Mindy Kaling Quotes

Powerful Mindy Kaling for Daily Growth

About Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling, born Vera Mindy Chokalingam on June 24, 1979, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is an acclaimed American actress, writer, producer, and comedian best known for her role as Kelly Kapoor on the television series 'The Office' and creating the popular sitcom 'The Mindy Project.' Born to Indian immigrants from Chennai, India, Kaling was raised in a cultural melting pot of Cambridge. Her parents, Rajkumar and Swati Chokalingam, were both scientists at MIT, which influenced her early interest in storytelling as a means of connecting with diverse cultures. Kaling's passion for comedy started during high school when she wrote humor pieces for the Harvard-Westlake School's newspaper and yearbook. She pursued this interest further at Dartmouth College, where she majored in playwriting. Post-graduation, Kaling worked as a staff writer on 'The Office,' which allowed her to create the beloved character of Kelly Kapoor. In 2012, Kaling ventured into television production with 'The Mindy Project,' loosely based on her own experiences. The series ran for six seasons and was praised for its humor and portrayal of strong female characters. Kaling also starred in the show, solidifying her status as a multi-talented entertainer. Kaling has authored several bestselling books, including 'Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)' and 'Why Not Me?' These memoirs offer insight into her personal life, career, and thoughts on feminism, race, and the entertainment industry. Today, Kaling continues to make waves in Hollywood as a trailblazer for South Asian women in comedy, proving that humor can bridge cultural divides and bring people together.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I think the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time."

The quote suggests that savoring each moment, appreciating the gradual flow of time, is the essence of living a fulfilling life. It underscores the importance of finding joy in experiences, relationships, and personal growth as one navigates through the different stages of life. Time should not be seen as an obstacle or something to be hurried through, but rather as a gift to be cherished and enjoyed at every step of the journey.


"I'm not religious, but I have a spiritual need to be told I did a good job today."

This quote by Mindy Kaling expresses that she does not adhere to organized religion, yet she feels the human need for validation and appreciation, a sense of accomplishment and self-worth, often provided through religious teachings or practices in traditional settings. However, she finds this fulfillment from receiving feedback on her daily achievements instead. This reflects her search for meaning and purpose, not necessarily within a religious framework, but rather from the recognition and approval of her own efforts and accomplishments.


"If you're constantly worrying people will know how insecure you are, just remember that's what makeup is for."

This quote emphasizes a universal human concern about self-perception and the desire to present ourselves confidently in public. Mindy Kaling humorously suggests that makeup can serve as a tool for enhancing one's outer appearance, potentially masking feelings of insecurity and boosting self-esteem. It implies that, while we may feel insecure at times, using cosmetics can help us to put our best face forward, allowing us to navigate through the complexities of social interactions with more ease and confidence.


"Being fat now has zero to do with my self-esteem - or really any other woman's. I am proud of who I am and where I come from, and I hope it inspires other women to define their beauty on their own terms."

Mindy Kaling's quote highlights the personal nature of self-esteem and beauty, emphasizing that one's weight does not dictate these aspects. Instead, she suggests defining beauty based on individual identity and heritage. This inspires other women to create their unique definitions of beauty, freeing them from societal or external pressures that may not align with their personal values and experiences. Essentially, the quote encourages self-love and self-definition, empowering women to embrace their authentic selves.


"I have a theory that if you love your job, you never have to work a day in your life. Because when you do something you love, it feels like play."

Mindy Kaling's quote highlights the transformative power of passion in one's profession. When an individual is genuinely passionate about their job, it ceases to feel like laborious work but rather becomes a form of play or enjoyable activity. This passion-driven approach can create a fulfilling and rewarding work experience, making time seemingly irrelevant because personal satisfaction is derived from the process itself.


The Tweets that I have written that are most popular are the ones that are the kind of universal girly concerns and observations.

- Mindy Kaling

Kind, Most, Observations, Girly

I've always assumed that my parents and my in-laws would live with me when I get older and have children. I just assume it will happen and that it's the right way to do things. It's a deeply Indian custom - that you kind of inherit your parents and your spouse's parents and you take care of them eventually.

- Mindy Kaling

Your, Eventually, Spouse, In-Laws

I fall into that nebulous, quote-unquote, normal American woman size that legions of fashion stylists detest. For the record, I'm a size 8 - this week, anyway. Many stylists hate that size because I think to them, it shows that I lack the discipline to be an ascetic; or the confident, sassy abandon to be a total fatty hedonist.

- Mindy Kaling

Woman, Week, I Think, Ascetic

We always think of a diet with a big groan. But I think diets are fun. I think it is an American pastime for a lot of women.

- Mindy Kaling

Think, Big, Always, Diets

When I was a little kid, I wrote this play about all these characters living in a haunted house. There was a witch who lived there, and a mummy. When they were all hassling him, this guy who bought the house - I can't believe I remember this - he said to them, 'Who's paying the mortgage on this haunted house?' I thought that was really funny.

- Mindy Kaling

Thought, Play, I Remember, Witch

Twitter is the most amazing medium for a comedy writer. I can't get in every idea I want on the show no matter how hard I try to bully the other writers, so it's a way of me getting out other comic ideas and immediately getting feedback.

- Mindy Kaling

Other, Idea, Show, Bully

It used to be that you had to make female TV characters perfect so no one would be offended by your 'portrayal' of women. Even when I started out on 'The Office' eight years ago, we could write our male characters funny and flawed, but not the women. And now, thankfully, it's completely different.

- Mindy Kaling

Perfect, Offended, TV, Portrayal

I try not to put anything political on the forefront of what I'm trying to do creatively. At the same time, I do think it's wonderful when I hear people say that it's inspirational that I'm an Indian woman on camera. My life is very diverse, and my friends are a diverse group of people.

- Mindy Kaling

Woman, My Life, Very, Hear People

I'm someone who loves romance. I always have loved it. Most people who grew up as nerds, as I was, surprisingly, have loved romance.

- Mindy Kaling

Always, Romance, Loves, Surprisingly

If I could make a device where people could just intuit everything you are thinking - a little cable you plug into, like, a USB port, I would make a billion dollars.

- Mindy Kaling

Thinking, Dollars, Would, Billion Dollars

I have a great job writing for 'The Office,' but, really, all television writers do is dream of one day writing movies. I'll put it this way: At the Oscars the most famous person in the room is, like, Angelina Jolie. At the Emmys the huge exciting celebrity is Bethenny Frankel. You get what I mean.

- Mindy Kaling

Office, Celebrity, One Day, None

You should never have to say hello or goodbye. Even at work sometimes, and I know this is very unpopular, is that if I'm going to work every single day, I don't think you should have to hug people hello every single day when you come to work. I saw you Monday!

- Mindy Kaling

Goodbye, Sometimes, Very, Every Single Day

I never want to be called the funniest Indian female comedian that exists. I feel like I can go head-to-head with the best white, male comedy writers that are out there. Why would I want to self-categorize myself into a smaller group than I'm able to compete in?

- Mindy Kaling

Feel, Compete, Smaller, Group

When men hear women want a commitment, they think it means commitment to a romantic relationship, but that's not it. It's a commitment to not floating around anymore. I want a guy who is entrenched in his own life. Entrenched is awesome.

- Mindy Kaling

Think, Want, Means, Floating

In terms of my Indianness, I try not to rely on it nor deny it. When it comes up organically in my writing, we can address it. About five years ago, we wrote this episode of 'The Office,' called 'Diwali,' which seemed like an organic way of using it.

- Mindy Kaling

Office, About, Episode, Organically

I really love 'Bridget Jones's Diary' - and I love the book, too. You wonder how it ever got made into a movie. She's supposed to be chubby, and two of the hottest guys ever are straight-up fighting over her?

- Mindy Kaling

Love, Book, Movie, Chubby

I'm not good at anything except writing jokes. I wasn't good at sports, I wasn't good at anything artsy, ever. I think there was a real worry for a while about what I would be good at. I was just this chubby little Indian kid who looked like a nerd.

- Mindy Kaling

Kid, I Think, About, Chubby

It would be disingenuous of me to blanket-ly love everything a woman has produced simply to make a statement that we're all in this together. No. We're in Hollywood trying to be competitive, and get numbers, have our eyes on the Nielsens and things like that.

- Mindy Kaling

Love, Woman, Hollywood, Disingenuous

I just have my characters say my controversial opinions and then hide behind them.

- Mindy Kaling

Behind, Hide, Characters, Controversial

Anybody can have a birthday. It requires nothing. Murderers have birthdays. It's the opposite of anything that I believe in. And I don't like at work where you stop everything to sing 'Happy Birthday' to someone. I feel like that's for children.

- Mindy Kaling

Birthday, Happy, Anybody, Birthdays

I was always a silent comedy nerd. I would stay up late and sneak downstairs to watch 'Saturday Night Live' and 'Kids in the Hall,' and things like that. Very early on, my parents realized that I was not going to be an engineer or a doctor. I just don't have those inclinations, at all.

- Mindy Kaling

Saturday, Very, Hall, Nerd

I feel lucky because I was a nerd, which I talk about in the book, but I had academic success, so through that, because that's what my parents put a great deal of value on, I had a great childhood because I sort of fulfilled the expectations of being good at school.

- Mindy Kaling

Lucky, Through, Deal, Nerd

Anyone who's lost someone to cancer will say this, that you have to struggle to try to remember the person before the diagnosis happened, because they really do change - as anyone would change.

- Mindy Kaling

Change, Will, Before, Struggle

I was obsessed with being popular in high school and never achieved it. There's photos from our high school musicals, and I'm comically in the deep background, wearing a beggar's costume.

- Mindy Kaling

Deep, Obsessed, Wearing, Costume

As a kid, I always loved serialized books. It's the reason why people love 'Harry Potter.' Serialization is amazing. It works in television. It works in film and it works in books. Especially when you're a young kid, you get attached to these characters.

- Mindy Kaling

Love, Reason, Works, Potter

Catharsis isn't art. You can't rely on catharsis to get a laugh. Because guess what? People do laugh when something's shocking, but that is, to me, the absolute fakest of laughs. That's not something that sustains a television series, or a movie, or even 45 minutes of a stand-up set at Carolines.

- Mindy Kaling

Movie, Laughs, Stand-Up, Shocking

The overlap in the Venn diagram of things that men hate for women to wear and the things that I love to wear, it's almost a full overlap on the Venn diagram, which is unfortunate for me.

- Mindy Kaling

Love, Which, Unfortunate, Overlap

I love that 'Much Ado About Nothing,' passionate, smart fighting. I love fighting with guys, and that's something that I don't get to see: arguing at a high level with a member of the opposite sex. That didn't really happen that much on 'The Office.' I just like that 'Moonlighting,' Benedick-Beatrice type of thing.

- Mindy Kaling

Love, Passionate, Arguing, Opposite Sex

My dad's whole family is in Madras and I was born in America so we didn't have that big Indian community. I don't really have anything interesting to say about it. When I talk about it people are like, 'meh, let's talk about something else.'

- Mindy Kaling

Big, Dad, Something Else, Madras

Twitter is so short, it's safe. I don't want my bosses to be like, 'Hey, your script is due and we saw you wrote four blog pages.'

- Mindy Kaling

Want, Like, Wrote, Hey

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