110+ Cute, Inspiring Dr. Seuss Quotes

Rhyme and remember popular Dr. Seuss quotes on activism, education, and happiness, from famous author and illustrator Theodore Seuss Geisel.

By Katee Fletcher

Updated 4 years ago, January 21, 2021

two man running painting photo — Scott Webb

Seuss quotes are inspiring for the old and the young. They are reminders everything is going to get better as long as someone like you cares. Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Always inspired by the world around him, Geisel set off to receive his undergraduate at Dartmouth College in 1921 and pursue a publishing career.

It was during his undergraduate studies that he began to use his mother’s German maiden name, “Seuss,” as his now-famous pseudonym. While pursuing post-graduate studies at Lincoln College in Oxford, he met the woman he would marry, Helen Palmer; they wed in 1927. Honing in on his talent for writing and illustrating, in 1937, he published his first book. It was called And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street. This occurred after being rejected by publishers upwards of 30 times.

For a brief period of time, Geisel served in the Army as a member of the Information and Education Division. He was awarded a Legion of Merit for his efforts. United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs division

After the military, in 1957, Geisel continued with his pursuit of publishing and writing. He co-founded Beginner Books, a division of Penguin Random House, alongside his wife Helen and his publisher’s wife, Phyllis Cerf. The books he published within this division swept across every classroom in the nation, captivating children with rhyme while teaching them a good lesson. Sadly, Helen passed away a short ten years later, and Geisel eventually married Audrey (Stone) Dimond in 1968.

During his lifetime, Dr. Seuss published 45 children’s books, traveled the world, and won a variety of awards such as the Pulitzer Prize (1984), 2 Oscars (1947, 1951), 3 Caldecott Honors (1947, 1949, 1950), the Peabody Award, and 2 Emmys (1977, 1982). His death on September 24th, 1991, saddened many. However, his creative mind and inspirational spirit left behind many great works and an inspiring quote or two to admire for years to come.

Due to Seuss’s immense impact and wisdom, his birthday is even celebrated now as the National Read Across America Day. Read through the Dr. Seuss quotes below to find an inspirational quote to think about and a new Seuss quote to adore.

Best Dr. Seuss Quotes About Happiness and Having Fun

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” – Dr. Seuss

“If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good.” – Dr. Seuss

“It’s fun to have fun, but you have to know how.” – Dr. Seuss

“From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere!” – Dr. Seuss

“I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny.” – Dr. Seuss

“I am what I am! That’s a great thing to be! If I say so myself, Happy Birthday to me!” – Dr. Seuss

“I am lucky to be what I am! Thank goodness I’m not just a clam or ham or a dirty jar of sour gooseberry jam!” – Dr. Seuss

“In my world, everyone’s a pony, and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies!” – Dr. Seuss

“You are you. Now, isn’t that pleasant?” – Dr. Seuss

“Being crazy isn’t enough.” – Dr. Seuss

“Humor has a tremendous place in this sordid world. It’s more than just a matter of laughing. If you can see things out of whack, then you can see how things can be in whack.” – Dr. Seuss

“I’m happy to be here. I am. I am.” – Dr. Seuss

“Teeth are always in style.” – Dr. Seuss

“Just tell yourself, Duckie, you’re really quite lucky!” – Dr. Seuss

Best Dr. Seuss Quotes to Connect With When Feeling Blue

“When you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.” – Dr. Seuss

“You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.” – Dr. Seuss

“In the places I go, there are things that I see that I never could spell if I stopped with the Z.” – Dr. Seuss

“It’s a troublesome world. All the people who are in it are troubled with troubles almost every minute. You ought to be thankful, a whole heaping lot, for the places and people you’re lucky you’re not.” – Dr. Seuss

“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead, and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready, you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” – Dr. Seuss

“My trouble was I had a mind, but I couldn’t make it up!” – Dr. Seuss

“You’re in pretty good shape for the shape you are in.” – Dr. Seuss

“Whenever things go a bit sour in a job I’m doing, I always tell myself, ‘You can do better than this.’” – Dr. Seuss

“I’m afraid sometimes you’ll play lonely games too, games you can’t win because you’ll play against you.” – Dr. Seuss

“You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.” – Dr. Seuss

“Simple it’s not, I am afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.” – Dr. Seuss

“If we do not choose, we will end up with none.” – Dr. Seuss

“They say I’m old-fashioned and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast!” – Dr. Seuss

“If you’d never been born, then you might be an Isn’t! An Isn’t has no fun at all. No, he didn’t!” – Dr. Seuss

“Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss

“When something bad happens, you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.” – Dr. Seuss

“It’s not about what it is. It’s about what it can become.” – Dr. Seuss

“Some people are much more… oh, ever so much more… oh, muchly much-much more unlucky than you!” – Dr. Seuss

“The storm starts when the drops start dropping. When the drops stop dropping, then the storm starts stopping.” – Dr. Seuss

“I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you.” – Dr. Seuss

“How did it get so late so soon?” – Dr. Seuss

“If things start happening, don’t worry, don’t stew, just go right along, and you’ll start happening too.” – Dr. Seuss

“He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.” – Dr. Seuss

“All alone! Whether you like it or not, alone is something you’ll be quite a lot.” – Dr. Seuss

“Everything stinks until it’s finished.” – Dr. Seuss

“Oh, the things you can find if you don’t stay behind!” – Dr. Seuss

“‘Cause, you never can tell what goes on down below! This pool might be bigger than you or I know!” – Dr. Seuss

“Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite. Or waiting around for Friday night… everyone is just waiting!” – Dr. Seuss

“Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak.” – Dr. Seuss

“Gray day. Everything is gray. I watch. But nothing moves today.” – Dr. Seuss

“Why are they sad and glad and bad? I do not know; go ask your dad.” – Dr. Seuss

Inspirational Dr. Seuss Quotes on Activism and Speaking Up

“I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom, we, too, should have rights.” – Dr. Seuss

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” – Dr. Seuss

“And the turtles, of course…all the turtles are free, as turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.” – Dr. Seuss

“So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!” – Dr. Seuss

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot. Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss

“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.” – Dr. Seuss

“This may not seem very important, I know, but it is, so I’m bothering telling you so.” – Dr. Seuss

Inspirational Dr. Seuss Quotes on Life and Success

“I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living; It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.” – Dr. Seuss

“So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed).” – Dr. Seuss

“Life’s too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don’t, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it’d be easy; they just promised it would be worth it.” – Dr. Seuss

“We are all a little weird, and life’s a little weird and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.” – Dr. Seuss

“To the world, you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world.” – Dr. Seuss

“You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way!” – Dr. Seuss

“Congratulations! Today is your day!” – Dr. Seuess

“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is you-er than you.” – Dr. Seuss

“Today, I shall behave as if this is the day I will be remembered.” – Dr. Seuss

“Sometimes, you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” – Dr. Seuss

“I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-Am.” – Dr. Seuss

“What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!” – Dr. Seuss

“Things are never quite as scary when you’ve got a best friend.” – Dr. Seuss

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” – Dr. Seuss

“You do not like them. So you say. Try them! Try them! And you may!” – Dr. Seuss

“Only you can control your future.” – Dr. Seuss

“With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.” – Dr. Seuss

“You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the one who’ll decide where to go.” – Dr. Seuss

“You have to be odd to be number one.” – Dr. Seuss

“I’m glad we had the times together just to laugh and sing a song. It seems like we just got started, and then before you know it, the times we had together were gone.” – Dr. Seuss

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss

“It’s opener there in the wide, open air.” – Dr. Seuss

“I meant what I said, and I said what I meant.” – Dr. Seuss

“Kid, you’ll move mountains.” – Dr. Seuss

“Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and twice as beautiful as you’ve ever imagined.” – Dr. Seuss

“For a host, above all, must be kind to his guests.” – Dr. Seuss

“Remember me and smile, for it’s better to forget than to remember me and cry.” – Dr. Seuss

“Take every chance, drop every fear.” – Dr. Seuss

“You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.” – Dr. Seuss

“Sometimes, the questions are complicated, and the answers are simple.” – Dr. Seuss

“Cause when a guy does something stupid once, well that’s because he’s a guy. But if he does the same stupid thing twice, that’s usually to impress some girl.” – Dr. Seuss

“Things may happen and often do to people as brainy and footsy as you.” – Dr. Seuss

“You’ll never be bored when you try something new. There’s really no limit to what you can do.” – Dr. Seuss

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out.” – Dr. Seuss

“When he worked, he really worked. But when he played, he really played.” – Dr. Seuss

“Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained, and delighted.” – Dr. Seuss

“Oh, what a day. I will make it a holiday.” – Dr. Seuss

“And what happened then? Well, in Whoville, they say that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day.” – Dr. Seuss

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” – Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss Quotes on Reading, Writing, and Education

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“Reading can take you places you have never been before.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“Be awesome! Be a book nut!” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“The problem with writing a book in verse is, to be successful, it has to sound like you knocked it off on a rainy Friday afternoon. It has to sound easy. When you can do it, it helps tremendously because it’s a thing that forces kids to read on. You have this unconsummated feeling if you stop.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax; all you need is a book.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“Preachers in pulpits talked about what a great message is in the book. No matter what you do, somebody always imputes meaning into your books.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“If you keep your eyes open enough, oh, the stuff you will learn. Oh, the most wonderful stuff.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“I stay out of politics because if I begin thinking too much about politics, I’ll probably… drop writing children’s books and become a political cartoonist again.” – Dr. Seussquotes

“Think and wonder. Wonder and think.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“You really can’t teach reading as a science. Love gets mixed up in it.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“Think! You can think any Think that you wish!” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“It is better to know how to learn than to know.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“You can get help from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“So the writer who breeds more words than he needs is making a chore for the reader who reads.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“The main problem with writing in verse is, if your fourth line doesn’t come out right, you’ve got to throw four lines away and figure out a whole new way to attack the problem. So the mortality rate is terrific.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“Words and pictures are yin and yang. Married, they produce a progeny more interesting than either parent.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“Virtually every page is a cliffhanger–you’ve got to force them to turn it.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“Fiction is my addiction.” – Dr. Seuss quotes

“Children’s reading and children’s thinking are the rock-bottom base upon which this country will rise. Or not rise. In these days of tension and confusion, writers are beginning to realize that books for children have a greater potential for good or evil than any other form of literature on earth.” – Dr. Seuss quotes