Some days the kindest thing anyone does for you is small. A coworker refills your coffee without asking. A stranger holds the elevator. A friend sends a text that just says, “Thinking of you.” It takes ten seconds, and somehow it changes your whole afternoon. These kindness quotes celebrate exactly that kind of everyday goodness, just in time for World Kindness Day on November 13 and the season of giving that follows it.
Every quote below comes from a real, checkable source: a play, a poem, a novel, a fable or a famous speech, with the work it comes from listed so you can look it up yourself. You will find Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, the March sisters and three wise voices from A Christmas Carol, all reminding us that kindness is never too small to count.
We grouped these 15 kindness quotes into three themes: the small acts that matter more than we think, kindness in the season of giving, and kindness toward everyone, every day. Each one has a colorful card made for Pinterest and a short note on what it means. If you love gentle reminders like these, you might also enjoy our quotes to brighten your day and these heartfelt Thanksgiving quotes.
Why Small Acts of Kindness Matter More Than You Think
World Kindness Day is an international observance held every year on November 13. According to its history, it was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, a coalition of kindness organizations from different nations. It lands right between Halloween and Thanksgiving, which makes it a perfect moment to slow down and notice the people around you.
Research suggests kindness is good for the giver, too. A 2018 review of 27 studies with 4,045 participants, led by researchers at the University of Oxford, found that performing acts of kindness gives a small to medium boost to the well-being of the person being kind. And in a 2022 study, people who gave away a cup of hot chocolate to a stranger in a Chicago park expected the recipient’s mood to be 2.7 on a scale from minus 5 to 5, while recipients actually reported 3.5. In other words, people underestimate how good their kindness makes others feel, and that can stop us from doing it more often.
So if you have been holding back a compliment or a thank you because it feels too small, send it anyway. It probably means more than you think. For a deeper look at why caring for others is good for you, read our guide on how compassion contributes to well-being.
15 Kindness Quotes to Warm Your Heart This Season of Giving
Kindness Quotes About the Small Acts That Matter
Start here if you have ever wondered whether your little efforts make a difference. These five quotes say yes, loudly and beautifully.
How far that little candle throws his beams!
So shines a good deed in a naughty world.William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act 5, Scene 1 (Portia)
Portia says this as she walks home at night and sees a single candle burning in her hall. One small light reaches surprisingly far in the dark. That is exactly how a kind word works on a hard day. You may never see how far it travels, but it does travel.
…that best portion of a good man’s life;
His little, nameless, unremembered acts
Of kindness and of love.William Wordsworth, “Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey,” from Lyrical Ballads (1798)
William Wordsworth believed the best part of a good life is not the big, famous moments. It is the little kindnesses nobody writes down: the coffee you brought a coworker, the text you sent a friend who was struggling, the extra minute of patience with your kids. They may be unremembered, but they are never wasted.
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.Emily Dickinson, Poems by Emily Dickinson (1890), “Life,” poem VI
This short poem may be the gentlest mission statement ever written. Emily Dickinson does not ask us to change the whole world. She asks us to stop one heart from breaking, ease one ache, help one tired robin home. On a busy week, one is enough.
…the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.
George Eliot, Middlemarch (1871 to 1872), Finale
These are the final words of Middlemarch, written about its heroine, Dorothea, whose goodness never made headlines. George Eliot reminds us that the world is quietly held together by people like her, and maybe like you: the ones who show up, help out and never ask for credit.
No one is useless in this world… who lightens the burden of it for any one else.
Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend (1864 to 1865), Book 3, Chapter 9 (the Secretary, John Rokesmith)
In Our Mutual Friend, Bella Wilfer tells the Secretary she is “useless enough in this world,” and he gently corrects her with this line. If you have ever felt like you are not doing enough, remember his answer. Lightening someone else’s load, even a little, is one of the most useful things a person can do.
Kindness Quotes for the Season of Giving
These quotes capture the generous spirit of the holidays, from the March sisters’ Christmas breakfast to Scrooge’s favorite boss. Read them as you start planning gifts and gatherings.
…a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843), Stave 1 (Scrooge’s nephew, Fred)
Scrooge’s cheerful nephew, Fred, defends the holidays with this beautiful description. It is the reason so many of us love this time of year. For a few weeks, people seem a little softer, a little more open and a little more willing to notice each other. Why not start a few weeks early?
The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843), Stave 2 (Scrooge, about Mr. Fezziwig)
Scrooge says this about Mr. Fezziwig, the generous boss he worked for as a young man. Fezziwig’s power, he explains, lies in “words and looks,” in things so small you cannot add them up. If you lead a team, this one is for you. A sincere thank you or a kind look can mean as much as a bonus.
That was a very happy breakfast, though they didn’t get any of it.
Louisa May Alcott, Little Women (1868), Chapter 2, “A Merry Christmas”
On Christmas morning the March sisters carry their own breakfast to a poor, hungry family, the Hummels. They come home with empty stomachs and full hearts. It is a sweet reminder that some of the happiest moments of the season come from what we give away.
The only gift is a portion of thyself.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Gifts,” from Essays: Second Series (1844)
Ralph Waldo Emerson says that rings and jewels are not really gifts, but the poet’s poem and the farmer’s corn are, because they carry part of the giver. Your time, your attention, your homemade pie or your handwritten note might be the most meaningful present on anyone’s list this year.
The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest,
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1 (Portia)
Portia’s famous speech is about mercy, and kindness is mercy’s close cousin. Her point is that a kind act blesses twice: once for the person who receives it and once for the person who gives it. Science agrees with her more than you might expect, as you saw above.
Kindness Quotes About Caring for Everyone, Every Day
Kindness is not only for the people we love most. These last five quotes stretch our hearts toward strangers, the overlooked and even the people we disagree with.
Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business.
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843), Stave 1 (Marley’s Ghost)
Jacob Marley’s ghost says this to Scrooge, regretting a life spent only on business. It is a strong line for anyone juggling deadlines, inboxes and holiday to-do lists. Your job matters, but so does the person in front of you. Charity, mercy, patience and goodwill are everyone’s business too.
I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow-men.Leigh Hunt, “Abou Ben Adhem”
In Leigh Hunt’s poem, a man named Abou Ben Adhem sees an angel writing a list of names. When he learns his name is not on it, he humbly asks to be written down simply as someone who loves other people. It is a lovely way to want to be remembered.
She is hungrier than I am.
Frances Hodgson Burnett, A Little Princess (1905), Chapter 13, “One of the Populace”
Sara Crewe, cold and starving herself, finds a coin in the street, buys hot buns and gives most of them to a hungry child outside the bakery. She says this to herself while she is already handing over the buns, and she keeps giving until five of her six are gone. It shows that kindness is not about having plenty. It is about seeing someone else’s need.
…now you know that it is possible for even a Mouse to confer benefits on a Lion.
Aesop, “The Lion and the Mouse,” from Three Hundred Æsop’s Fables, translated by George Fyler Townsend
After the Lion spares his life, the little Mouse later frees him from the hunters’ ropes by gnawing through them. Never underestimate what you can do for someone, even if you feel small next to their problems. And never underestimate the people who seem small to you.
With malice toward none, with charity for all…
Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address (March 4, 1865)
Abraham Lincoln spoke these words near the end of the Civil War, asking a divided country to heal. They are a powerful reminder for the holidays, too. Before you sit down with relatives who see the world differently, try bringing this spirit to the table: no malice, plenty of charity.
How to Use These Kindness Quotes
A good quote is a little nudge. Put it where you will see it, and it can turn into an actual kind act. Here are a few easy ideas for World Kindness Day and beyond:
- Start a kindness week at work. Share the Fezziwig card in your team chat on Monday and invite everyone to thank one colleague by Friday. It costs nothing and can lift the whole office.
- Tuck one into a lunchbox or card. The Emily Dickinson poem fits perfectly in a note for your child, your partner or a friend who is going through a hard time.
- Do one small act a day. Take Wordsworth at his word and try a week of “little, nameless” kindnesses: pay for someone’s coffee, let someone go first or leave a generous review for a small business you love.
- Give a gift of yourself. Inspired by Emerson, plan one homemade or handwritten gift this season. Our guide to writing a gratitude letter is a wonderful place to start.
- Bring Lincoln to the table. Before a big family dinner, read the Lincoln card to yourself and choose patience over winning the argument.
- Save them to Pinterest. Every card is sized for Pinterest, so you can pin your favorites to a kindness, holiday or inspiration board.
Want more ways to spread warmth this season? Try our ideas for putting gratitude into action, our Friendsgiving ideas for the friends who feel like family and our tips on how to reconnect with loved ones over the holidays. And remember that kindness includes you. If your calendar is already overflowing, our guide to avoiding holiday burnout can help you protect your peace.
If you are going through a painful season and kindness feels hard to find, please be gentle with yourself and consider reaching out to your doctor or a licensed mental health professional. In the US, you can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline anytime, day or night.
Which Kindness Quote Will You Share First?
Kindness does not have to be big, expensive or perfectly timed. It can be a small candle burning, a shared breakfast or a quiet word that lightens someone’s load. Like Portia’s little candle, it shines farther than you can see.
So tell us: which of these kindness quotes speaks to you the most this season? Save your favorite card, send one to someone who could use a lift and see how far your little light can travel this November.
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