Doing good is more than just a commendable act; it’s a reflection of our innermost values and the manifestation of our shared humanity.
When we choose to uplift others, champion justice, or simply spread kindness, we’re weaving a tapestry of positivity that can ripple through communities and change the world.
Throughout history, countless individuals — from grassroots activists to global leaders — have demonstrated the profound impact that a single act of goodness can create. Their actions have not only transformed communities, but they’ve also ignited movements, inspiring others to step forward and carry the torch.
Of course, this is exactly why I founded Good Good Good — to help celebrate good news stories about people doing good... and to help more people join in and get involved in doing good.
We’ve curated an array of quotes centered around the essence of doing good — capturing the wise words of those who have dedicated themselves to making a positive difference.
Whether you’re seeking motivation to do some good, or simply looking to inject a dose of inspiration into your daily life — these quotes are sure to resonate.
Immerse yourself in the wisdom of those who have recognized the profound beauty of doing good, and let their words inspire your next altruistic endeavor.
You might also like: Quotes about making a difference | Quotes about activism | Quotes about kindness | Quotes about giving back | Quotes about caring
The Best Quotes About Doing Good
Famous Quotes
“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”
— Maya Angelou
“Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can.”
— Hillary Clinton
“Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means don’t do it just for yourself. You will want to leave the world a little better for your having lived.”
— Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”
— Mother Teresa
“For me, an area of moral clarity is: you’re in front of someone who’s suffering and you have the tools at your disposal to alleviate that suffering or even eradicate it, and you act.”
— Paul Farmer
“We can't just hope for a brighter day, we have to work for a brighter day. Love too often gets buried in a world of hurt and fear. And we have to work to dig it out so we can share it with our family, our friends, and our neighbors.”
— Dolly Parton
Inspirational Quotes
“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”
— John F. Kennedy
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
— Arthur Ashe
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
“By cultivating the beautiful we scatter the seeds of heavenly flowers, as by doing good we cultivate those that belong to humanity.”
— Robert A. Heinlein
“Gentleness can be a great strength, and quiet action can sometimes speak as powerfully amid the noise as the loudest voice.”
— Sarah Corbett
“We all have the power to make a positive impact on the world. It starts with small acts of kindness and compassion.”
— Evelyn Laude
“A joyful rebellion is you living differently not because you’re mad at how things are but because you are swelling with joy at the thought of how things could be.”
— Kid President
“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
On Doing Good in the World
“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”
— Albert Pine
“Peace is the opposite of dreaming. It’s built slowly and surely through brutal compromises and tiny victories that you don’t even see. It’s a messy business, bringing peace into the world.”
— Bono
“Doing good holds the power to transform us on the inside, and then ripple out in ever-expanding circles that positively impact the world at large.”
— Shari Arison
“Do it! What are you waiting on? Do it! Stand up for what you believe in. The world needs your voice. Whoever you are, you have something to say. Say it.”
— Kerry Washington
“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”
— Barack Obama
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
— Desmond Tutu
“We have a duty to show up in the world with meaning and purpose and commitment to doing good. And to use any privilege that we have to make positive change and to disrupt oppressive systems.”
— Meena Harris
Doing Good To Others
“What greater bliss than to look back on days spent in usefulness, in doing good to those around us.”
— Dorothea Dix
“I tell my students, ‘When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else. This is not just a grab-bag candy game.’”
— Toni Morrison
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands — one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”
— Audrey Hepburn
“We all are Citizens of the World. What’s good for you, must be good for all. If you are lost, share a plate of food with a stranger... you will find who you are.”
— Chef José Andrés
“I’d like to build a way for people doing good work to connect, to learn from each other, protect each other, and then I want to get out of their way.”
— Craig Newmark
“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.”
— Booker T. Washington, Up from Slavery
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
— Charles Dickens
“I’m convinced of this: Good done anywhere is good done everywhere. For a change, start by speaking to people rather than walking by them like they’re stones that don’t matter. As long as you’re breathing, it’s never too late to do some good.”
— Maya Angelou
Short Quotes
“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.”
— Aesop
“Immortality is to live your life doing good things, and leaving your mark behind.”
— Brandon Lee
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”
— Angela Davis
“We rise by lifting others.”
— Robert Ingersoll
“You don’t have to choose between doing good and doing well. It’s a false choice, today more than ever.”
— Tim Cook
“Pick up the battle and make it a better world. Just where you are.”
— Maya Angelou
“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.”
— Oscar Wilde
→ Read more inspirational short quotes
More Quotes and Captions
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
— Jane Goodall, Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey
“The world is full of what seem like intractable problems. Often we let that paralyze us. Instead, let us spur you to action. There are some people in the world that we can't help, but there are so many more that we can. So when you see a mother and her children suffering in another part of the world, don't look away. Look right at them. Let them break your heart, then let your empathy and your talents help you make a difference in the lives of others. Whether you volunteer every week or just a few times a year, your time and unique skills are invaluable.”
— Melinda Gates
“How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.”
— William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
“I cannot prevent anyone from getting angry, or mad, or frustrated. I can only hope that they’ll turn that anger and frustration and madness into something positive”
— Harvey Milk
“I don’t want to have lived in vain like most people. I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met.”
— Anne Frank
