not only for her work on the screen but also for always staying true to herself. Keaton, who was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1946, rose to fame in the 1970s, with legendary films like "The Godfather" and "Annie Hall," the latter earning her an Academy Award for best actress. Of course, Keaton is also known for starring in several fan-favorite rom-coms, including 1996's "The First Wives Club" and 2003's "Something's Gotta Give."

Yet Keaton was more than just a movie star, having made an impact behind the scenes as a director, producer, and author of four books. More notably, the mother-of-two was also one of the first women to really defy Hollywood beauty standards, with her signature style famously consisting of menswear, turtlenecks, and minimal makeup. It's safe to say that Diane Keaton's transformation into a style icon was always full of authenticity. What's more, Keaton turned her insecurities into an iconic look, often wearing big, bold hats since she had a complicated relationship with her hair.

Keaton embraced her flaws and aging, and she was always honest about her insecurities too. The actor addressed not always loving what she saw in the mirror and the necessary challenging of beauty norms in her memoir, "Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty." Keaton sadly passed away in October 2025 of pneumonia, but her legacy lives on through the wisdom she left behind, which is why she's perfect as the author of our quote of the day.

Diane Keaton once said, "The more we embrace what our own feelings about beauty are, the more fun it's going to be for us as we go along." This was in 2014, when the "Baby Boom" star spoke with Vogue about her beauty routine and her take on aging gracefully.

When asked if she thinks there is an age at which you can accept the way you look, Keaton, surprisingly but honestly, answered, "No. I don't think so." She did, however, say that it doesn't matter so much, since life gets better in other ways because you finally start to notice beauty in other things. Keaton apparently realized, with age, that beauty can't be defined solely by someone's physical appearance, because it is actually so much more than that. It was a powerful epiphany from someone who grew up in front of the camera and who was admired by many generations for her confidence in her look.

As Diane Keaton got older, beauty became less about looking in the mirror and more about finding it in everyday things that she once overlooked. She gave the example of coming to admire sycamore trees once she became more present in the world. "All these things are reawakened by the fact that the more you change, the more you see differently. And the more you see differently, the more you're open to different kinds of beauty," she explained to Vogue.

Keaton felt that instead of obsessing over flaws and comparing yourself to unrealistic beauty standards, that time could be better spent finding beauty and joy elsewhere. It was a realization that came with age. "When I was young, I wanted my appearance to be more interesting than what surrounded me. Now the body part I like best is my eyes, because they bring beauty to me," she told Allure in 2014.

Keaton let go of other people's ideas of beauty and instead embraced her own. She had battled cancer twice at that point, probably realizing life is too short to waste precious time and energy on worrying about her appearance. It's an important message to take to heart, especially on days when we don't feel our best or if we are struggling with our self-esteem. Keaton knew that joy could be found in the beauty of the world around us, and that's true wisdom.

• "I never understood the idea that you're supposed to mellow as you get older. Slowing down isn't something I relate to at all. The goal is to continue in good and bad, all of it. To continue to express myself, particularly. To feel the world. To explore. To be with people. To take things far. To risk. To love. I just want to know more and see more."

• "A heroine is a woman who risks going too far in order to find out how far one can go for a cause greater than herself."

• "We can grow gracefully, or gorgeously. I pick both."

• "I don't want to be flashy, but I do want to dress myself with what I like."

• "Beauty is honestly a feeling to me. I hate the fact that people put beauty on a pedestal and try to remove it from the ordinary experience of life but that's all it is, it's moment to moment."

• "Don't give up on yourself. So you make a mistake here and there, you do too much or too little. Just have fun. Smile. And keep putting on your lipstick."