Positive News

Published December 27, 2025

Many of us spend our lives searching for happiness, thinking it comes from material things like fancy cars or the latest gadgets. We chase these items, believing they hold the key. Yet, sometimes, achieving these goals can leave us feeling empty. So, where can we find true happiness?

There isn’t a single answer that works for everyone. Happiness is a personal journey, and its meaning is different for each of us. It’s not something you find, but something you create through your actions and mindset. The way you live your life has a direct impact on your joy and the joy of those around you.

If you’re looking for a place to start, this simple guide can help you build a more fulfilling life.

A Practical Guide to Everyday Happiness

Live Within Your Means

True contentment doesn’t come from accumulating debt. You can find joy without financial strain by simply spending what you can afford. Remember, many of the most valuable experiences in life, like spending time with loved ones or enjoying nature, are free.

Return What You Borrow

Trust is a cornerstone of any healthy relationship. When you return items you’ve borrowed, you show respect and reliability. This simple act strengthens bonds and builds a reputation as a trustworthy person.

Take Responsibility for Your Actions

Blaming others is an easy way out, but it rarely solves problems. When you point a finger at someone else, it’s often a way to avoid looking at your own role. Owning your actions, both good and bad, is a powerful step toward personal growth and maturity.

Admit When You Are Wrong

Everyone makes mistakes; they are a natural part of learning and growing. The important thing is to acknowledge when you’ve made an error and be willing to make it right. Humility and the courage to admit fault are signs of strength, not weakness.

Donate Clothes You No Longer Wear

Those clothes sitting in the back of your closet could bring warmth and comfort to someone in need. Instead of letting them gather dust, consider donating them to a local shelter or soup kitchen. The feeling of helping others brings a unique and lasting happiness that material possessions cannot match.

Do Good Deeds Quietly

Consider doing something kind for someone without seeking recognition. Helping others because it’s the right thing to do, not for public praise, makes the act more meaningful. True generosity comes from the heart, not the desire for an audience.

Listen More and Talk Less

You can learn so much about the world and yourself by truly listening to others. When you take the time to understand different perspectives, you open yourself up to new ideas and deeper connections. It can transform how you see things and enrich your own life.

Take a 30-Minute Walk Each Day

A daily walk does more than just benefit your physical health. It provides a chance to clear your mind, think more clearly, and process your thoughts. Studies have shown that regular physical activity, like walking, can also be effective in reducing symptoms of depression.

Strive for Excellence, Not Perfection

It’s healthy to want to do your best, but chasing perfection is an impossible goal that often leads to frustration. Allow yourself the grace to be human. It’s okay to fail or fall short sometimes. What matters most is that you gave it your best effort.

Be on Time and Keep Your Word

Punctuality is a simple yet powerful way to show respect for others. It communicates that you value their time as much as your own. When you are consistently on time and avoid making excuses, people learn they can count on you.

Get Organized Instead of Arguing

Arguments often waste time and energy, leaving everyone involved feeling upset and stressed. Instead of engaging in conflict, focus on finding organized solutions. A calm, structured approach is more productive and leads to better outcomes for everyone.

Be Kind, Especially to Those Who Aren’t

Treat everyone with kindness, even those who may not be kind to you. You never know what personal battles someone is facing. A little compassion can go a long way and might be exactly what that person needs.

Make Time for Solitude

Spending time alone isn’t about being lonely; it’s about reconnecting with yourself. Solitude gives you the space to gather your thoughts, reflect on your life, and understand yourself on a deeper level. It’s a necessary practice for self-awareness and peace.

Published December 18, 2025

Kindness can feel like a superpower. A single thoughtful act has the power to turn a bad day around, give hope when someone feels lost, and remind us that we’re all connected. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture that costs a lot of money or takes hours of your time. Often, the smallest things make the biggest difference.

Think of kindness like a little spark. It can light up someone’s world, and you never know how far that light will travel. It’s a choice we get to make every single day. If you’re looking for ways to spread a little more goodness, you’ve come to the right place.

Here are some simple, random acts of kindness you can try today.

Everyday Acts of Kindness

These are small things you can weave into your daily routine.

1. Encourage someone who looks down. A simple, “You’ve got this,” can mean the world to someone who is struggling.
2. Say “please” and “thank you.” These simple words show respect and appreciation. When you say them, look the person in the eye and really mean it.
3. Hold the door open for someone. It’s a small, classic gesture that says, “I see you.”
4. Don’t interrupt when someone is talking. Giving someone your full attention makes them feel heard and valued.
5. Give an honest compliment. Notice someone’s great idea in a meeting or how they handled a tough situation? Tell them. Specific compliments are incredibly powerful.
6. Ask someone how they are—and truly listen. Don’t just accept “I’m fine.” Ask a follow-up question and give them space to share what’s really on their mind.
7. Make someone laugh. Share a funny story or a silly joke. Laughter is a wonderful way to connect and lift spirits.
8. Be kind to yourself. You deserve kindness too. Take a break, forgive yourself for a mistake, or celebrate a small win.
9. Put your shopping cart back. It’s a simple act of tidiness that makes things easier for employees and other shoppers.
10. Return something you borrowed. Bring it back in the same or better condition than when you received it.
11. Talk to someone new. Whether at school, work, or in your community, striking up a conversation can make someone feel included.
12. Stop to let a pedestrian cross the street. A little patience makes the road safer and less stressful for everyone.
13. Learn the names of people you see every day. Greet your security guard, barista, or mail carrier by name. It shows them they are more than just a part of the background.
14. Give someone the benefit of the doubt. We rarely know the full story of what someone is going through. Assume they have good intentions.
15. Take a day off from complaining. Try to focus only on the positive for 24 hours and see how it changes your perspective.

Kindness in Your Community

Look for opportunities to help those right in your neighborhood.

1. Volunteer for a cause you believe in. Giving your time is one of the most valuable things you can offer.
2. Pick up trash you see on the sidewalk. Taking pride in your community keeps it beautiful for everyone.
3. Donate things you no longer use. Your old clothes, books, or furniture could be exactly what someone else needs.
4. Help an elderly person with their groceries. Offer to carry their bags to their car or home.
5. Offer your seat on a crowded bus or train. Give your spot to someone who is pregnant, elderly, or looks like they’ve had a long day.
6. Plant a tree or start a small garden. It’s a gift to the environment and to future generations.
7. Cook an extra portion of your meal. Share it with a neighbor who is going through a tough time or living alone.
8. Help a sick or stray animal. Take it to a local shelter or vet to get the care it needs.
9. Pay for a veteran’s meal or coffee. It’s a small way to thank them for their immense service to our country.
10. Donate food to a local soup kitchen. A can of soup or a box of pasta can become part of a warm, comforting meal for someone in need.
11. Carry around pet food for stray dogs and cats. A small meal can make a huge difference for an animal living on the streets.
12. Keep an extra umbrella at work. Lend it to a coworker who gets caught in an unexpected rainstorm.
13. Take a minute to give someone directions. Even if you’re in a hurry, a moment of your time can save someone else a lot of stress.
14. Help someone for free. Offer your skills, whether it’s fixing a computer, proofreading a resume, or helping someone move a heavy box, without asking for anything in return.
15. Donate your hair after a haircut. Organizations can use it to create wigs for patients who have lost their hair during medical treatments.

Digital Acts of Kindness

In our connected world, you can be kind with just a few clicks.

1. Post something positive online. Share an inspiring quote, a beautiful photo, or a happy news story to brighten up your followers’ feeds.
2. Leave a positive comment on a post. Go beyond just a “like” and write something encouraging or appreciative.
3. Write a glowing review for a small business. Your kind words can help a local shop or restaurant attract new customers.
4. Reach out to a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. A simple text message asking, “How have you been?” can rekindle a connection and show you care.
5. Share a creator’s work and give them credit. Help someone’s art, music, or writing find a new audience.
6. Thank a service professional online. If you received great customer service, find the company on social media and give that employee a public shout-out.
7. Send an encouraging email. Brighten a coworker’s or friend’s inbox with a message of support.

Kindness to Friends & Family

Show the people closest to you how much they mean.

1. Be a friend who listens without judgment. Sometimes, people just need a safe space to talk.
2. Tell someone you love, “I love you.” Don’t assume they already know. Say it often.
3. Let people have their moment. When a friend achieves something, let them enjoy the spotlight instead of sharing your own accomplishments.
4. Allow someone to help you. Accepting kindness from others is an act of kindness itself. It makes them feel needed and valued.
5. Share a great book you’ve just read. Pass on a story that moved you.
6. Give someone a chance. An opportunity can be the one thing a person needs to change their life.
7. Tell the truth with compassion. Honesty is important, but delivering it with gentleness can make all the difference.
8. Reach out to someone going through a tough time. Your support can be a lifeline.

Published October 16, 2025

The “pursuit of happiness” is a right guaranteed in the United States Declaration of Independence, but what does it really mean to chase it? The definition of happiness itself is different for everyone.

For some, it might mean financial freedom. Yet, we know that wealth doesn’t always equal contentment. For others, happiness is found in small, daily actions, like making someone else smile or living each day to its fullest. This journey is personal, and the path is unique for each of us.

To offer some perspective on this universal quest, here is a collection of insightful quotes about the pursuit of happiness.

Pursuit of Happiness Quotes

1. Very little is needed to make a happy life. It is all within YOURSELF in your way of thinking. – Marcus Aurelius
2. The Constitution only guarantees you the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. – Benjamin Franklin
3. Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination. – Roy Goodman
4. The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase: if you pursue happiness you’ll never find it. – Carrie Snow
5. Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits. – Thomas Jefferson
6. If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have a paradise in a few years. – Bertrand Russell
7. To live happily is an inward power of the soul. – Aristotle
8. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow. – Buddha
9. The purpose of our lives is to be happy. – The 14th Dalai Lama
10. Positivity, confidence, and persistence are key in life, so never give up on yourself. – Khalid
11. Happiness is found in doing, not merely possessing. – Napoleon Hill
12. I think the pursuit of happiness is the pursuit of reality because illusion never leaves us ultimately happy. – Parker Palmer
13. Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence. – Aristotle
14. Action may not bring happiness but there is no happiness without action. – William James
15. There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things that are beyond the power of our will. – Epictetus
16. Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. – Mohandas Gandhi
17. It takes great wit and interest and energy to be happy. The pursuit of happiness is a great activity. One must be open and alive. It is the greatest feat man has to accomplish. – Robert Herrick
18. Some people cause happiness wherever they go, others whenever they go. – Oscar Wilde
19. Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is. – Maxim Gorky
20. There’s no more powerful lesson than knowing that your setbacks will one day help you succeed. – Reshma Saujani
21. Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it. – Groucho Marx
22. Success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success. – Herman Cain
23. Essentially pursuit of happiness is saying, everything’s allowed until we come down on it. – Howard Rheingold
24. It is not in the pursuit of happiness that we find fulfillment, it is in the happiness of pursuit. – Denis Waitley
25. Ironically, the pursuit of happiness can lead us into the eternal trap of chasing unhappiness. – Justin Kan
26. If you so choose, even the unexpected setbacks can bring new and positive possibilities. If you so choose, you can find value and fulfillment in every circumstance. – Ralph Marston
27. The high road and positivity is never the easy way but always the best way. – Nancy Wilson
28. It is the pursuit of happiness that brings us happiness, and not the happiness achieved. – Jack White
29. Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy. – Guillaume Apollinaire
30. Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities. – Aldous Huxley
31. A happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life, for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy dare live. – Bertrand Russel
32. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. – Thomas Jefferson
33. Remember to pause and take in the beauty of the present moment in your pursuit of happines – Shree Shambav
34. Happiness doesn’t mean checking all the boxes, Happiness means to stop putting life in boxes. – Abhijit Naskar
35. Happiness never lays its finger on its pulse. – Adam Smith
36. The true pursuit of happiness is in the discovery of who you are, what you’re made of, and who you’re meant to be. – Mandy Hale
37. Stop chasing the money and start chasing the passion. – Tony Hsieh
38. The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness. – Eric Hoffer
39. For many men, the acquisition of wealth does not end their troubles, it only changes them. – Seneca
40. Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination. – Mark Twain
41. Do not look for happiness in the same place you lost it. – Anonymous
42. Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning of happiness or have gone stark raving mad. – Norm Papernick
43. Be happy with what you have. Be excited about what you want. – Alan Cohen
44. Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like. – Anonymous
45. Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. – Earl Nightingale

Quotes from the “Pursuit of Happyness” Movie

When discussing the pursuit of happiness, it’s hard not to think of the film “The Pursuit of Happyness.” Based on the true story of a man who went from homeless to a wealthy entrepreneur, the movie is a powerful source of inspiration. Its plot and emotional scenes offer many memorable quotes about life and the chase for happiness. Here are some of them:

1. The balance in your life is more important than the balance in your checking account.
2. The money thing will come. I know so many people who have so much more money than I. They are miserable. It is so important to be happy.
3. It’s okay to fail; it’s not okay to quit.
4. I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.
5. Don’t just talk that talk, walk it and go forward. Also, the walk didn’t have to be long strides; baby steps counted too. Go forward.
6. Always, always, pursue happiness.
7. It can be done, but you have to make it happen.
8. Others may look for all kinds of ways to diminish your worth. But what is inside you no one can take from you or tarnish.
9. Wealth can also be that attitude of gratitude with which we remind ourselves everyday to count our blessings.
10. There is no plan B for passion.
11. Don’t ever let someone tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you got to protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period.
12. I was homeless, but I wasn’t hopeless. I knew a better day was coming.
13. The world is your oyster. It’s up to you to find the pearls.
14. Strong people stand up for themselves. Stronger people stand up for others.
15. I am strong because I’ve been weak. I am fearless because I’ve been afraid. I am wise because I’ve been foolish.
16. Claim ownership of your dreams.
17. You can only count on yourself. The cavalry ain’t coming.
18. The secret to success: find something you love to do so much, you can’t wait for the sun to rise to do it all over again.
19. It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?
20. The future was uncertain, absolutely, and there were many hurdles, twists, and turns to come, but as long as I kept moving forward, one foot in front of the other, the voices of fear and shame, the messages from those who wanted to believe that I wasn’t good enough, would be stilled.

Published Sept 30, 2025

The word “charity” often brings to mind grand gestures and large donations. While financial support is vital, the true meaning of charity is much broader. It’s about the voluntary act of helping those in need and showing kindness and tolerance in our daily lives.

Many believe you need to be wealthy to be charitable, but that simply isn’t true. The size of the gift does not measure charity, but by the love and intent behind it. It’s found in small, everyday actions: welcoming a stranger, helping someone across the street, or simply making another person feel seen and valued.

Practicing charity enriches our own lives as much as it helps others. Let these quotes inspire you to find ways, big and small, to make a difference and encourage others to do the same.

On the Joy and Impact of Giving

Giving doesn’t just help the receiver; it brings immense fulfillment and purpose to the giver. These quotes explore the profound joy that comes from sharing what we have with others.

1. “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill
2. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
3. “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” – Maya Angelou
4. “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” – John Bunyan
5. “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” – Mother Teresa
6. “Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
7. “As the purse is emptied, the heart is filled.” – Victor Hugo
8. “Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege.” – John D. Rockefeller Jr.
9. “For it is in giving that we receive.” – St. Francis of Assisi
10. “Our mind is enriched by what we receive, our heart by what we give.” – Victor Hugo
11. “The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own.” – Lao Tzu
12. “Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” – Booker T. Washington

Kindness in Action

Charity often manifests as simple acts of kindness. A small gesture can lighten a heavy burden and create a ripple effect of positivity that extends far beyond the initial act.

1. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop
2. “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” – Charles Dickens
3. “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” – Sam Levenson
4. “A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog when you are just as hungry as the dog.” – Jack London
5. “The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” – Mahatma Gandhi
6. “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” – Mother Teresa
7. “What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?” – George Eliot
8. “There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” – John Holmes
9. “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” – Desmond Tutu
10. “Help others without any reason and give without the expectation of receiving anything in return.” – Roy T. Bennett
11. “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

Charity, Wisdom, and Spirituality

For many, charity is a core tenet of their faith and philosophy. These quotes reflect on the spiritual and moral dimensions of giving and its role in living a virtuous life.

1. “Charity brings to life again those who are spiritually dead.” – St. Thomas Aquinas
2. “In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity.” – Richard Baxter
3. “No one has ever become poor by giving.” – Anne Frank
4. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” – Acts 20:35
5. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” – St. Paul
6. “Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.” – St. Francis of Assisi
7. “Every charitable act is a stepping stone towards heaven.” – Henry Ward Beecher
8. “The charitable give out at the door, and God puts in at the window.” – John Ray
9. “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” – Mohammed Ali
10. “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Published August 29, 2025

Starting your day with a clear intention can change how you feel and act. Some people pick up their phones or rush into work, but many are choosing something much simpler: daily affirmations. These are short, positive statements you say to yourself. Using them each morning can build up your confidence and keep you motivated all day.

Maybe you’ve wondered if talking to yourself in the mirror really works. Or you worry it doesn’t matter. But research says positive self-talk does help.

In this article, you’ll learn how affirmations for motivation can make big changes in your life, help you feel more confident, and give you the energy to chase your goals.

What Are Affirmations and Why Do They Work?

Affirmations are short, positive phrases you say or think. You use them to push away negative thoughts and to build belief in yourself. It’s like training your mind to think better things about your life and abilities.

Affirmations work because your brain can change and grow. This is called neuroplasticity. When you say or write positive phrases over and over, your brain builds new thought patterns. Studies show that affirmations can activate the reward centers in your brain, making you feel better and lowering stress.

Researchers like Dr. Barbara Fredrickson have studied how positive emotions can help you see more options and grow stronger inside. Affirmations for motivation don’t just make you “feel good”—they actually help your brain build new, stronger habits of hope and belief.

How to Create Effective Affirmations for Motivation

Not every affirmation is helpful. To work well, affirmations for motivation should be clear, focused, and believable.

Start with “I Am” Statements

The best affirmations use “I am” at the start. For example, instead of “I want to be brave,” say, “I am becoming braver every day.” This makes it about who you are now.

Use Present Tense

Say your affirmations like they are true right now. “I am working hard each day” is stronger than “I will work hard someday.”

Be Specific and Personal

Make your affirmations about you and your real goals. Swap “I am successful” for something like, “I am learning new things that help me succeed in school.”

Add Action

Affirmations that include action are more motivating. For example, say, “I am taking steps to reach my goals,” not just, “I am lucky.”

Keep It Real

If an affirmation sounds too far off, it may not help. Pick ones that feel true, even if they stretch you a little. As you grow, you can change your affirmations to match your confidence.

Examples: Affirmations for Motivation

Here are some affirmations for motivation you can use or change to fit your life:

For Daily Energy and Focus:

• “I am ready to make progress today.”
• “I focus on new chances, not on problems.”
• “Every step I take moves me toward my dreams.”

For Overcoming Challenges:

• “I have faced hard things before and can do it again.”
• “Difficulties help me learn and grow.”
• “I stay calm and look for solutions when problems come up.”

For Success at Work or School:

• “I bring value to my team or class.”
• “I am improving my skills every day.”
• “I share my ideas with confidence.”

For Personal Growth:

• “I am working to build the life I want.”
• “I believe I can make good choices.”
• “I celebrate my small wins as I aim for bigger goals.”

Building a Daily Affirmation Habit

Using affirmations is about more than picking the right words. When you say them, how you say them, and how often you use them all matter.

Morning Routine

Right after you wake up is a great time to use affirmations for motivation. Your mind is most open then. Spend a few minutes on your affirmations before you start your day or look at your phone.

Mirror Practice

Many people say their affirmations while looking in the mirror. It may feel odd at first, but it builds confidence. Looking yourself in the eye and speaking kind words makes them feel more real.

Write Them Down

Writing your affirmations makes them even stronger. Try keeping a journal or sticking notes on your mirror, computer, or fridge. These reminders can boost your mood all day.

Visualize Your Goals

As you repeat your affirmations, try to picture the results in your mind. For example, when you say “I am working towards my goals,” imagine yourself getting good grades or doing well at your job.

Published June 6, 2025

Empathy is one of the most profound qualities that connect human beings. Yet, it’s often misunderstood or underestimated. Many people see empathy as sympathy or pity, but it goes deeper than that. At its core, empathy is the ability to feel with others—to step into their shoes, see the world through their eyes, and understand their emotions.

This connection born from empathy creates bridges between hearts, fostering kindness, understanding, and shared humanity. When we practice empathy, we don’t just hear someone’s story; we feel it too.

This article explores the essence and importance of empathy, with over 100 inspiring quotes that will touch your heart and offer fresh perspectives. 

What is Empathy?

Empathy is about truly understanding and connecting with the feelings of others. It means listening with your heart, seeing through someone else’s perspective, and sharing their emotional experience.

Unlike sympathy, which often acknowledges pain from a distance, empathy invites you to step closer. It allows you to be kind, compassionate, and supportive, even when you haven’t gone through the same experience. Empathy is a core ingredient in building meaningful relationships with family, friends, or strangers.

Why is empathy important?

Imagine life as a mesmerizing prism. Each person sees it from a different angle, shaped by their unique experiences. While one side might sparkle brightly for you, another side could appear dark and challenging for someone else.

This is why empathy matters. It helps us see life from another’s perspective, giving us the gift of understanding. With this deeper comprehension of others’ struggles, joys, and motivations, we’re more likely to act with compassion and selflessness. Empathy shifts our focus outward, making the world less about “me” and more about “us.”

Key Benefits of Empathy

• Strengthens relationships by fostering trust and care.
• Reduces conflict through a better understanding of others.
• Encourages kindness, inspiring us to help those in need.

Below, these empathy quotes will remind you of this profound connection and inspire you to approach life with a compassionate heart.

Empathy Quotes for Adults

1. One of the most important aspects of being a human being, is being able to be in a relationship. Being able to successfully form and maintain a relationship. And at the heart of that capability is the capacity to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes, to see the world as how they see it. That capacity is empathy. – Bruce Perry
2. This capacity for empathy leads to a genuine encounter – we have to progress toward this culture of encounter – in which heart speaks to heart. – Pope Francis
3. The state of empathy, or being empathic, is to perceive the internal frame of reference of another with accuracy and with the emotional components and meanings which pertain thereto as if one were the person. – Carl Roger
4. Empathy is forgetting oneself in the joys and sorrows of another, so much so that you actually feel that the joy or sorrow experienced by another is your own joy and sorrow. Empathy involves complete identification with another.  – Dada Vaswani
5. If you find yourself saying ‘But I’m just being honest, ’ chances are you’ve just been unkind. Honesty doesn’t heal. Empathy does. – Dan Waldschmidt
6. All men are born firstly with the instinct to protect themselves. But few grow to really love themselves, and even fewer learn to love their neighbor as themselves. – Criss Jami
7. If you look into someone’s face long enough, eventually you’re going to feel that you’re looking at yourself. – Paul Auster
8. An exchange of empathy provides an entry point for a lot of people to see what healing feels like. – Tarana Burke
9. Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eye for an instant? – Henry David Thoreau
10. Empathy comes from the Greek empatheia – em (into) and pathos (feeling) – a penetration, a kind of travel. It suggests you enter another person’s pain as you’d enter another country, through immigration and customs, border crossing by way of query: What grows where you are? What are the laws? What animals graze there? – Leslie Jamison
11. The greatest cruelty is our casual blindness to the despair of others. – Anonymous
12. Empathy is the greatest virtue. From it, all virtues flow. Without it, all virtues are an act. – Eric Zorn
13. I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person. – Walt Whitman
14. Empathy speaks to us in those silent moments, away from our wounded ego and our wondering heart, in those empty spaces where questions run riot like lost and rejected soldiers… it tells us that each soul is worthy, valued, loved, and honored and we only ever need to face our own shadows, our own pain… and to be our own mirror. – Christine Evangelou
15. All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart. – Tahereh Mafi
16. Love is about bottomless empathy, born out of the heart’s revelation that another person is every bit as real as you are. – Jonathan Franzen
17. We need to teach our children empathy and care and love and communication and social responsibility in preparation for adulthood. – Maya Soetoro-Ng
18. When good people consider you the bad guy, you develop a heart to help the bad ones. You actually understand them. – Criss Jami
19. If bullies actually believe that somebody loves them and believes in them, they will love themselves, they will become better people, and many will even become saviors to the bullied. – Dan Pearce
20. 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
21. The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy, we can all sense a mysterious connection to each other. – Meryl Streep
22. Empathy begins with understanding life from another person’s perspective. Nobody has an objective experience of reality. It’s all through our own individual prisms. – Sterling K. Brown
23. Yet, taught by time, my heart has learned to glow for other’s good, and melt at other’s woe. – Homer
24. 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
25. Have compassion and empathy in your heart. Many people are suffering deep emotional anguish beneath the surface of their lives, and smile even as they hurt inside. – Jim Palmer
26. If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces. – Frederick Buechner
27. Empathy means both understanding others on their own terms and bringing them within the orbit of one’s own experience. – Jacob A. Belzen
28. To embrace suffering culminates in greater empathy, the capacity to feel what it is like for the other to suffer, which is the ground for unsentimental compassion and love. – Stephen Bachelor
29. If it is not tempered by compassion, and empathy, reason can lead men and women into a moral void. – Karen Armstrong
30. Judge tenderly, if you must. There is usually a side you have not heard, a story you know nothing about, and a battle waged that you do not have to fight. – Traci Lea Larussa
31. The only time you look in your neighbor’s bowl is to make sure that they have enough. You don’t look in your neighbor’s bowl to see if you have as much as them. – Louis C.K.
32. The real test of love is loving those who we feel are the hardest ones to love. – Criss Jami
33. Empathy is really the opposite of spiritual meanness. It’s the capacity to understand that every war is both won and lost. And that someone else’s pain is as meaningful as your own. – Barbara Kingsolver
34. 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 Odiaze
35. Whether it is rational or empirical, your approach to life must always be empathetic. Emotional intelligence is acquired when knowledge and empathy are combined and applied to situations regularly in everyday life. – Stewart Stafford
36. When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. – Henri Nouwen
37. It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being. – John Joseph Powell
38. The seeds of care and empathy are built into every human being and a variety of soils and fertilizers will allow those same seeds to grow and flourish. – Gudjon Bergman
39. Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize? – Marcus Aurelius
40. When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection – or compassionate action. – Daniel Goleman
41. I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it. – Maya Angelou
42. Anyone who has experienced a certain amount of loss in their life has empathy for those who have experienced loss. – Anderson Cooper
43. There is no small act of kindness. Every compassionate act makes large the world. – Mary Anne Radmacher
44. If we can get man to the moon, we can get man to walk in each other’s shoes. – Mary Gordon
45. Experiencing terrible pain opens our hearts and minds to express compassion for other people and communion with ourselves. – Kilroy J. Oldster

Empathy Quotes for Kids

1. You should not judge; you should understand. – Ernest Hemingway
2. If you judge people, you have no time to love them. – Mother Teresa
3. Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping him up. – Jesse Jackson
4. Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. – Plato
5. You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself. – John Steinbeck
6. Whenever you feel like criticizing any one…just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had. – F. Scott Fitzgerald
7. When you start to develop your powers of empathy and imagination, the whole world opens up to you. – Susan Sarandon
8. One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone. – Shannon L. Alder
9. Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing. – Marshall B. Rosenberg
10. The little things you do can be very significant to others. – Wayne Gerard Trotman
11. Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life. – Jackie Chan
12.  Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another. – Alfred Adler
13.  Empathy grows as we learn. –  Alice Miller
14.  If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from his angle as well as your own. – Henry Ford
15.  Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. – Albert Einstein

Quotes About Empathy at Work

1. Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you’ll be a mile away and have his shoes. – Steve Martin
2. We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
3. Sometimes all a person wants is an empathetic ear; all he or she needs is to talk it out. Just offering a listening ear and an understanding heart for his or her suffering can be a big comfort. – Roy T. Bennett
4. Empathy depends not only on one’s ability to identify someone else’s emotions but also on one’s capacity to put oneself in the other person’s place and to experience an appropriate emotional response. – Charles G. Morris
5. When you show deep empathy toward others, their defensive energy goes down, and positive energy replaces it. That’s when you can get more creative in solving problems. – Stephen Covey
6. A focus on empathy is just what is needed to make the world a better place for all animals, humans, and nonhuman alike. – Marc Bekoff
7. Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world. – Barack Obama
8. I always think that if you look at anyone in detail, you will have empathy for them because you recognize them as a human being, no matter what they’ve done. – Andrea Arnold
9. We cannot transform negativity into the positive without empathy, and we cannot truly understand empathy without experiencing it in our present life, in our past, and in our future. – Brian L. Weiss
10. The greater good is achieved by not only telling people what they need to know but also filling them with a sense of empathy and love. – Abigail Disney
11. No one reaches out to you for compassion or empathy so you can teach them how to behave better. They reach out to us because they believe in our capacity to know our darkness well enough to sit in the dark with them. – Brene Brown
12. We need to understand the other side to impact the other side. We become much more effective as humans and leaders when we engage in hearty conversations with those who are different from us, not necessarily to change our opinions, but to build the empathy muscle. – Daniel Lubetzky
13. Empathy may be the single most important quality that must be nurtured to give peace a fighting chance. – Arundhati Ray
14. One doesn’t have to operate with great malice to do great harm. The absence of empathy and understanding is sufficient. – Charles M. Blow
15. Empathetic presence involves listening to someone’s pain with what I call the five A’s: attention, acceptance, appreciation, affection, and allowing. – David Richo
16. The only way to change someone’s mind is to connect with them from the heart. – Rasheed Ogonlaru
17. Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus for creating change. – Max Carver
18. Empathy represents the foundation skill for all the social competencies important for work. – Daniel Goleman
19. What you don’t realize is that the world does not need more perfection. It needs more compassion and empathy. – Tessa Dare
20.  The value that I really learned to appreciate deeply and which I talk about a great deal is empathy. I don’t think it is simply a “nice to have” but I believe it is at the centre of the agenda for innovation here at Microsoft – Satya Nadella