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HappinessNeed a pick-me-up during your workday? When your inbox is overflowing, and your to-do list keeps growing, sometimes a good laugh is the best medicine. That's when these funny inspirational quotes will help you through the daily hustle.
Whether you need a quick mood boost, a witty comment for that never-ending meeting, or something to break the ice with a coworker, we've got you covered. From the timeless humor of Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde to laugh-out-loud moments from The Office, these quotes will add a little joy to your workday. So, shall we make you laugh?
The power of humor in the workplace
Work isn't always about promotions and success stories. Between looming deadlines, messy teamwork, and unrewarded hard work, the daily grind can be demanding. That's where humor can become your secret workplace weapon, relieving stress, strengthening collaboration, and making challenges more manageable.
A well-timed joke can improve productivity and foster better workplace relationships. After all, if The Office taught us anything, it's that humor is essential for surviving the daily grind (and that staplers in Jell-O are hilarious).
118 funny work quotes to boost morale and simply have a good laugh
Since laughter is a productivity hack, here are some quotes to help crack the code:
"People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day." — Winnie the Pooh
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." — Thomas Edison
"It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care." — Peter Gibbons, Office Space
"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary." — Vince Lombardi
"There are no traffic jams along the extra mile." — Zig Ziglar
"Teamwork means never having to take all the blame yourself." — Letty Cottin Pogrebin
"Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow internet to see who they really are." — Will Ferrell
"The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs... one step at a time." — Joe Girard
"You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new." — Steve Jobs
"Lots of folks confuse bad management with destiny." — Kin Hubbard
"The best way to predict the future is to create it." — Peter Drucker
"I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them." — Phyllis Diller
"Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment." — Robert Benchley
"Every day, I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work." — Robert Orben
"The only thing that ever sat its way to success was a hen." — Sarah Brown
"Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success…unless there's a group project." — Henry Ford (probably)
"Sometimes it's nice not to destroy the world for a change." — Randall Munroe
Read or listen to the full summary of 'What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions' by Randall Munroe on the Headway app.
18 "I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it." — Bill Gates
"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow." — Mark Twain
"I like work; it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours." — Jerome K. Jerome
"If hard work is the key to success, most people would rather pick the lock." — Claude McDonald
"Procrastinate now, don't put it off." — Ellen DeGeneres
"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive." — Elbert Hubbard
"The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one." — Oscar Wilde
"Death is the ultimate vacation: you're with the stars, you don't have to pay rent, everyone loves you, and nothing hurts. So, it's very important you save death for later." ― Karl Kristian Flores
"A lot of people quit looking for work once they find a job." — Zig Ziglar
"Behind every successful man is a surprised mother-in-law." — Voltaire
"People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything." — Thomas Sowell
"Some people graduate with honors; I am just honored to graduate." — John F. Kennedy
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." — Thomas Edison
"By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day." — Robert Frost
"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." — Charles Schulz
"Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?" — Edgar Bergen
"Life is pain. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something." ― William Goldman
"Work is against human nature. The proof is that it makes us tired." — Michel Tournier
"The reward for good work is more work." — Francesca Elisia
"Some people think they're the only ones who can do things well. But the truth is, they're probably not doing it any better than you, just louder." — Thomas Erikson
Learn more in the full summary of 'Surrounded by Idiots' by Thomas Erikson on the Headway app.
38 "Behind every great employee is a substantial amount of coffee." ― Stephanie Piro
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." — Douglas Adams
"Mondays are fine. It's your job that sucks." — Garfield
"Why do they call it rush hour when nothing moves?" — Robin Williams
"It's funny how the people who know the least about you, always have the most to say." ― Oscar Auliq-Ice
"Doing nothing is hard. You never know when you're done." — Leslie Nielsen
"When pointing out the flaws in others, people always end up talking about themselves." ― Claire Chilton
"I'm not great at advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?" — Chandler Bing, Friends
"Don't try to be somebody that society wants you to be; that's stupid. So be yourself." ― Christina Grimmie
"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito." — Dalai Lama
Learn more in the summary of 'The Book of Joy' by Dalai Lama on the Headway app.
48 "Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else." — Margaret Mead
"If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you." — Steven Wright
"Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is you're stupid and make bad decisions." ― Marion G. Harmon
"For someone as amazing as you, attention is like food, and you're always hungry." ― Seth McDonough
"I am not pointing fingers, but rather pointing at the facts, as the facts point fingers regardless." ― Nathan Hong
"No, I hate this game because it's boring. You hate this game because you're bad at it." ― Lauren Roberts
"The lesson of history is that no one learns." ― Steven Erikson
"It should go without saying that anyone who introduces themselves as 'a bit weird' is almost certainly not." — Shaun Bythell
Get more insights in the summarized version of 'Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops' by Shaun Bythell on the Headway app.
56 "People who never do any more than they get paid for, never get paid for any more than they do." — Elbert Hubbard
"You don't get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour." — Jim Rohn
"Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get." — Ray Kroc
"Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work." — Robert Orben
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." — Thomas Edison
"Teamwork means never having to take all the blame yourself." — Letty Cottin
"Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called everybody, and they meet at the bar." — Drew Carey
"Confidence is 10% hard work and 90% delusion." — Tina Fey
"I choose a lazy person to do a hard job, because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it." — Bill Gates
"By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be the boss and work twelve hours a day." — Robert Frost
"Life is like a sewer… what you get out of it depends on what you put into it." — Tom Lehrer
"If you can't be kind, at least be vague." — Judith Martin
"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." — Oscar Wilde
"Instant gratification takes too long." — Carrie Fisher
"Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger." — Franklin P. Jones
"Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things." — George Carlin
"There never was a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him asleep." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
"God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I am so far behind that I will never die." — Bill Watterson
"I'm sick of following my dreams, man. I'm just going to ask where they're going and hook up with them later." — Mitch Hedberg
"I have thought that if work were such a splendid thing, the rich would have kept more of it for themselves." — Bruce Grocott
"If you can laugh at your problems, you'll never run out of material!" — Kevin Hart
"Never let people dictate what you can and can't do. So wear that sequined jacket!" — Kate Hudson
"Keep smiling even when it feels like the world is falling apart. It confuses everyone!" — Lucy Liu
"Bad decisions make good stories." — Ellis Vidler
"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." — Ayn Rand
"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." — Charles M. Schulz
"When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them." — Rodney Dangerfield
"I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it." — Mae West
"Eating your frog doesn't have to be a metaphorical frog. In fact, I prefer to eat real frogs, because they're delicious and make you feel like a champion." — Brian Tracy
Explore new tricks and tactics to stay productive in the full summary of 'Eat That Frog! 21 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time' by Brian Tracy on the Headway app.
85 "You can't have everything. Where would you put it?" — Steven Wright
"Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city." — George Burns
"I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific." — Lily Tomlin
"I am an early bird and a night owl… so I am wise and I have worms." — Michael Scott (character from "The Office")
"The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces." — Will Rogers
"You never know how much you appreciate coffee until you don't have any!" — Chris Pratt
"Being silly is sometimes the best form of therapy!" — Michelle Obama
"In life, every failure is just a new punchline waiting to happen!" — Steve Carell
"Don't take life too seriously; you can't make it out alive!" — Eliza Dushku
"Smile and the world will smile with you. Laugh and the world will wonder what's wrong!" — Cardi B
"Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town." — George Carlin
"The key to solving any problem at work is asking better questions. Unfortunately, asking questions like 'Why is this my responsibility?' doesn't help anyone." — John G. Miller
Read the full summary of 'QBQ! The Question Behind the Question' by John G. Miller on the Headway app.
97 "Whenever you leave behind failure, you're doing good. If you think everything you've done is great, you're probably dumb." — Louis C.K.
For fast-acting relief, try slowing down." — Lily Tomlin
"If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead."
— Johnny Carson"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive." — Elbert Hubbard
"Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else." — Margaret Mead
"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." — Jack London
"Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." — Miles Kington
"Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy." — Benjamin Franklin
"A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks." — Charles Gordy
"To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone." — Reba McEntire
"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book." — Groucho Marx
"A smile is a curve that sets everything straight." — Phyllis Diller
Funny motivational quotes, one-liners
"It's amazing how much we can get done the day before vacation." — Zig Ziglar
"I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific." — Lily Tomlin
"Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit." — George Carlin
"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." — Groucho Marx
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." — Will Rogers
"The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits." — Albert Einstein
"Lost time is never found again." — Benjamin Franklin
"You can only be young once. But you can always be immature." — Dave Barry
"Work is the greatest thing in the world, so we should always save some of it for tomorrow." — Don Herold
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on." — Franklin D. Roosevelt
From The Office to Homer Simpson, pop culture has given us some of the funniest workplace moments. Think about Michael Scott's cringeworthy leadership attempts or Homer's complete disregard for nuclear safety. These characters highlight just how absurd and hilarious the modern workplace can be.
Memes have also taken over office culture — whether it's the classic "This Meeting Could Have Been an Email" or the famous "First Day vs. Third Month at Work" meme, humor spreads quickly through social media.
Final thoughts: Grow with Headway summaries
While work can be exhausting, frustrating, and downright absurd, a little humor can make it more bearable. These funny work quotes can help you power through tough workdays, endless meetings, or moments when you just need a pick-me-up.
Plus, growth and learning can make your work fulfilling. At Headway, we believe in making self-improvement easy, accessible, and fun. Our bite-sized book summaries offer actionable insights to help you stay ahead in your career — whether you're looking to boost productivity, manage stress, or develop new skills.
Take a break from the daily grind and invest in yourself. After all, the best way to tackle work confidently is to keep learning. Explore Headway's collection of top productivity and personal growth books to fuel your success, one page at a time.
