Kindness Quotes: For Strangers, Work, Kids, & More

By Sukhman Rekhi, M.A.
​Reviewed by Tchiki Davis, M.A., Ph.D.

Whether you are in need of kindness yourself or want some guidance on how to be more kind, here are some wise words to get you started.

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In our homes, at our schools, within the cubicles of our office buildings, with our loved ones, or even just while walking down the street, no matter the location, we can all use and offer a sprinkle of kindness to others. Kindness is not just being nice to people. Being kind means to act with the intention of giving ourselves to others, whether it is by offering empathy, providing encouragement, or taking the time to show up when someone is in need. In the following sections, we will take a look at several spoken words from some wise folks about showing kindness in different contexts. 

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What Are Kindness Quotes Helpful For?

When life gets in the way and we find ourselves being overwhelmed with its challenges, it can be difficult to remember the importance of being kind to our fellow human beings and to ourselves. Worry not for in this article we will provide you with a list of quotes about kindness that can help boost you to be just a little bit kinder to the people around you. So without further ado, let’s get inspired. 

Short Kindness Quotes

Sometimes, we need kind words to remember on the go—short sentences that stick in our brains and appear when we need them. Here are some short kindness quotes you may choose to remember. 

• “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” - The 14th Dalai Lama.
  
• “A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” - Steve Maraboli
  
• “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people.”  - Franklin D. Roosevelt.
  
• “Always be a little kinder than necessary.” - James M. Barrie
  
• “To err on the side of kindness is seldom an error.” - Liz Armbruster
  
• “When words are both true and kind, they can change the world.” - Buddha
  
• “Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.” - Eric Hoffer
  
• “Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
  
• “Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.” - Jackie Chan
  

Kindness to Strangers Quotes

An act of kindness doesn’t always have to be given to the people in our lives that we love. Sometimes, it can be most meaningful when we give them to the people whom we owe nothing to. Here are some quotes about the kindness we can offer to strangers.

• “When you show kindness to another human being you start a ripple effect that has endless possibilities for the number of lives it can potentially impact.” - Germany Kent 
  
• “A man does not know whose hands will stroke from him the last bubbles of his life. That alone should make him kinder to strangers.” - Richard Selzer
  
• “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” - Philo of Alexandria 
  
• "Do not forget to be kind to strangers, for by doing so, some people have embraced Angels without knowing it." - Hebrews 13:2
  
• “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” - Mother Teresa.
  
• “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. 
  
• “There is something so powerful about the kindness that comes from a person you have never met. Someone who knows nothing about you, about your struggles or your pain. It is that unexpected kindness from a stranger that gives hope for humanity.” -Tuwalily
  
• “When we involve others in spontaneous acts of kindness, we go from being strangers to becoming a united team connected at the heart level.” - Molly Friedenfeld
  

Kindness Quotes for Kids

No age is too early to learn the importance of kindness. Do you have some little ones in your life that you’d like to share some kind words with? Here are some kindness quotes for kids you could try using. 

• “If you see someone without a smile, give them yours” - Dolly Parton
  
• “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” - Booker T. Washington
  
• “Kind words don’t cost much. Yet they accomplish much.” - Blaise Pasca
  
• “We are all neighbors. Be kind. Be gentle.” - Clemantine Wamariya
  
• “Never lose a chance of saying a kind word.” - William Makepeace Thackeray
  
• “Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.” - Maya Angelou
  
• “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” - Aesop 
  
• “We should model the kindness we want to see.” - Brené Brown
  
• “Be nice to strangers. Be nice even when it doesn’t matter.” - Sam Altman
  
• “There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” - Vincent Van Gogh
  

Kindness Quotes for Students and Teachers

School is a wonderful place to continue learning how to be kind and share compassion. Here are some kindness quotes for students and teachers to use in and out of their classrooms. 
​

• "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
• "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single minute before starting to improve the world." - Anne Frank
• "Being considerate of others will take your children further in life than any college degree." - Marian Wright Edelman
• "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou
• "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." - Desmond Tutu
• "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice." - Unknown
• "The very nature of kindness is to spread. If you are kind to others, today they will be kind to you, and tomorrow to somebody else." - Sri Chinmoy
• "Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up." - Jesse Jackson
• "Today will never come again. Be a blessing. Be a friend. Encourage someone. Take time to care. Let your words heal, and not wound." - Unknown

Kindness Quotes for Work

School is not the only place we can bring kindness to. Here are some quotes to remember or even share while you are at work. 

• “Kindness is the gateway to new relationships and opportunities.” - Adrienne Bankert
  
• "Transparency, honesty, kindness, good stewardship, even humor, work in businesses at all times." - John Gerzema
  
• “It is our special duty, that if anyone needs our help, we should give him such help to the utmost of our power.” - Cicero
  
• “Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.” - Charles Dickens
  
• "How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it!" - George Elliston
  
• “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
  
• “Be nice to people on your way up because you’ll need them on your way down.” - W. Migner
  
• “Nice is being polite to people; kind is connection with people.” - Adrienne Bankert
  
• “Kindness is the kingpin of success in life; it is the prime factor in overcoming friction and making the human machinery run smoothly.” — Andrew Chapman
  

Beautiful Kindness Quotes

Quotes can often be so inspiring that they can sometimes hold the power to move us deeply inside. Here are some beautiful quotes about kindness you may want to take some time to read. 

• “You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
  
• “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.” - Albert Schweitzer
  
• “Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are.” - Harold S. Kushner
  
• “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
  
• “Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle.” - Charles Glassman
  
• “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” - Lucius Annaeus Seneca
  
• “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 a passport that opens doors and fashions friends. It softens hearts and molds relationships that can last lifetimes.” - Joseph B. Wirthlin
  
• “There are two ways of spreading light: to be The candle or the mirror that reflects it.” - Edith Wharton
  
• “Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change.” - Bob Kerrey
  

Love and Kindness Quotes

Love and kindness are more interlinked than we may think. Here are some words of wisdom from folks who talk about the connection between love and kindness. 

• “Compassion isn’t about solutions. It’s about giving all the love that you’ve got.” - Cheryl Strayed. 
• “A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve.” - Joseph Joubert
• “What we all have in common is an appreciation of kindness and compassion; all the religions have this. Love. We all lean towards love.” - Richard Gere
• “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
• “The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.” - William Wordsworth
• “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” - Dalai Lama
• “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
• “Every act of kindness is a piece of love we leave behind.” - Paul Williams
• “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 
• “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” - Lao Tzu
• We can’t heal the world today, but we can begin with a voice of compassion, a heart of love, an act of kindness.” - Mary Davis

Kindness and Empathy Quotes

Showing kindness may often come from a place of empathy for many of us. Here are some quotes about how kindness and empathy can be coupled. 

• “Empathy is one of humankind’s prized possessions. Acts of consideration and kindness are inevitable when a person can mentally step into someone else’s shoes. Even if it’s just for a moment.”- Izey Victoria Odiase
• “I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.” - Maya Angelou
• “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” - Leo Buscaglia
• “Practicing kindness increases our ability to be empathetic. It helps keep our hearts open. And that, truly, is the best way to live.” - Kristi Bowman
• “There is no small act of kindness. Every compassionate act makes large the world.” - Mary Anne Radmacher
• “A child is not born with affection, adoration, and kindheartedness. A person accrues empathy and sympathy from experiencing our own pain.” - Kilroy J. Oldster
• “Empathy is simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of you’re not alone.” - Brené Brown

Video: Brené Brown on Empathy and Kindness

Here’s a video about showing kindness and being empathetic that many of you may be familiar with, but is so powerful that it is worth sharing once again. ​

Kindness Quotes by Famous People

You may have seen some cameo appearances by some star-studded folks in the quotes you’ve read so far. Here are more quotes from famous people that you may want to look over. 

• “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” - Ronald Reagan
  
• “You can be rich in spirit, kindness, love and all those things that you can’t put a dollar sign on.” - Dolly Parton
  
• “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” - Mark Twain
  
• “Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered, as a matter of course, just one kind word to another person.” - Mr. Rogers
  
• “No one is born hating another person…People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” - Nelson Mandela
  
• “One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession.” - Sophocles
  
• “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
  
• “A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.” - Amelia Earhart
  

Kindness to Yourself Quotes

And last, but not least—remember that while being kind to others is important, make sure you extend that same kindness to yourself, too. Here are some quotes about self-kindness. 

• “Kindness is loving yourself enough to love those around you.” - Raktivist
• Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others. - Christopher Germer
• “Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” - Louise L. Hay
• “Drop the people who do not value you, respect you. Life has infinite horizons. Accept yourself, love yourself, and move forward.” - Amit Ray
• “Be kind to your body, gentle with your mind and patient with your heart. Stay true to your spirit, cherish your soul and never doubt yourself. You are still becoming, my love, and there is no one more deserving of the nurturing grace of your love.” - Becca Lee
• “When you say, ‘Yes’ to others make sure you are not saying ‘No’ to yourself.” - Paulo Coelho
• “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” - Sharon Salzberg
• “Let go of the harsh self-judgment, and start replacing those with loving thoughts about yourself. Learn to be kind to yourself, and your outside world will change as well.” - Anita Moorjani
• “Learn to be kind to yourself. It’s hard to be happy when there’s always someone being mean to you.” - Christine Arylo

Articles Related to Kindness Quotes

​Want to learn more? Check out these articles:​​

• How to Be Kind: Examples, Tips, & List​
• Random Acts of Kindness: List of 99+ Ideas & Examples
• Words of Kindness: Definition, Examples & List
• ​Selflessness: Definition, Examples, & Quotes
• ​Gratitude Quotes: For Kids, Parents, Employees, & More
• Quotes of Encouragement: For Healing, Hard Times, & Inspiration​
  

Products Related to Kindness Quotes​

Here are a few items you can buy if you want more kindness quotes around you:

• ​Kindness Vinyl Wall Decal
• Really Good Stuff Acts of Kindness Double Cup Management System – Encourage Mindfulness, Acts of Kindness Among Students​
• ​Motivational Cards: 100 Inspirational, Kindness, Motivational and Quote Cards
• ​Kindness Posters for Classroom with Quotes

Books Related to Kindness Quotes​

If you’d like to keep exploring this topic, here are a few things you might be interested in.

• ​100 Quotes About Kindness, Inclusion and Diversity • Adult Coloring Pages: Adult Coloring Pages Celebrating Kindness, Diversity and Inclusion​
• Positively Kind: 52 Weeks of Guided Prompts, Acts of Service and Inspirational Quotes to Cultivate a Habit of Kindness
• The Little Pocket Book of Kindness: inspirational quotes and stories to inspire happiness, hope, and gratitude
• ​Throw kindness around like confetti: Inspirational quote journal​
• ​Throw Kindness Around Like Confetti: A Kindness & Inspirational Quote Coloring Book

Final Thoughts on Kindness Quotes

Take a moment to reflect on this reading. How did it feel to read over these quotes? Did any of these words catch your eye? Are there any quotes you wrote down to remember and recite later, perchance? In a world where the light can sometimes feel like it is dimming, we hope these words of kindness offered a bright spark to your day. As many of these quotes suggested, kindness is a domino effect. We hope you take the chance to show kindness to yourself and the people around you in hopes that a small act travels far and wide. 

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