60 Public Domain Quotes to Uplift and Inspire You

Discover original thoughts from free-thinkers that belong to the world with these public domain quotes!

Here, we have created a list of the best public domain quotes and some valuable information on the topic.

So without any further ado, let’s dive in!

What are Public Domain Quotes?

Public domain quotes aren’t restricted by copyright.

These quotes provide a wide range of intellectual perspectives usually associated with wise minds.

Anyone can use these quotes without obtaining prior permission from the creators or authors of these quotes.

So, one can use quotes from a public domain work. 

Why Public Domain Quotes are so Popular

First, public domain quotes are written or spoken by people who contribute in various ways.

For instance:

• Science 
• Society 
• Literature 
• Philosophy 

These people leave an indelible mark on the readers’ minds or society at large.

People from all walks of life are attracted to these quotes as they resonate with their lives. 

In addition, we can also understand the intellectual level and learn about the inspirations of our predecessors.

Often, these are great everyday quotes that lift spirits and offer hope and happiness.

Expression of Human Experience

Public domain quotes serve as a way to express the experience of different people.

These quotes talk about themes like:

• Love 
• Loss 
• Purpose 
• Happiness 
• Resilience

In addition, public domain quotes let us understand that struggles and emotions are part of our lives. 

It usually happens that we find a quote that resonates with our past. 

This kind of deep resonance serves as a mirror that reflects our aspirations, feelings, and thoughts.

These are the moments when public domain quotes connect us to our past.

Quotes like these remind us that we are not alone and others feel the same way. 

Historical and Educational Significance

Public domain quotes are exceptionally valuable, especially regarding historical or educational significance. 

These quotes can provide us with the necessary insights into the minds of influential people.

We can learn about people’s thinking processes and intellectual levels from different eras by reading public domain quotes.

So, these quotes are highly valuable for students, scholars, or researchers.

Use Public Domain Quotes Responsibly

Although anyone can use public domain quotes, it is essential to use them responsibly. 

Especially when using such quotes in your work, you should mention the correct name of the author. 

This helps to respect the author’s work and allows acknowledging their intellectual property.

So, it is highly recommended to provide correct citations when using public domain quotes. 

Top 10 Public Domain Quotes

Here are the best public domain quotes.

1. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky

2. “All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” — Buddha

3. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi

4. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” — Socrates

5. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” — Lao Tzu

6. “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” — Malcolm X

7. “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” — Robert Frost

8. “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” — Dalai Lama

9. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela

10. “Don’t go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thought-provoking Public Domain Quotes

These quotes are thought-provoking and deep.

11. “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” — Alan Kay

12. “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi

13. “The mind is everything. What you think you become.” — Buddha

14. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas Edison

15. “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” — Albert Einstein

16. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” — Maya Angelou

17. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” — Edmund Burke

18. “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

19. “You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you.” — Brian Tracy

20. “There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” — Bruce Lee

Inspiring Public Domain Quotes

These quotes inspire us to continue striving and moving forward.

21. “The journey is the reward.” — Tao

22. “No legacy is so rich as honesty.” — Shakespeare                      

23. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt

24. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs

25. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” — Confucius

26. “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” — Albert Einstein

27. “We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” — Max DePree

28. “If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up.” — J.M. Power

29. “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” — Bruce Lee

30. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” — Martin Luther King Jr.

Public Domain Quotes that Motivate

Many public domain quotes serve to motivate us, as these quotes show.

31. “The best way out is always through.” — Robert Frost

32. “There is no substitute for hard work.” — Thomas Edison

33. “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” — Will Rogers

34. “Life is tough, but it’s tougher when you’re stupid.” — John Wayne

35. “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” — Winston Churchill

36. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” — Zig Ziglar

37. “I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.” — Harry S. Truman

38. “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” — Michael Jordan

39. “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.” — Alexander

40. “I don’t want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me.” — Jack Nicholson

More Public Domain Quotes

Here are some bonus public domain quotes with mixed vibes.

41. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” — Socrates

42. “The greatest wealth is to live content with little.” — Lao Tzu

43. “The future depends on what you do today.” — Mahatma Gandhi

44. “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” — Norman Vincent Peale

45. “Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things.” — George Carlin

46. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill

47. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Nelson Mandela

48. “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” — Albert Einstein

49. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

50. “I am the punishment of God…If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” — Genghis Khan

51. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” ― Martin Luther King Jr

52. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” ― Nelson Mandela

53. “To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.” ― David Viscott

54. “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” ― Albert Einstein

55. “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” ― Mother Teresa

56. “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt

57. “To thine own self be true.” ― William Shakespeare

58. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt

59. It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” ― Charles Darwin

60. “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” ― Oscar Wilde

Which One of these Public Domain Quotes is your Favorite? 

Public domain quotes are inspiring and engaging.

By simply reading public domain quotes, you can collect pearls of wisdom.

These are gems and timeless pieces which will always inspire people around the globe. 

You might have come across a few favorites when going through the list of our top public domain quotes.

If this is so, you can share with us a public domain quote that inspires you the most in the comment section.

We are looking forward to hearing from you!