Quotes About Kindness

Instead of saying, "That's an ugly shirt. Why are you wearing that?", find one thing you like about it–maybe the color, maybe the way it fits the person, maybe how pressed it is, maybe the texture–then begin with that. You could say, "Cool shirt. What's that about?" The point is to find and focus on the positives, as opposed to the negatives of any situation.

This isn't about auctions,' said Meg Whitman, the chief executive of eBay, 'in fact it's not about economic warfare. It's the opposite.' It was survival of the nicest.

The richer and more market-oriented societies have become, the nicer people have behaved.

we all enjoy making other people happy. How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortunes of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, but the pleasure of seeing it.

But is trade made possible by the milk of human kindness, or the acid of human self-interest?

The argument is not that exchange teaches people to be kind; it is that exchange teaches people to recognise their enlightened self-interest lies in seeking cooperation.

We are here on earth to do good to others. What the others are here for, I do not know.

Life is about love. It's about whom you love and whom you hurt. Life's about how you love yourself and how you hurt yourself. Life's about how you love and hurt the people close to you. Life is about how you love and hurt the people who just cross your path for a moment. Life is about love.

There will be times of fear and trembling. There will be times of discouragement and disillusionment. Have courage, smile, keep your chin up, laugh often, be kind to yourself, stay focused, be gracious and appreciative, think happy thoughts, and carry on regardless.

You don't like people?" Raf asked. "I don't like what people do to each other.

Now what is it that moves our very hearts and sickens us so much at cruelty shown to poor brutes? … They have done us no harm and they have no power of resistance; it is the cowardice and tyranny of which they are the victims which make their sufferings so especially touching. Cruelty to animals is as if man did not love God…. There is something so very dreadful, so Satanic, in tormenting those who have never harmed us, who cannot defend themselves, who are utterly in our power.21

There is something so very dreadful, so satanic, in tormenting those who have never harmed us, who cannot defend themselves, who are utterly in our power. -Cardinal John Henry Newman

The fact that creatures cannot act morally toward us in no way diminishes our ability to act morally toward them.

Gratuitous cruelty cannot take cover behind the fact of inevitable suffering.

When we condemn cruelty to animals, we don't call it un-American, or un-European, or un-Japanese. We call it inhumane.

For me it was a simple moral step of extending that vision out into the world, for what are dogs but affable emissaries from the animal kingdom?

Compassion for animals doesn't drain away some finite reserve of moral energy and idealism, to the detriment of human welfare, but surely adds to the supply.

Why just say grace when you can show it?

Since when does love ever diminish as we spread it around? Among humans it usually works the other way. So too in our dealings with the animals we know best.

It is a terrible thing that religious people today can be so indifferent to the cruelty of the farms, shrugging it off as so much secular, animal rights foolishness. They above all should hear the call to mercy. They above all should have some kindness to spare.

Those who dismiss love for our fellow creatures as mere sentimentality overlook a good and important part of our humanity.

Being altruistic not only helps us to benefit others, but it is also the most satisfying way to live.

Tibetan poet Shabkar said: "One with compassion is kind even when angry; one without compassion will kill even as he smiles.

Julia was as happy as Betsy was, almost. One nice thing about Julia was that she rejoiced in other people's luck.