If you loved every episode of The Office, you’ll no doubt enjoy this collection of the best Michael Scott quotes, too!
The Office is an iconic American mockumentary depicting the lives of the employees of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It has many unforgettable characters with unique personalities that’ll no doubt be relevant to a multitude of audiences.
Among the characters is Michael Scott, the main protagonist of the show. He’s the regional manager of the company’s Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch.
Michael Scott is a goofball and a jokester, leading to many hilarious scenes that are iconic for many The Office fans. However, apart from all his funny quips on one’s office life, he also has some great lessons to share when it comes to leadership, friendship, and love.
So, join us as we reminisce about Michael Scott’s best scenes and lines! We’ve listed his most famous quotes below.
And don’t forget to check out these Prison Mike quotes.
Best Michael Scott Quotes
1. “You know what they say. Fool me once, strike one, but fool me twice, strike three.”
2. “Do I need to be liked? Absolutely not. I like to be liked. I enjoy being liked. I have to be liked. But it’s not like this compulsive need like my need to be praised.”
3. “Society teaches us that having feelings and crying is bad and wrong. Well, that’s baloney, because grief isn’t wrong. There’s such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown.
4. “Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.”
5. “Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you are getting the best possible information.”
6. “You know, sometimes, to get perspective, I like to think about a spaceman on a star, incredibly far away. And our problems don’t matter to him because we’re just a distant point of light.”
7. “You should never settle for who you are. Always go for better if it exists. Sometimes this is all there is to improve yourself.”
Inspirational Michael Scott Quotes That Are Deeper Than They Seem
8. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take—Wayne Gretzky.”
9. “An office is for not dying. An office is a place to live life to the fullest, to the max, to—an office is a place where dreams come true.”
10. “And I knew exactly what to do. But in a much more real sense, I had no idea what to do.”
11. “Hate is the most useless of all emotions; success is the best revenge.”
12. “The only time I set the bar low is for limbo. Always keep the bar raised no matter what.”
13. “Sometimes, I’ll start a sentence, and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.”
14. “Reverse psychology is an awesome tool. I don’t know if you guys know about it, but, basically, you make someone think the opposite of what you believe. And that tricks them into doing something stupid. Works like a charm.”
15. “We do not always get what we want; sometimes, life presents us with surprises.”
16. “My philosophy is, basically, this. And this is something that I live by. And I always have. And I always will. Don’t, ever, for any reason, do anything, to anyone, for any reason, ever, no matter what, no matter where, or who you are with, or, or where you are going, or, or where you’ve been. Ever. For any reason. Whatsoever.”
Michael Scott Quotes About Friends
17. “Friends joke with one another. Hey, you’re poor. Hey, your momma’s dead. That’s what friends do.”
18. “The people that you work with are, when you get down to it, your very best friends.”
19. “I guess the attitude that I’ve tried to create here is that I’m a friend first and a boss second and probably an entertainer third.”
20. “Make friends first, make sales second, make love third. In no particular order.”
21. “Do I have a special someone? Well, yeah, of course. A bunch of ’em. My employees.”
Michael Scott Quotes on Love and Relationships
22. “Love is the water of life; drink deeply.”
23. “Any man who says he totally understands women is a fool. Because they are un-understandable.”
24. “I live by one rule: no office romances, no way. Very messy, inappropriate—no. But, I live by another rule: Just do it—Nike.”
Michael Scott Quotes for Great Leadership Advice
25. “Now, you may look around and see two groups here. White-collar, blue-collar. But I don’t see it that way. And you know why not? Because I am collar-blind.”
26. “Sometimes you have to take a break from being the kind of boss that’s always trying to teach people things. Sometimes you just have to be the boss of dancing.”
27. “Good managers don’t fire. They hire and inspire.”
28. “People will never be replaced by machines. In the end, life and business are about human connections. And computers are about trying to murder you in a lake. And to me, the choice is easy.”
29. “Granted, maybe this was not the best idea, but at least we care enough about our employees that we are willing to fight for them.”
Funny Michael Scott Quotes for Fans of The Office
30. “Guess what? I have flaws. What are they? Oh, I don’t know. I sing in the shower. Sometimes I spend too much time volunteering. Occasionally I’ll hit somebody with my car. So sue me.”
31. “The worst thing about prison was the Dementors. They were flying all over the place, and they were scary, and they’d come down, and they’d suck the soul out of your body, and it hurt!”
32. “I learned a while back that if I do not text 911, people do not return my calls. Um, but people always return my calls because they think that something horrible has happened.”
33. “If I had a gun with two bullets and I was in a room with Hitler, Bin Laden, and Toby, I would shoot Toby twice.”
34. “I feel like all my kids grew up, and then they married each other. It’s every parent’s dream.”
Short Michael Scott That Are All-Time Favorites
35. “I am Beyoncé, always.”
36. “Well, well, well. How the turntables.”
37. “I’m not superstitious, but I am a little ‘stitious.’”
38. “I. Declare. Bankruptcy!”
39. “You don’t know me; you’ve just seen my penis.”
40. “I love inside jokes. I hope to be a part of one someday.”
Is Michael Scott Your Favorite Character From The Office?
Even if we turn it upside down, The Office is a comedic piece that entertains people all over the globe. However, what makes it different is that it also tackles many issues that need to be talked about.
One way The Office does this is through its fantastic characters like Michael Scott. He may be goofy, but he also has profound and relatable insights on many topics.
For one, he says, “The people that you work with are, when you get down to it, your very best friends.” Often, people spend most of their time at work rather than other aspects of their personal lives.
Sometimes, we don’t even notice it, but we build the deepest connections with our colleagues. After all, they are the ones we share all our troubles and successes with; we are a team, and the ups and downs of work are our common ground.
Michael Scott also teaches us to speak up! Even if we’re not 100% confident that our opinions are correct, what matters most is that we share our thoughts and start a conversation.
He might not be the perfect boss, but one thing’s for sure: Michael Scott is an inspiring leader. With that, we hope we were able to give you a better understanding of his character through this collection of quotes.
