If you look at the front page of any mainstream newspaper, you will be overwhelmed with the amount of ugliness, violence, and tragedy in the world.
But that’s not the whole truth. In Random Acts of Kindness, writer and journalist Rachel Greco insists that there’s equal amount of kindness and good, and much of it is the work of your neighbors, friends, coworkers, and people you’ve never met.
“Small acts of goodwill are everywhere,” she writes. “They’re powerful enough to change the world for the better.”
Why Read Motivational Quotes About Kindness?
Do you like reading about someone helping a person in need, an extraordinary community effort, a heroic act, or a touching relationship that inspires people? Well, you don’t have to read about it, you can make it a part of your everyday life.
Random acts of kindness inspire and lift people up. Some of them restore our faith in humanity. This is why I’ve put together this list of 100 best kindness quotes you need to read and, more importantly, put into practice as you go about your day.
100 Best Inspirational Quotes About Kindness to Improve Mindfulness and Make Our World a Better Place
- “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” —Aesop
- “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” —Stephen Grellet
- “A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” —William Arthur Ward
- “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” —Princess Diana
- “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” —Unknown
- “Kindness and faithfulness keep a king safe; through kindness his throne is made secure.” —King Solomon
- “No one has yet realized the wealth of sympathy, the kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure.” —Emma Goldman
- “To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.” —Confucius
- “We should respect all religions and just believe in peace, kindness and harmony.” —Ananya Panday
- “I’ve been searching for ways to heal myself, and I’ve found that kindness is the best way.” —Lady Gaga
- “Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” —Scott Adams
- “Working with Dudley Moore was so hilarious. I don’t know how we got anything done because everybody was laughing so hard, but he was such a wonderful man, and he had a kindness and a musicality and a dearness to him that was triumphant.” —Liza Minnelli
- “Kindness in ourselves is the honey that blunts the sting of unkindness in another.” —Walter Savage Landor
- “Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God—the rest will be given.” —Mother Teresa
- “I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.” —Khalil Gibran
- “Goodness is about character—integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people.” —Dennis Prager
- “That best portion of a man’s life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.” —William Wordsworth
- “Whatever possession we gain by our sword cannot be sure or lasting, but the love gained by kindness and moderation is certain and durable.” —Alexander the Great
- “Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.” —Barbara De Angelis
- “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.” —Albert Schweitzer
- “The true greatness of a person, in my view, is evident in the way he or she treats those with whom courtesy and kindness are not required.” —Joseph B. Wirthlin
- “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” —Franklin D. Roosevelt
- “When the norm is decency, other virtues can thrive: integrity, honesty, compassion, kindness, and trust.” —Raja Krishnamoorthi
- “What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” —Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- “Kindness is the sunshine in which virtue grows.” —Robert Green Ingersoll
- “You can be rich in spirit, kindness, love and all those things that you can’t put a dollar sign on.” —Dolly Parton
- “Transparency, honesty, kindness, good stewardship, even humor, work in businesses at all times.” —John Gerzema
- “We need more kindness, more compassion, more joy, more laughter. I definitely want to contribute to that.” —Ellen DeGeneres
- “Kindness in women, not their beauteous looks, shall win my love.” —William Shakespeare
- “For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” —Audrey Hepburn
- “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” —Lao Tzu
- “The words of kindness are more healing to a drooping heart than balm or honey.” —Sarah Fielding
- “Together we can change the world, just one random act of kindness at a time.” —Ron Hall
- “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” —Lucius Annaeus Seneca
- “We are constituted so that simple acts of kindness, such as giving to charity or expressing gratitude, have a positive effect on our long-term moods. The key to the happy life, it seems, is the good life: a life with sustained relationships, challenging work, and connections to community.” —Paul Bloom
- “Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.” —Theodore Isaac Rubin
- “Giving and receiving kindness are easy ways to feel good and to help others feel good too. People, organizations, and societies thrive when they are grounded in a culture of kindness.” —Vivek Murthy
- “We can all fight against loneliness by engaging in random acts of kindness.” —Gail Honeyman
- “Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness.” —George Sand
- “When you carry out acts of kindness you get a wonderful feeling inside. It is as though something inside your body responds and says, yes, this is how I ought to feel.” —Harold Kushner
- “Kindness is something that I feel is leaving us a little bit—people are getting more self-involved.” —Cobie Smulders
- “In human relationships, kindness and lies are worth a thousand truths.” —Graham Greene
- “Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.” —Henry Van Dyke
- “You can accomplish by kindness what you cannot by force.” —Publilius Syrus
- “Kindness is always fashionable, and always welcome.” —Amelia Barr
- “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” —Dalai Lama
- “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” —Saint Basil
- “Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.” —Og Mandino
- “Kindness and politeness are not overrated at all. They’re underused.” —Tommy Lee Jones
- “A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money.” —John Ruskin
- “Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.” —Marcel Proust
- “True beauty is born through our actions and aspirations and in the kindness we offer to others.” —Alek Wek
- “You don’t teach morals and ethics and empathy and kindness in the schools. You teach that at home, and children learn by example.” —Judy Sheindlin
- “Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.” —Eric Hoffer
- “It’s very important to choose kindness and stop bullying.” —Jacob Tremblay
- “A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve.” —Joseph Joubert
- “Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not.” —Samuel Johnson
- “I guess at the end of the day, all women like to be appreciated and treated with respect and kindness.” —Sofia Vergara
- “There is but One God. His name is Truth; He is the Creator. He fears none; he is without hate. He never dies; He is beyond the cycle of births and death. He is self-illuminated. He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning; He was True when the ages commenced and has ever been True. He is also True now.” —Guru Nanak
- “Just imagine how different the world could be if we all spoke to everyone with respect and kindness.” —Holly Branson
- “What we all have in common is an appreciation of kindness and compassion; all the religions have this. We all lean towards love.” —Richard Gere
- “If you do something with acceptance and kindness, you can create a true friendship.” —Dustin Lance Black
- “You can tell by the kindness of a dog how a human should be.” —Captain Beefheart
- “I call horses ‘divine mirrors’—they reflect back the emotions you put in. If you put in love and respect and kindness and curiosity, the horse will return that.” —Allan Hamilton
- “There’s no dearth of kindness in this world of ours; only in our blindness do we gather thorns for flowers.” —Grantland Rice
- “With all of the bad things that are happening in the world right now, I think we need a message of togetherness and true unity. I believe that starts with personal reflection and then we can find kindness toward each other.” —Marielle Heller
- “The influence of a mother upon the lives of her children cannot be measured. They know and absorb her example and attitudes when it comes to questions of honesty, temperance, kindness, and industry.” —Billy Graham
- “Detroit is a place where we’ve had it pretty tough. But there is a generosity here and a well of kindness that goes deep.” —Mitch Albom
- “There’s nothing so kingly as kindness, and nothing so royal as truth.” —Alice Cary
- “There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness, and generosity.” —Nathaniel Branden
- “Kindness, I’ve discovered, is everything in life.” —Isaac Bashevis Singer
- “Ask yourself: Have you been kind today? Make kindness your daily modus operandi and change your world.” —Annie Lennox
- “I make mistakes daily, letting generalizations creep into my thoughts and negatively affect my behavior. These mistakes have taught me that the first step to successfully choosing kindness is being more mindful about it, letting go of impatience and intolerance along the way.” —Daniel Lubetzky
- “Who knows where inspiration comes from? Perhaps it arises from desperation. Perhaps it comes from the flukes of the universe, the kindness of the muses.” —Amy Tan
- “Nothing is black or white, nothing’s ‘us or them.’ But then there are magical, beautiful things in the world. There’s incredible acts of kindness and bravery, and in the most unlikely places, and it gives you hope.” —Dave Matthews
- “If everyone took personal responsibility for their animals, we wouldn’t have a lot of the animal problems that we do. I’m a big spay-and-neuter supporter. Don’t have babies if you’re not going to take care of those babies. We don’t need more. We just need to take care of the ones we have. Take responsibility and breathe kindness.” —Betty White
- “Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindness, and small obligations given habitually, are what preserve the heart and secure comfort.” —Humphry Davy
- “Kindness is really important to me in finding my own prince—so are patience and a sense of humor. Without those qualities, he’s no Prince Charming!” —Anne Hathaway
- “I simply do not think that yelling, swearing, threatening or belittling will get you to the place you want to be faster than kindness, understanding, patience and a little willingness to compromise.” —Rachel Nichols
- “My religious philosophy is kindness. Try to be kind. That’s something worth achieving.” —Pierce Brosnan
- “I think the only way to return my followers’ kindness and show my appreciation for their support is to become a better actor—and to help people any way I can.” —Lee Min-ho
- “Not always actions show the man; we find who does a kindness is not therefore kind.” —Alexander Pope
- “A laugh, to be joyous, must flow from a joyous heart; for without kindness, there can be no true joy.” —Thomas Carlyle
- “I have understood that the most important things are tenderness and kindness. I can’t do without them.” —Brigitte Bardot
- “The impact of kindness cannot be understated.” —Cynthia Germanotta
- “There’s no dearth of kindness in the world of ours; only in our blindness do we gather thorns for flowers.” —Gerald Massey
- “Deliberately seek opportunities for kindness, sympathy, and patience.” —Evelyn Underhill
- “We need to see kindness and we need to see empathy and compassion. That’s something we need to see in leadership as well.” —Phil Dunster
- “It is only after one is in trouble that one realizes how little sympathy and kindness there are in the world.” —Nellie Bly
- “Every minute of every hour of every day you are making the world, just as you are making yourself, and you might as well do it with generosity and kindness and style.” —Rebecca Solnit
- “Authenticity, living your truth, kindness—these are necessary virtues.” —Merle Dandridge
- “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” —Tennessee Williams
- “Kindly words do not enter so deeply into men as a reputation for kindness.” —Mencius
- “I’m a big believer in acts of kindness, no matter how small.” —Liam Neeson
- “In Asian languages, the word for ‘mind’ and the word for ‘heart’ are the same. So if you’re not hearing mindfulness in some deep way as heartfulness, you’re not really understanding it. Compassion and kindness towards oneself are intrinsically woven into it. You could think of mindfulness as wise and affectionate attention.” —Jon Kabat-Zinn
- “Kindness is ever the begetter of kindness.” —Sophocles
- “Once you run current-account deficits, you depend on the kindness of strangers. This might be the beginning of the end of the American empire.” —Nouriel Roubini
- “I, for one, am profoundly grateful to feel the hand of God at work in my life. But at the beginning and end of the day, when my default setting is to show kindness and love to others, I never regret it. And to me, that is what faith is all about.” —Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick
- “When kindness has left people, even for a few moments, we become afraid of them as if their reason had left them. When it has left a place where we have always found it, it is like shipwreck; we drop from security into something malevolent and bottomless.” —Willa Cather
- “Unseasonable kindness gets no thanks.” —Thomas Fuller
- “An enemy to whom you show kindness becomes your friend, excepting lust, the indulgence of which increases its enmity.” —Saadi
- “The everyday kindness of the back roads more than makes up for the acts of greed in the headlines.” —Charles Kuralt
- “It’s not our job to play judge and jury, to determine who is worthy of our kindness and who is not. We just need to be kind, unconditionally and without ulterior motive, even—or rather, especially—when we’d prefer not to be.” —Josh Radnor
- “I feel no need for any other faith than my faith in the kindness of human beings. I am so absorbed in the wonder of earth and the life upon it that I cannot think of heaven and angels.” —Pearl S. Buck
- “And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve had more of a tendency to look for people who live by kindness, tolerance, compassion, a gentler way of looking at things.” —Martin Scorsese
- “This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” —Dalai Lama
Jon Kabat-Zinn Lovingkindness Meditation
Couple this list of best kindness quotes with Jon Kabat-Zinn guided meditation on lovingkindenss.
Final Thoughts on Powerful Be Kind Quotes
Despite what you read in the news, thousands of people are performing meaningful acts of kindness around the world. Every day. And I hope these positive quotes about doing good inspired you to join them. Complement with Random Acts of Kindness by Rachel Greco and Dete Meserve and then revisit 10 reasons why kindness is important in our life, 5 best books on random acts of kindness, 3 best books on lovingkindness meditation by Sharon Salzberg.
And for more inspirational quotes to improve mindfulness, be sure to check out these articles:
100 acceptance quotes to improve mindfulness
100 trust quotes to improve mindfulness
100 patience quotes to improve your meditation practice
100 non judgment quotes to improve mindfulness
100 letting go quotes to get unstuck and move on
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with Jon Kabat-Zinn guided meditation video and related links.
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I’m a freelance writer and mindfulness advocate behind this blog. What you see here is the combination of my three favorite things: reading, writing, and mindfulness. While you’re here, subscribe to my blog updates and gain access to free mindfulness resources for stress relief.
