There are lots of reasons people do good deeds, as you will see in these good deeds quotes.

Sometimes, people do good deeds out of a sense of religious duty or moral obligation.

Other times, people do good deeds because they believe that random acts of kindness will make the world a better place. 

Then there are people who do good deeds because they want to get rewarded or look good in front of other people.

These good deeds quotes shed some light on why people do good deeds and why you should too!

Doing good deeds is obviously good for other people and the world around you.

However, did you know that doing something kind for others can actually help you too?

Doing something good for someone else helps you to recognize the plight of others.

 It can take the focus off of the negative things going on in your life and provide some perspective.

Ultimately, getting a little removed from your own bubble can help you increase your level of gratitude for all the positive things in your world.

Keep reading through these good deeds quotes to inspire you to do one thing that brings someone else joy today! 

Short good deeds quotes

1. “A good deed never goes unpunished.” — Gore Vidal

2. “No good deed ever goes wasted.” — Harold S. Kushner

3. “A good deed is the best prayer.” — Robert Green Ingersoll

4. “Big words seldom accompany good deeds.” — Charlotte Whitton

5. “To be doing good deeds is man’s most glorious task.” — Sophocles

6. “Our sins are more easily remembered than our good deeds.” — Democritus

7. “God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does.” — Martin Luther

8. “The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention.” — Khalil Gibran

9. “The man of sensibility is too busy talking about his feelings to have time for good deeds.” — Mason Cooley

10. “According to the Sutras, evil deeds result in hardships and good deeds result in blessings.” — Bodhidharma

Good deeds quotes about rewards and acknowledgment

11. “A good deed hidden in silence dies.” — Pindar

12. “The reward of a good deed is in having done it.” — Elbert Hubbard

13. “Noble deeds that are concealed are most esteemed.” — Blaise Pascal

14. “All I ever seek from good deeds is a measure of respect.” — Walter Annenberg

15. “Be prepared, and be careful not to do your good deeds when there’s no one watching you.” — Tom Lehrer

16. “There is no reward equal to that of doing the most good to the most people in the most need.” — Evangeline Booth

17. “The greatest pleasure I know is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident.” — Charles Lamb

18. “When you do things for others; don’t expect your good deeds to be returned. Do it because you enjoy making someone’s day.” — Rita Zahara

19. “When you have done a good deed that another has had the benefit of, why do you need a third reward-as fools do-praise for having done well or looking for a favor in return.” — Marcus Aurelius

20. “Nice things are done for our own sake, not for the sake of others. The pleasure must reside in the performance, not in the applause. Good deeds are, in a deeper psychological way, a favor to oneself. If this is not grasped, then our whole sense of personal relationships becomes warped.” — Sydney J. Harris

Wise good deeds quotes and sayings

21. “So shines a good deed… in a weary world.” — Gene Wilder

22. “Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression.” — Dodie Smith

23. “Good deeds are no less good because their object is unworthy.” — Henry David Thoreau

24. “Good deeds are seldom remembered; bad deeds are seldom forgotten.” — Ernie J Zelinski

25. “The power of noble deeds is to be preserved and passed on to the future.” — Joshua Chamberlain

26. “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” — Benjamin Franklin

27. “Neither soldiers nor money can defend a king but only friends won by good deeds, merit, and honesty.” — Sallust

28. “How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.” — William Shakespeare

29. “Like a stone thrown into a pond, a good deed can create ripples that extend far beyond the initial splash.” — Jeanne Phillips

30. “This world is very good as if we do good deeds then we will get its fruits. World is bitter for those who live their life with corruption or sins.” — Rahman Baba

Good deeds quotes about kindness and other virtues

31. “Like threads of silver seen through crystal beads Let love through good deeds show.” — Edwin Arnold

32. “If you set out to do a good deed, you may do a hundred small kindnesses on the way.” — Sarah Doudney

33. “That best portion of a man’s life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.” — William Wordsworth

34. “Forget yourself by becoming interested in others. Do every day a good deed that will put a smile of joy on someone’s face.” — Dale Carnegie

35. “Never refuse to do a kindness unless the act would work great injury to yourself, and never refuse to take a drink – under any circumstances.” — Mark Twain

36. “Verily the kindness that gazes upon itself in a mirror turns to stone, and a good deed that calls itself by tender names becomes the parent to a curse.” — Khalil Gibran

37. “Be happy, noble heart, be blessed for all the good thou hast done and wilt do hereafter, and let my gratitude remain in obscurity like your good deeds.” — Alexandre Dumas

38. “Look to what you have around you and be grateful, instead of searching for more. All you take with you when you leave this world is love, friendship, and good deeds.” — Sylvia Browne

39. “I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.” — William Penn

40. “Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.” — Buddha

Quotes about good deeds for justice, injustice, and life

41. “If you want to give the devil a nervous breakdown, just get up every day and see how much good you can do.” — Joyce Meyer

42. “It isn’t hard to find injustice around us, but we must not let injustice smear the good deeds that do occur every day.” — Rand Paul

43. “A man must be willing to die for justice. Death is an inescapable reality and men die daily, but good deeds live forever.” — Jesse Jackson

44. “We would frequently be ashamed of our good deeds if people saw all of the motives that produced them.” — Francois de La Rochefoucauld

45. “The true nature of all wealth is temporary; those who have wealth must here and now do good deeds that will live for a long time.” — Thiruvalluvar

46. “Thinking good thoughts is not enough, doing good deeds is not enough, seeing others follow your good examples is enough.” — Douglas Horton

47. “When there is life and mankind, a person will live striving for good deeds, liberty and a bright life, and wish that goodness and justice will reign in the world.” — Islom Karimov

48. “Life is short and if you’re looking for extension, you had best do well. ‘Cause there’s good deeds and then there’s good intentions. They are as far apart as Heaven and Hell.” — Ben Harper

49. “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” — John Wesley

50. “To be successful in struggle requires remembrance of the Creator and the doing of good deeds. This is important because successful struggle demands that there be a kind of social consciousness. There has to be a social commitment, a social consciousness that joins men together.” — H. Rap Brown

The impact of good deeds on our mental health

Doing good deeds can do more for your mental health than increase gratitude and shift your focus from the negative to the positive.

According to mentalhealth.org.uk, people who do good deeds feel the effects of stress less and may even live longer!

So, what kind of good deeds are we talking about here?

Well, random acts of kindness are always a good place to start!

So is volunteering for an organization that means something to you.

If there is a cause that speaks to you and you can help—then do it!

There are so many volunteering options out there.

You are bound to find something that is important to you or is something you enjoy doing.

Sometimes, you can get really lucky and find an opportunity that meets both needs.

Resources you can use

VolunteerMatch.org is a wonderful resource if you are not sure where to look for opportunities to serve the community.

They work with almost 140,000 nonprofit organizations, so surely there is something for you!

Do you have any meaningful stories to share about volunteering?

Or how a good deed you did for someone else changed your life for the better?

Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.