I absolutely adore inspirational quotes, memes, or whatever you prefer to call them. Anyone who knows me would probably roll their eyes at this point. It’s like saying rain tends to make things wet! I have collected, written or shared many hundreds over the years but Kindness Quotes, in particular, have always held a special place in my heart.
Kindness makes the world a better place. I don’t know who first coined this phrase but for me, this is an unshakeable truth.
Has Kindness Become a Thing of the Past?
I was chatting with the year leader at my daughter’s high school recently and he said something that really struck me. He told me that he and his colleagues had noticed a surge in unkind behaviour among children of all ages.
This was not just in his school but across the board. It seems it’s no longer considered “cool to be kind”.
That got me thinking. Has kindness become a relic of the past? Are we so caught up in the hustle and bustle of modern life that we’ve forgotten the significance of simple acts of kindness? Gulp! Isn’t that the most scary thought?
You might be sitting there nodding along, thinking, no one seems to care anymore. You probably wouldn’t be alone in feeling that kindness has become a rare commodity.
I’m sad to say that I receive messages pretty regularly on my Facebook Page talking about unkind, uncaring people.
But I get tons of messages with heartwarming stories of people who have gone out of their way to be kind and supportive. People who have made a genuine impact in others’ lives. It’s pretty amazing.
When Was the Last Time You Witnessed a Truly Random Act of Kindness in Your Daily Life?
Imagine how happy I was to discover that this has also been demonstrated on a much grander scale. In 2021 The University of Sussex in partnership with BBC Radio 4 carried out a study dubbed “the world’s largest study on kindness”.
More than 60,000 people took part. The results were pretty reassuring, I have to say.
Three-quarters of people told us they received kindness from close friends or family quite often or nearly all the time. And when we asked about the most recent time someone was kind to them, 16% of people said it was within the last hour and a further 43% said it was within the last day. Whatever people’s age or wherever they lived, kindness was very common.
How great is that? If you’d like to read more about their fabulous findings, you can check out their article Ten things we learned from the world’s largest study of kindness.
The truth is, we can never really know what the people we encounter in our everyday lives are going through.
Let’s be honest, some of us have become masters of putting on a good front and masking our true feelings. Heck, I should probably win awards for some of my performances!
We Can All Make a Difference
But sometimes even the smallest act of kindness can make a huge difference to someone who is suffering. Or perhaps someone who is simply having a bad day.
I’m pretty sure we’ve all experienced moments when a small act of kindness brightened our day or when a lack of it left a lasting impact. I know I have.
It’s true that the world might not seem like it’s a very kind place at times. But if you’re reading this article I feel pretty safe in assuming you’d agree with me on something.
It’s down to every single one of us to do our very best to change that. Let’s go out there and make a positive impact on the lives of those around us. Do it today and every day. Be it a friend, family member or a total stranger, you never know how much the smallest act of kindness could mean to them.
So without further ado, here is the promised collection of 50 of the most inspiring kindness quotes. I hope you will share them far and wide and spread a little sunshine into the lives of your friends and family.
And do take a moment to let me know which is your personal favourite. I’d love to hear from you.
Always remember, with every act of kindness, we contribute to a more harmonious, beautiful world. Shine on kind souls. Together we can make a difference.
All my best, Lorri x
50 Kindness Quotes…
Remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.
Scott Adams
How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time.
Morgan Freeman
Some stranger somewhere remembers you because you were kind to them when no one else was.
Unknown
Friendships between women, as any woman will tell you, are built of a thousand small kindnesses…swapped back and forth and over again.
Michelle Obama
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
In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
Unknown
Most people need a hug or a hand to hold more than they need their problem fixed.
Elle Sommer
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
Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
In times when you feel like you have nothing of value to offer the world, offer a simple act of kindness, for that is the most valuable gift of all.
Lorri Faye
I think probably kindness is my number one attribute in a human being. I’ll put it before any of the things like courage or bravery or generosity or anything else.
Roald Dahl
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
Aesop
Because that’s what kindness is. It’s not doing something for someone else because they can’t, but because you can.
Andrew Iskander
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
Abraham Joshua Heschel
A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.
Amelia Earhart
If you see someone falling behind, walk beside them. If you see someone being ignored, find a way to include them. If someone has been knocked down, lift them up. Always remind people of their worth. One small act could mean the world to them.
Unknown
Sometimes it’s easy to lose faith in people. And sometimes one act of kindness is all it takes to give you hope again.
Randa Abdel-Fattah
Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.
Albert Schweitzer
Kindness can transform someone’s dark moment with a blaze of light. You’ll never know how much your caring matters. Make a difference for another today.
Amy Leigh Mercree
When words are both true and kind, they can change the world.
Buddha
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.
Dr. Seuss
I don’t what to know what you do, or what you have, I just want to know if you’re kind.
Elle Sommer
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
Dalai Lama
Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.
Henry James
No act of kindness is too small. The gift of kindness may start as a small ripple that over time can turn into a tidal wave affecting the lives of many.
Kevin Heath
Whatever you do today, do it with kindness, do it with compassion, do it with love.
Lorri Faye
Kind hearts are the gardens. Kind thoughts are the roots. Kind words are the blossoms. Kind deeds are the fruits.
Kirpal Singh
You can never know the ripple effect you create with one tiny gesture of kindness.
Elle Sommer
Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.
Desmond Tutu
I have found that it is the small everyday deed of ordinary folks that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.
J. R. R. Tolkein
Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out.
Frank A. Clark
What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.
Jane Goodall
If you have the power to make someone happy, do it. The world needs more of that.
Unknown
True beauty is born through our actions and aspirations and in the kindness we offer to others.
Alek Wek
We don’t have to agree on anything to be kind to one another.
Unknown
Your love and kindness won’t ever be wasted. They make a difference by blessing you and those who needed a little extra kindness today.
Elle Sommer
The world is full of kind people… If you can’t find one, be one.
Unknown
Happiness is the new rich. Inner peace is the new success. Health is the new wealth. Kindness is the new cool.
Syed Balkhi
Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change.
Bob Kerrey
Kindness is not an afterthought to our work. It is the driving power for everything we do. It is the lens we view every challenge through. To me, almost every problem you can think of can be solved with kindness.
Lady Gaga
Today you could be talking to someone who is trying their best not to fall apart. So whatever you do today, do it with kindness in your heart.
Unknown
But remember, boy, that a kind act can sometimes be as powerful as a sword.
Rick Riordan – from his book The Battle of the Labyrinth
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Unknown
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 can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.
Eric Hoffer
My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness. Continue to allow humor to lighten the burden of your tender heart.
Maya Angelou
The words of kindness are more healing to a drooping heart than balm or honey.
Sarah Fielding
A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money.
John Ruskin
Each person who delivers kindness stays with us forever.
Robin Sharma
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.
Wendy Mass
I truly hope you enjoyed this collection of Kindness Quotes. If so, I’m certain you’d also enjoy Elle Sommer’s recent post – 27 Quotes to Overcome a Lack of Self-confidence and Find Your Voice
1 Comment
What a beautiful thoughtful post Lorri. I am so heartened to see the study on kindness because we so need it in our world that is divided in so many ways.
I think my favorite quote is:
If you have the power to make someone happy, do it. The world needs more of that.
I love the simplicity of the words and the sentiments being expressed. If only more people were happy, wouldn’t our whole world be a happier place.
Thank you for your inspiring thoughts.