Famous Quotes of All Time: 48 Most Famous Quotes to Motivate You

These are 48 of the most famous quotes of all time: iconic lines and famous sayings from Walt Disney, Maya Angelou, Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, William Shakespeare and more, grouped by theme so you can find the right one fast.

It seems in the last decade or so, motivational quotes and inspirational quotes are front and center on Facebook and Instagram feeds. It’s no wonder why. They really do have that impactful kick to make you get up and do stuff!

I know for me, it was all these quotes that I kept reading that:

• pushed me out of my comfort zone
• gave me courage to smash goals
• helped me believe in myself
• soothed my broken heart sometimes
• helped me out of rock bottom, and
• kept me strong in times of trouble

Legends like Les Brown, Joel Brown and Tony Robbins motivated the crap out of me. I stayed strong and focused because of their powerful words. I mean, they did quote all these inspirational words to motivate us, no?

Of course they did. So I’ve searched high and low for the best and most empowering famous quotes of all time in hopes they inspire you like they did me. 

Do quotes really help?

The answer is yes and no. No they won’t work if you read them, brush them off and never feel the power of their words.

Yes they will work if you make them work for you and you want them too. Quotes are like affirmations. Many of us recant affirmations either as part of our morning routine, evening routine or just whenever we need a boost. 

When you read them and repeat them out loud and feel each and every word in every ounce of your being, they work!! Besides, I’m living proof they help. Empowering quotes have helped me out of rock bottom twice, depression a few times, and helped me smash and achieve goals. 

So yes, they work. And these most famous quotes I’ve chosen are famous for a reason. They have inspired, motivated and empowered millions of people around the world to chase their dreams, believe in themselves and never give up. 

Without further ado… here are 48 of the most famous quotes of all time.

Famous Quotes: Taking Action and Never Giving Up

1. The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. ~Walt Disney

2. Anybody who ever accomplished anything big or new or worth raising a celebratory fist in the air did it from their comfort zone. They risked ridicule and failure and sometimes even death. ~Jen Sincero

3. Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, either way, you’re right. ~Henry Ford

4. The woman I am today would like to thank the woman I was 5 years ago for not giving up. You’re awesome. ~Iva Ursano

5. I’ll try is the battle cry of wimps. ~Tony Robbins

6. You must be the change you wish to see in the world ~Ghandi

7. If you judge people, you have no time to love them. ~Mother Teresa

8. Those who dare to fail miserably, can achieve greatly. ~John Kennedy

9. Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. ~Dalai Lama

10. I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we make the choice to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked. We can choose courage, or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time. ~Brené Brown

Famous Quotes: Life, Mindset and Growth

11. There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. ~Maya Angelou

12. If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have, you’ll never have enough. ~Oprah Winfrey

13. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. ~Lao Tzu

14. The mind is everything. What you think you become. ~Buddha

15. Everything you do and every decision you make should be from a place of good. You should always be striving to make the world a better place. ~Les Brown

16. You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. ~Mae West

17. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too. ~Paulo Coelho

18. When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on. ~Franklin D.Roosevelt

19. If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. ~Napoleon Hill

20. Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. ~George Bernard Shaw

Famous Quotes: Success, Courage and Resilience

21. The secret of getting ahead is getting started. ~Mark Twain

22. All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. ~Walt Disney

23. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. ~Martin Luther King Jr

24. Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies. ~Nelson Mandela

25. If you surround yourself with positive people who build you up, the sky’s the limit. ~Joel Brown

26. Tough times never last but tough people do. ~Robert H. Schuller

27. You miss 100% of the shots you never take. ~Wayne Gretzky

28. If you’re going through hell, keep going. ~Winston Churchill

29. I have not failed. I just found 10,000 that won’t work. ~Thomas A. Edison

30. Often our most rewarding dreams are staring us right in the face but for some reason we focus on how hard things are, how we are scared of the unknown and what would happen if we failed. ~Joel Brown

Famous Quotes: Wisdom, History and Character

31. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

32. Imagination is more important than knowledge. ~Albert Einstein

33. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. ~Martin Luther King Jr.

34. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. ~Nelson Mandela

35. To be, or not to be, that is the question. ~William Shakespeare

36. All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. ~William Shakespeare

37. Well done is better than well said. ~Benjamin Franklin

38. Lost time is never found again. ~Benjamin Franklin

39. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. ~Winston Churchill

40. I think, therefore I am. ~René Descartes

41. Give me liberty, or give me death! ~Patrick Henry

42. Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. ~John F. Kennedy

43. That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. ~Neil Armstrong

44. Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. ~Albert Einstein

45. The unexamined life is not worth living. ~Socrates

46. Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far. ~Theodore Roosevelt

47. The truth is rarely pure and never simple. ~Oscar Wilde

48. I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. ~Winston Churchill

Write them out!

I always tell people to write that out and stick it in a place you will see it and read it everyday. That’s how quotes work. 

My favourite famous quote of all time and one you should read over and over again, Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, either way you’re right. Read that when self doubt creeps in. 

Famous Quotes: Frequently Asked Questions

What is a famous quote?

A famous quote is a short line that has been repeated so widely it outlives the moment it was said. Many are instantly recognizable even to people who never read the original source, such as Shakespeare’s “To be, or not to be, that is the question,” René Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am,” or Neil Armstrong’s “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

What is the most famous quote of all time?

There is no official ranking, but a handful of lines on this list are recognized almost everywhere: “To be, or not to be,” “I think, therefore I am,” John F. Kennedy’s “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” My personal favorite is Henry Ford’s “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, either way, you’re right.”

What are some famous quotes about life?

Start with Lao Tzu’s “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step,” Mae West’s “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough,” and George Bernard Shaw’s “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” Albert Einstein added: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

What are some famous quotes about success?

Mark Twain’s “The secret of getting ahead is getting started” and Wayne Gretzky’s “You miss 100% of the shots you never take” are two of the best known. For harder days, Winston Churchill’s “If you’re going through hell, keep going” still holds up.