Values & Character: Kindness Quotes

"Human kindness is like a defective tap, the first gush may be impressive but the stream soon dries up"

P. D. James, Novelist

"Americans are the most generous country on the planet. I've worked in Europe, I've worked in Australia. There is no where else where you get absolutely no attitude for being a foreigner. If you do your job well, they embrace you"

Hugh Jackman, Actor

"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love"

Saint Basil, Saint

"Nobody's perfect. Everyone slides here and there, and they have their ups and downs. When they are down, that is not the time to step all over them"

Neal Schon, Musician

"It's clearly more important to treat one's fellow man well than to be always praying and fasting and touching one's head to a prayer mat"

Naguib Mahfouz, Novelist

"If you have donated, these children may never know your name, but they will never forget your kindness"

Roma Downey, Actress

"Don't we all want what's best for each other?"

Levon Helm, Musician

"Where I once believed people were there to be used, I started thinking of other people first"

Josh McDowell, Writer

"By doing something positive in this world, you're helping people and the future. We're all trying to help the world... Make it a better place to live. We're actually still changing the world, aren't we?"

Rick Danko, Musician

"All of the charities we're involved with have touched me in one way or another on a personal level. There are about eight or nine charities that I support"

Ferguson Jenkins, Athlete

"Really big people are, above everything else, courteous, considerate and generous - not just to some people in some circumstances - but to everyone all the time"

Thomas J. Watson, Scientist

"Compassion automatically invites you to relate with people because you no longer regard people as a drain on your energy"

Chogyam Trungpa, Philosopher

"There are times we are givers, but others time we have to let others give to us"

Paul Hoffman, Celebrity

"I find you get out of people what you put into them"

Jewel Kilcher, Musician

"He's nice enough not to want to be associated with a nasty remark, but not nice enough not to make it. Lacking the courage of one's nastiness does not make one nice"

Michael Kinsley, Journalist

"Before the tongue can speak, it must have lost the power to wound"

Peace Pilgrim, Activist

"Words can be like baseball bats, when used maliciously"

Sydney Madwed, Businessman

"I realized a while back that I have an innate ability to be compassionate, and I saw that the strength of compassion is something that healers have and healers use.'"

Ricky Williams, Athlete

"What was freely given to me, I freely give"

Lauryn Hill, Musician

"Zeal without humanity is like a ship without a rudder, liable to be stranded at any moment"

Owen Feltham, Author

"It's like spicy food - sometimes you have to tone it down so more people can enjoy it"

Kenneth Edmonds, Musician

"We need to suffer, that we may learn to pity"

Letitia Landon, Poet

"You don't have to be an angel, just be someone who can give"

Patti LaBelle, Musician

"Being mean about other people isn't on my radar"

Geri Halliwell, Musician

"Be of service. Whether you make yourself available to a friend or co-worker, or you make time every month to do volunteer work, there is nothing that harvests more of a feeling of empowerment than being of service to someone in need"

Gillian Anderson, Actress

"People care and are willing to help me out my desperate circumstances"

Sam Worthington, Actor

"Often, what we do is open our house for various charity events. I don't seat according to protocol. I don't invite people because of who they are in the administration or their positions of power. The few who do come, are there because I like them"

Sally Quinn, Journalist

"A person who cares deeply about what people need in their lives is someone I'll never forget"

Kent McCord, Actor

"I care about people. In the end, I think they feel it. It comes across, regardless of the character I'm portraying"

Forest Whitaker, Actor

"You look out there and there's people that, their day is changed because of your contribution to it"

Brad Paisley, Musician

"It's kind of bittersweet. The human spirit is not measured by the size of the act, but by the size of the heart"

Yakov Smirnoff, Comedian

"I try to look for the good in everybody, regardless of the way they're labeled"

Richard Thompson, Musician

"The Minnesota spirit of compassion and help for people in need has moved countless Minnesotans to step forward to provide relief for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina"

Jim Ramstad, Politician

"For a long time, I was interested in being a social worker. In a lot of ways I feel that that's all my music is, trying to help people"

Iris DeMent, Musician

"The return we reap from generous actions is not always evident"

Francesco Guicciardini, Historian

"I really admire people who are extraordinarily tolerant and patient"

Holly Hunter, Actress

"Deliberately seek opportunities for kindness, sympathy, and patience"

Evelyn Underhill, Writer

"I think, especially in our business, we meet a lot of people, and sometimes you spend so much time being nice to strangers, and so, you know, keeping a clear head and just being nice to each other. And that's all the advice I can give"

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Actress

"I feel if some kid has sat down and felt I'm important enough to write two pages of words to and take up a lot of his valuable time, then he deserves a few words back, or even a phone call as I have done on a few occasions"

Jim Dale, Musician

"I do it because I want to exercise people's compassion, and I do it because I really believe that, for some reason, what I do is important and meaningful"

Kyra Sedgwick, Actress

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