Kind words are basically my whole thing. This entire brand is one idea: print something kind on the back of a hoodie, where the person behind you in the queue can read it. So with World Kindness Day coming up on 13 November (a Friday the 13th this year, which for once feels like a good omen), I’ve rounded up 50 of the best kindness quotes going.
I’ve also checked who actually said them, because the internet has a habit of crediting everything to Plato or Mark Twain. Where nobody really knows, I’ve said so.
Short kindness quotes (for cards, captions and lunchbox notes)
- “Kindness is free. Sprinkle that stuff everywhere.” Anonymous
- “Throw kindness around like confetti.” Anonymous
- “Kindness is contagious. Start an outbreak.” Anonymous
- “One kind word can warm three winter months.” Japanese proverb
- “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” Origin unknown, though it’s been shared millions of times
- “Be the reason someone smiles today.” Origin unknown (and our No 4 message)
- “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” Anthony J. D’Angelo
Be kind quotes
- “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” The Dalai Lama
- “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” Usually credited to Plato, but the earliest version comes from Scottish writer Ian Maclaren in 1897
- “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
- “When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.” Dr Wayne W. Dyer, made famous by the book Wonder
- “Be kind to unkind people. They need it the most.” Anonymous
- “Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.” Jesse Jackson
Kindness quotes from famous people
- “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” Seneca
- “What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- “Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much.” Blaise Pascal
- “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust and hostility to evaporate.” Albert Schweitzer
- “How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it!” George Elliston
- “Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness.” George Sand
- “Kindness is the sunshine in which virtue grows.” Robert G. Ingersoll
- “If you want others to be happy, practise compassion. If you want to be happy, practise compassion.” The Dalai Lama
- “No one has ever become poor by giving.” Anne Frank
- “You can always give something, even if it is only kindness.” Anne Frank
- “Kindness, I’ve discovered, is everything in life.” Isaac Bashevis Singer
- “Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference.” Barbara De Angelis
- “Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle.” Charles Glassman
- “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” Often attributed to Mother Teresa
Quotes about small acts of kindness
My favourite kind of kindness, honestly. It doesn’t need a grand gesture, just a held door or a text to a mate.
- “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Aesop
- “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Desmond Tutu
- “There’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” Scott Adams
- “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” Mark Twain (yes, this one really is him)
- “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” William James
- “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” Anne Frank
- “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
- “A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” William Arthur Ward
- “Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.” H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Kindness quotes for kids
Good ones for the classroom wall, a lunchbox note or a bedtime chat. Most of them come from books and films kids already love, which helps.
- “Have courage and be kind.” Cinderella (2015)
- “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
- “If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” Roald Dahl, The Twits
- “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” Christopher Robin in the 1997 film Pooh’s Grand Adventure (not A.A. Milne, as it’s often credited)
- “Kind hearts are the gardens, kind thoughts are the roots, kind words are the flowers, kind deeds are the fruits.” Traditional rhyme, sometimes credited to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- “It’s not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.” L.R. Knost (this one’s for the grown-ups)
We also make kids’ tees and hoodies with a kind message on the back, including Little But Mighty, for anyone who’s ever been underestimated.
The kindness quotes we put on our clothes
Fair warning, this bit’s a little biased. These are the eight messages in our Signature Collection, each one printed big on the back of our hoodies and tees, so the person behind you gets them too.
- “Be Big. Be Bold. Be Kind.” No 1, where it all started
- “Good Days Are On Their Way” No 2, a gentle promise
- “Happiness Looks Good On You” No 3, a compliment you can wear
- “Be The Reason Someone Smiles Today” No 4, one small ask
- “You’re Doing Better Than You Think” No 5, my personal favourite
- “Smile Louder. Laugh Longer.” No 6, volume up on the good stuff
- “Carry Joy Everywhere You Go” No 7, take the good mood with you
- “Little But Mighty” No 8, small words, big energy
10 easy ways to be kind on World Kindness Day
Quotes are lovely, but kindness is really a doing word. A few ideas that take five minutes or less:
- Text someone you haven’t spoken to in ages, just to say you were thinking of them.
- Leave a good review for a small business you love. It means more than you’d think.
- Let someone go ahead of you in the queue.
- Tell a colleague they did a good job, and tell their manager too.
- Hide a kind note in a lunchbox, a coat pocket or a library book.
- Thank the bus driver, the cleaner or the delivery driver by name.
- Check in on the friend who always checks in on everyone else.
- Pay someone a compliment that has nothing to do with how they look.
- Donate a coat, a few tins or an hour of your time to a local cause.
- Be kind to yourself. Honestly, you’re doing better than you think.
Kindness quotes: quick answers
When is World Kindness Day?
World Kindness Day is on 13 November every year. It was started in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, and in 2026 it falls on a Friday.
Who said “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle”?
It’s usually credited to Plato, but there’s no record of him saying it. The earliest known version comes from the Scottish writer Ian Maclaren, in 1897.
What’s a good short kindness quote for a card?
Short and warm works best. “One kind word can warm three winter months” is lovely for a winter card, and “You’re doing better than you think” is perfect for someone who’s been having a tough time.
And if you’d rather wear your kindness than write it in a card, pick your message here.