The 15 Best Quotes from The Office (U.S.)

Loved by many and critically acclaimed for most of its run, The Office (U.S.) is a remarkable sitcom that repeatedly broke the fourth wall and introduced the world to a group of memorable characters. Between Jim and Dwight’s prank war, Michael’s personal shenanigans and the multiple office romances, the show had no shortage of laughs, with moments both hilarious and heartfelt aplenty. In fact, Michael Scott’s entire character is basically a collection of one-liners. With a resurgent popularity of the show and a new generation of individuals watching when it was previously available on Netflix (and now streaming in its new home on Peacock), The Office is still as relevant as it was during its prime, and it’s as funny as ever, too. See for yourself by reading most memorable and funny quotes below.

1. The reality of being a writer

“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.” – Michael Scott, Season 5, “The Duel”

Writing all the time can be monotonous, and we’re betting all journalists or writers have related to this Michael quote at one point in time. In Michael’s case, it seems even speaking is a bit hard for him, and we’ve definitely all been there, too.

2. A tricky artform

“I talk a lot, so I’ve learned to tune myself out.” – Kelly Kapoor, Season 7, “Counseling”

We’ve all learned to tune out others who just don’t seem to shut up, but in Kelly’s case, she’s learned to tune out herself. The self-aware quote is quite ironic, considering Kelly talks the ears off her coworkers, much to their disdain.

3. Would you rather be feared or loved?

“Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.” – Michael Scott, Season 2, “The Fight”

Michael Scott is many things, and when he and Dwight go head-to-head in a fight, we get the answer to a timeless question: Would Michael rather be feared by his coworkers or loved? Plot twist. It’s both.

4. This is how words work, right?

“I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.” – Michael Scott, Season 4, “Fun Run”

Michael is a pro at mixing up the meaning of words, and this time around is no exception. After hitting Meredith with his car and Dwight unsurprisingly killing Angela’s cat, Michael gets “a little stitious” and decides there’s a curse on the office. Seems legit.

5. An honest mood

“If I don’t have some cake soon, I might die.” – Stanley Hudson, Season 4, “Survivor Man”

Stanley is a man of few words, but when he does speak, oh, is it relatable. Suffering through his mundane day-to-day work, Stanley just wants a piece of cake at the joint office birthday party. For heaven’s sake, the man even took an extra shot of insulin.

6. If you didn’t already know, prison isn’t a fun place

“The worst thing about prison was the dementors.” – Michael “Prison Mike” Scott, Season 3, “The Convict”

Michael loves his different characters and Prison Mike may be one of the most beloved by Office fans. From his purple bandana to his offbeat accent that sounds straight out of a cheap gangster film, Prison Mike is a hilarious character, but also not one to mess around with. He has survived the dementors in prison, after all.

7. Where is the line drawn on quality of life?

“No, Rose, they are not breathing. And they have no arms or legs … Where are they? You know what? If we come across somebody with no arms or legs, do we bother resuscitating them? I mean, what quality of life do we have there?” – Michael Scott, Season 5, “Stress Relief”

Season five’s “Stress Relief” is by far one of the funniest episodes of The Office, in which the office’s CPR training session goes haywire—who would’ve thought? Michael doesn’t resuscitate a CPR dummy in time, but in his own backwards mindset, he shouldn’t have anyways. Nonetheless, it leads to one of the Dwight-iest scenes in the entire series.