Men have been known to be the backbone of our society.
But sometimes even the strongest ones need a little inspiration to keep going.
Whether it’s overcoming a personal struggle, achieving a goal, or finding the motivation to tackle the daily grind, this list of inspirational quotes for men will help you find the strength you need to face life’s challenges head-on.
I handpicked them from various online sources and I guarantee they’ll speak directly to the warrior spirit that resides within you.
Let these quotes prepare you to unleash your full potential and inspire you to be the best version of yourself!
Top 10 Inspirational Quotes For Men
1. “The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” — Thomas Paine
2. “Champions come and go, but to be legendary you got to have heart, more heart than the next man, more than anyone in the world.” — Muhammad Ali
3. “Try not to become a man of success, but rather become a man of value.” — Albert Einstein
4. “A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.” — Confucius
5. “There is one rule, above all others, for being a man. Whatever comes, face it on your feet.” — Larissa Ione
6. “If you perform the sacrifice of doing your duty, you do not have to do anything else. Devoted to duty, man attains perfection.” — Bhagavad Gita
7. “There is nothing with which every man is so afraid as getting to know how enormously much he is capable of doing and becoming.” — Søren Kierkegaard
8. “Life is too short to be little. Man is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness and with fervor.” — Benjamin Disraeli
9. “Real men don’t dance to other people’s tune, instead, they play for others to dance.”― Michael Bassey Johnson
10. “A great man does not seek applause or place; he seeks for truth; he seeks the road to happiness, and what he ascertains, he gives to others.” — Robert Green Ingersoll
Encouraging Quotes For Men
1. “If unwilling to rise in the morning, say to thyself, ‘I awake to do the work of a man.’” — Marcus Aurelius
2. “The way of a superior man is three-fold: virtuous, he is free from anxieties; wise, he is free from perplexities; bold, he is free from fear.” — Confucius
3. “If you’re open, you’re vulnerable — but vulnerable to being changed and to being a better man.” — Rege-Jean Page
4. “Try to live the life of the good man who is more than content with what is allocated to him.” — Marcus Aurelius
5. “You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.” — James Froude
6. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Nelson Mandela
7. “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” — James 1:12
8. “Being a male is a matter of birth. Being a man is a matter of choice.” — Edwin Louis Cole
9. “Just remember, there are no quick fixes. But, by taking action just a little bit every day, you will build up a powerful reservoir of confidence, self-esteem, and discipline.” — Scott Allan
10. “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” — Benjamin Franklin
11. “A man knows his limits, but a real man can overcome them.” — Travis Martin
12. “A man who is a master of patience is master of everything else.” — George Savile
13. “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.” — Tommy Lasorda
14. “The mark of a real man, is a man who can allow himself to fall deeply in love with a woman.” — C. JoyBell C.
15. “Believe in yourself. Have faith in your abilities. Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your powers you cannot be successful or happy.” — Norman Vincent Peale
16. “If one advances confidently in the direction of one’s dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” — Henry David Thoreau
17. “A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.” — Confucius
18. “The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.” — Albert Einstein
19. “Man has a choice and it’s a choice that makes him a man.”― John Steinbeck
20. “Here is the manliness of manhood, that a man has a good reason for what he does, and has a will in doing it.” — Alexander MacLaren
21. “It takes a great man to give sound advice tactfully, but a greater to accept it graciously.” — Logan Pearsall Smith
22. “Duty is the essence of manhood.” — General George Patton
23. “The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others.” — Hasidic Proverb
24. “Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought.” — Henri Bergson
25. “Great men do not play stage tricks with the doctrines of life and death: only little men do that.” — John Ruskin
26. “Great hopes make great men.” — Thomas Fuller
27. “Nice guys may appear to finish last, but usually they are running a different race.” — Ken Blanchard
28. “First find the man in yourself if you will inspire manliness in others.” — Thomas Alcott
29. “A man is one whose body has been trained to be the ready servant of his mind; whose passions are trained to be the servants of his will; who enjoys the beautiful, loves truth, hates wrong, loves to do good, and respects others as himself.” — John Ruskin
30. “Strength, Courage, Mastery, and Honor are the alpha virtues of men all over the world.” — Jack Donovan
Good Men Quotes
1. “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” — Marcus Aurelius
2. “The first step to being a good man is this: You must deeply feel the burden of the stones some else [is] carrying.” — Mehmet Murat ildan
3. “The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” — Samuel Johnson
4. “You spend time with your family? Good. Because a man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.” — Don Vito Corleone
5. “The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” — Bob Marley
6. “If a man’s mind becomes pure, his surroundings will also become pure.” — Buddha
7. “Good men who exercise power are really the most fascinating of all people.” — John Keegan
8. “A good man and a wise man may at times be angry with the world, at times grieved for it; but be sure no man was ever discontented with the world who did his duty in it.” — Robert Southey
9. “It takes a great man to be a good listener.” — Calvin Coolidge
10. “Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.” — George Washington
11. “Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though t’were his own.” — Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
12. “He who stops being better stops being good.” — Oliver Cromwell
13. “Nothing deters a good man from doing what is honorable.” — Seneca the Younger
14. “A good man’s prayers will from the deepest dungeon climb heaven’s height, and bring a blessing down.” — Joanna Baillie
15. “Good men have the fewest fears. He has but one great fear who fears to do wrong; he has a thousand who has overcome it.” — Christian Nestell Bovee
16. “It is his nature, not his standing, that makes the good man.” — Publilius Syrus
17. “He who Serves his fellows is, of all his fellows, greatest.” — E. Urner Goodman
18. “The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones.” — Brandon Sanderson
19. “The heart of a good man is the sanctuary of God in this world.” — Suzanne Curchod
20. “The man who is deserving the name is the one whose thoughts and exertions are for others rather than for himself.” — Walter Scott
21. “A good man would prefer to be defeated than to defeat injustice by evil means.” — Sallust
22. “Being a ‘good man’ is something you do, not something you are.” — Luvvie Ajayi
23. “Adversity toughens manhood, and the characteristic of the good or the great man is not that he has been exempt from the evils of life, but that he has surmounted them.” — Patrick Henry
24. “It takes a mighty good man to be better than no man at all.” — Dixie Carter
25. “The good man is the man who, no matter how morally unworthy he has been, is moving to become better.” — John Dewey
26. “One good man, one good man, it ain’t much — it’s only everything.” — Deborah Kerr
27. “No great man ever complains of want of opportunity.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
28. “It is part of a good man to do great and noble deeds, though he risk everything.” — Plutarch
29. “The good man is the friend of all living things.” — Mahatma Gandhi
30. “Though in the order of nature, angels rank above men, yet, by scale of justice, good men are of greater value than bad angels.” — Saint Augustine
Motivational Quotes For Men
1. “You will earn the respect of all men if you begin by earning the respect of yourself.” — Musonius Rufus
2. “It is only when we take chances, when our lives improve. The initial and the most difficult risk that we need to take is to become honest.” — Walter Anderson
3. “If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” — Steve Jobs
4. “If you believe something needs to exist, if it’s something you want to use yourself, don’t let anyone ever stop you from doing it.” — Tobias Lütke
5. “It is not the situation which makes the man, but the man who makes the situation.” — Frederick William Robertson
6. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — Martin Luther King Jr
7. “All fortune belongs to him who has a contented mind.” — The Panchatantra
8. “To have doubted one’s own first principles is the mark of a civilized man.” — Oliver W. Holmes Jr
9. “Pride is much the same in all men, the only difference is the method and manner of showing it.” — François de La Rochefoucauld
10. “To accomplish great things we must not only act but also dream, not only plan but also believe.” — Anatole France
11. “What a man knows should find its expression in what he does. The value of superior knowledge is chiefly in that it leads to a performing manhood.” — Christian Nestell Bovee
12. “There is nothing wrong with being afraid — but there is nothing more wrong than allowing that to be your master.” — Bobby Darin
13. “There are two questions a man must ask himself: The first is ‘Where am I going?’ and the second is ‘Who will go with me?’ If you ever get these questions in the wrong order you are in trouble.” — Sam Keen
14. “Who rises from prayer a better man, his prayer is answered.” — George Meredith
15. “A man needs self-acceptance or he can’t live with himself; he needs self-criticism or others can’t live with him.” — James Pike
16. “You have to be a man before you can be a gentleman.” — John Wayne
17. “Stick to the basics. Do your job. Avoid stupidity. Speak for yourself. Be attentive to details. Put results ahead of being right. Go to bed smarter than when you woke up.” — Shane Parrish
18. “You have to have a bunch of dimensions of yourself. You have to be able to adapt in this world. You can’t be a nice guy living in a world of savages.” — Mike Tyson
19. “A man’s got to have a code, a creed to live by, no matter his job.” — John Wayne
20. “It is not what he has, or even what he does which expresses the worth of a man, but what he is.” — Henri-Frederic Amiel
21. “A man does what he must — in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures — and that is the basis of all human morality.” — John F. Kennedy
22. “Every man of courage is a man of his word.”— Pierre Corneille
23. “A gentleman will open doors, pull out chairs, and carry things. Not because she’s helpless or unable, but because he wants to show her that she is valuable and worthy of respect.” — Charles J. Orlando
24. “A man should be able to hear, and to bear, the worst that could be said of him.” — Saul Bellow
25. “Work hard, be honest, help people, never give up, love your fellow man and woman, give back to society, and don’t ever discriminate.” — Jesse White
26. “A person can achieve everything by being simple and humble.” — The Vedas
27. “I believe the first test of a truly great man is in his humility.” — John Ruskin
28. “Any man worth his salt will stick up for what he believes right, but it takes a slightly better man to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that he is in error.” — Andrew Jackson
29. “And I hope that five years and 10 years from now, I’ll be a better man, a more mature man, a wiser man, a more humble man, and a more spirited man to serve the good of my people and the good of humanity.” — Louis Farrakhan
30. “A man who is not a good friend to himself cannot be so to anyone else.” — John Lubbock
Success Quotes For Men
1. “One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.” — Benjamin Disraeli
2. “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” — Dale Carnegie
3. “To become an able and successful man in any profession, three things are necessary, nature, study, and practice.” — Henry Ward Beecher
4. “The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” — Colin R. Davis
5. “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” — David Brinkley
6. “The first question a leader should ask is: “How can I make those around me more successful?”” — John C. Maxwell
7. “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston S. Churchill
8. “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” — Herman Melville
9. “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” — Og Mandino
10. “Every man must play the part of his ambition. If you are trying to be a successful man, you must play the part.” — Orison Swett Marden
11. “Every great man, every successful man, no matter what the field of endeavor, has known the magic that lies in these words: every adversity has the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit.” — W. Clement Stone
12. “The greater the success, the more it was due to one thing: focus.” — Shane Parrish
13. “You don’t succeed by being perfect. You succeed by doing good work, consistently.” — Thibaut
14. “A strong, successful man is not the victim of his environment. He creates favorable conditions. His own inherent force and energy compel things to turn out as he desires.” — Orison Swett Marden
15. “The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.” — Dale Carnegie
16. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy looking for it.” — Henry David Thoreau
17. “Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.” — Roy T. Bennett
18. “Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.” ―W. P. Kinsella
19. “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” — Estée Lauder
20. “The man who has the courage of his platitudes is always a successful man.” — Van Wyck Brooks
21. “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.” — John Wooden
22. “The influential man is the successful man, whether he be rich or poor.” — Orison Swett Marden
23. “The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you’re in control of your life. If you don’t, life controls you.” — Tony Robbins
24. “Men’s best successes come after their disappointments.” — Henry Ward Beecher
25. “A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.” — Bob Dylan
26. “Success is the progressive realization of predetermined, worthwhile, personal goals.” — Paul J. Meyer
27. “If you want to be successful, find out what the price is and then pay it.” — Scott Adam
28. “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” — Calvin Coolidge
29. “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” — Stephen McCranie
30. “Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember — the only taste of success some people get is to take a bite out of you.” — Zig Ziglar
See also: 220 Best Proverbs About Success To Give You Inspiration
Powerful Quotes For Strong Men
1. “A man may conquer a million men in battle but one who conquers himself is, indeed, the greatest of conquerors.” — Buddha
2. “The stronger a man is, the more gentle he can afford to be.” — Elbert Hubbard
3. “One man with courage makes a majority.” — Andrew Jackson
4. “Strong men don’t compromise, it is said, and principles should never be compromised.” — Andrew Carnegie
5. “Life’s not about hard of a hit you can give….it’s about how many you can take, and still keep moving forward.” — Sylvester Stallone
6. “Don’t wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them.” — Orison Swett Marden
7. “Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed, but not defeated.” — Ernest Hemingway
8. “Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.” — Theodore Roosevelt
9. “Strong beliefs win strong men, and then make them stronger.” — Richard Bach
10. “Anyone can give up; it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone would expect you to fall apart, that’s true strength.” — Chris Bradford
11. “Men are like steel. When they lose their temper, they lose their worth.” — Chuck Norris
12. “Greatness lies, not in being strong, but in the right using of strength, and strength is not used rightly when it serves only to carry a man above his fellows for his own solitary glory. He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own.” — Henry Ward Beecher
13. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” — Robert H. Schuller
14. “Stand true to your calling to be a man. Real women will always be relieved and grateful when men are willing to be men.” — Elisabeth Elliott
15. “You might win some, you might lose some. But you go in, you challenge yourself, you become a better man, a better individual, a better fighter.” — Conor McGregor
16. “This is the mark of a really admirable man: steadfastness in the face of trouble.” — Ludwig van Beethoven
17. “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
18. “Strong men have sound ideas and the force to make these ideas effective.” — Andrew Mellon
19. “Better to be a strong man with a weak point, than to be a weak man without a strong point. A diamond with a flaw is more valuable that a brick without a flaw.” — William J. H. Boetcker
20. “Be very strong…be very methodical in your life if you want to be a champion.” — Alberto Juantorena
21. “Shoes divide men into three classes. Some men wear their father’s shoes. They make no decisions of their own. Some are unthinkingly shod by the crowd. The strong man is his own cobbler. He insists on making his own choices. He walks in his own shoes.” — S. D Gordon
22. “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger
23. “A weak man has doubts before a decision; a strong man has them afterwards.” — Karl Kraus
24. “It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more ‘manhood’ to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind.” — Alex Karras
25. “If we live truly, we shall see truly. It is as easy for the strong man to be strong, as it is for the weak to be weak.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
26. “Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.” — Muhammad Ali
27. “The strongest people are people who faced the toughest situations in life. People who are defeated by the toughest battles are stronger than those who have won by using the escape route!” — Israelmore Ayivor
28. “To feel strong, to walk amongst humans with a tremendous feeling of confidence and superiority is not at all wrong. The sense of superiority in bodily strength is borne out by the long history of mankind paying homage in folklore, song and poetry to strong men.” — Fredrick Hatfield
29. “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.” — John F. Kennedy
30. “A truly strong person does not need the approval of others any more than a lion needs the approval of sheep.” — Vernon Howard
Wise Life Quotes For Men
1. “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” — Epictetus
2. “He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.” — Confucius
3. “A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.” — Confucius Kongzi
4. “Fools hate to look like fools. Wise men don’t care.” — Maxime Lagacé
5. “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” — Abraham Lincoln
6. “Learn as if you will live forever, live like you will die tomorrow.” — Mahatma Gandhi
7. “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill
8. “Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.” — Pablo Picasso
9. “A wise man becomes free when he is ready to die at any moment.” — Diogenes
10. “We are all ready to be savage in some cause. The difference between a good man and a bad one is the choice of the cause.” — William James
See also: 210 Unique Savage Quotes To Embrace Your Bold Attitude
Final Thoughts
I hope my collection of inspirational quotes for men has provided you with the motivation you need to take charge of your life and overcome any obstacle that comes your way.
Remember that as a man, you possess a unique inner strength that can help you push through even the toughest of challenges.
And with these powerful quotes in your arsenal, you have everything you need to unleash your full potential!
Read next: 130 Daily Affirmations For Men To Bring Growth & Success
