Michael Scott's 20 Best Quotes From The Office (2024)

Movie and TV fans are currently rooting for their favorite shows and films during the returning awards season cycle. Unfortunately, despite some great current yearly programming, there are still fans who have a giant The Office-sized hole in their hearts. Even with new award-winning shows to capture everyone’s attention, The Office is still sorely missed.

The Office has only continued to grow in popularity thanks to streaming services introducing the hit series to new fans. Loveable characters like Michael Scott provided unforgettable laughs along with cringe-worthy quotes that helped define Dunder Mifflin’s best manager. Michael Scott’s best quotes showcased his unique character while also entertaining fans.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on May 20, 2024: With news of the new reboot of The Office, take a look back at some of Michael Scott's best quotes in the beloved original American series.

20 “Sometimes I’ll Start A Sentence And I Don’t Know Where It’s Going..."

"The Duel"

When called into the Dunder-Mifflin corporate office in New York City, Michael Scott thinks that he is going to be chastised for any number of things he may have done back in Scranton. Instead, he is surprised to be commended for his fine work by CFO David Wallace, who asks what on earth he is going right that the other branch managers aren't. Taken aback, Michael improvises his responses, coming up with nothing of any help to David.

Michael, as it turns out, sometimes views conversations as improv practice, attempting to say something very wise without saying anything at all. Quite proud of his supposed improvisational skills, Michael gives an equally hilarious title to his ramblings: "Improversation."

19 "I'm Going To Make This Way Harder Than It Needs To Be."

"Employee Transfer"

In Season 5, Michael finally enters a stable relationship with the HR rep, Holly Flax. However, only a few short episodes later, Michael is forced to say goodbye to Holly when she is transferred back to Nashua. When he discovers that Holly plans to break up with him rather than maintain a long-distance relationship, Michael childishly resolves to make things way harder than they need to be.

Michael's childish tantrums make for some of the most hilarious scenes in The Office. However, this time around, things get less funny and more serious as Michael must come to accept the inevitable and respect Holly's wishes to break up. Thankfully, the two star-crossed lovers find a way back to each other in Season 7 and end up getting married.

18 "Don't Ever, For Any Reason, Do Anything To Anyone..."

"The Duel"

Michael Scott's philosophy on good business dealings is very simple: don't ever, for any reason, do anything to anyone for any reason ever. Of course, this line of logic only really works for Michael and comes off as complete nonsense to anyone else who tries to learn from him, including the bewildered David Wallace, who is forced to endure Michael's ramblings.

Despite not even knowing what he does to achieve such success, Michael still manages to be the best branch manager in Dunder-Mifflin. When all other branches are failing, his manages to turn a profit, which makes his incompetence all the more hilarious.

17 "The Worst Thing About Prison Was The Dementors."

"The Convict"

Upon learning that Martin, a recent transfer from Stamford, is an ex-convict, Michael Scott takes it upon himself first to spread the news and then make a big stink about the other employees joking that prison is better than the office. To do so, Michael holds a conference room meeting as a new character, Prison Mike, who has some unusual experiences to share from his time behind bars.

Both entertained and exasperated by Michael's meeting, the employees grill Prison Mike about his time in jail. Having not really done his research, Michael claims that Dementors, the wicked beasts from Harry Potter, were the worst part of prison. This naturally sent the meeting off the rails and went on to become an enduring meme in The Office fandom.

16 "I Am Running Away From My Responsibilities. And It Feels Good."

"Money - Part 2"

After declaring bankruptcy and being forced to quit his second job, Michael begins to unravel. Snapping under the pressure, he runs away to a nearby railway yard and hops aboard a stationary train hoping to skip town. As he does so, the would-be runaway declares that it feels good to run away from his responsibilities.

Michael Scott may be a man in his 40s, but he certainly doesn't act like one. Unable to face the consequences of his own actions, Michael would much rather run away in a fashion he must have seen dozens of times in movies. However, he is eventually convinced to come back by his then-girlfriend Jan.

15 "Well, Well, Well... How The Turntables."

"Broke"

One of Michael Scott's most famous quotes is one of many fumblings of common idioms. "Broke," which was the first episode of The Office directed by Steve Carrell, sees Dunder Mifflin on the verge of a collapse due in part to the discounts offered at the Michael Scott Paper Company. To save Dunder Mifflin, CFO David Wallace attempts to buy out Michael Scott Paper Company not knowing that it's also struggling.

Scott, along with Michael Scott Paper Company employees Pam and Ryan, were called into negotiations where Michael Scott drops this iconic line – messing up the common saying "how the tables have turned." In the end, Michael Scott negotiated the sale for way more than his company's worth as well as getting his, Ryan's, and Pam's jobs back. But it's the awkward delivery of this line and the silence that bookends it that make this line memorable to the point where it has almost entirely replaced the original phrase in modern discourse.

14 "How Long Have You Known About The Pregnancy? A Week? A Month? A Year?"

"Gossip"

If there's one thing Michael Scott dislikes, it's being left out. When Michael Scott realizes he's out of the loop of office-related rumors, he attempts to join in on the art of gossiping. He learns from interns that Stanley was seen dancing with a woman who wasn't his wife, in the process learning that Stanley is having an affair. Michael Scott was all too eager to share this.

Michael Scott regrets spreading this rumor after confronting Stanley about it, so he begins spreading rumors about everyone to dilute the impact. Turns out, his rumor that Pam is pregnant was true. After Jim revealed this, Michael Scott excitedly asks these questions blissfully unaware of how long a pregnancy typically goes for.

13 “I Love Inside Jokes. I Hope To Be A Part Of One Someday.”

"The Convention"

In furtherance of Michael Scott's desire to be a part of everything comes this awkward statement at the Northeastern Mid-Market Office Supply Convention. There, Michael Scott sees Jim who was the Assistant Regional Manager at Dunder Mifflin Stamford. Michael Scott spends the episode trying to understand why Jim left in hopes of bringing him back to the Scranton branch.

When Michael Scott offers Jim and Josh Porter a drink, because "there ain't no party like a Scranton party," Jim makes a reference to a funny moment only he and Josh know, which leaves Michael Scott confused. Jim explains to Michael Scott that it's an inside joke and that it's better to understand had he been there, leading Michael Scott to respond with a smile and declaring his apparent love for inside jokes.

12 ”I... Declare... Bankruptcy!"

"Money"

Michael Scott and money problems go hand-in-hand. In "Money," when Michael Scott's crippling debt has become too much, he secretly takes on a second job as a telemarketer, which begins to affect his work at Dunder Mifflin.

The mysterious Creed, who absolutely should get a spinoff, suggests Michael Scott declare bankruptcy stating that it was "nature's do-over." Once Michael Scott becomes convinced that this is the correct path, he walks into the silent sales floor and forcefully shouts that he declares bankruptcy. This moment is made perfect by Michael Scott's interpretation that simply declaring it was all this was necessary and not an extensive legal process.

11 "Why Are You The Way That You Are?"

"Casino Night"

Michael Scott's hatred of Toby has been the source of many great Michael Scott quotes. Perhaps one of the best Michael Scott quotes about Toby comes from "Casino Night" when Michael Scott announces a casino night event to benefit charity – at least ones that actually exist.

The primary benefactor of the casino night is the Boy Scouts of America who Michael Scott believes was invited. However, Toby explains that they weren't because it was gambling on a school night, among other reasons, so it wouldn't be fitting. A frustrated Michael Scott asks, "Why are you the way that you are?" before continuing, "Honestly, every time I try to do something fun or exciting you make it not that way. I hate so much about the things that you choose to be."

10 "Fool Me Once, Strike One, But Fool Me Twice… Strike Three."

Traveling Salesman”

Michael Scott always had a unique way of improperly turning a phrase, much to the delight of his co-workers and fans. He became well-known for almost knowing catchphrases but unknowingly switching them up at the last minute for hilarious results. It was just one of the many perks of working at Dunder Mifflin.

Former President George W. Bush even hilariously bungled the classic saying, but Michael Scott’s version still stood out to fans. Not only does his turn of the phrase demonstrate a fundamental inability to count, but it also highlights Scott’s own conviction in himself. Michael Scott will still make his point long after he’s realized he’s wrong.

9 "I'm Not Superstitious, But I Am A Little Stitious."

“Fun Run”

A series of incidents that included a virus-frozen computer and Michael Scott hitting his employee Meredith with his car plagued Dunder Mifflin at the beginning of the fourth season. Scott decided that the office had been cursed, and needed a cleansing Fun Run.

Michael Scott further revealed his character's limited understanding of the English language with his use of the word superstitious. Scott was only a little “stitious” instead of the full superstitious, delivered with utmost sincerity by actor Steve Carell to really sell the ridiculous but still hilarious quote to fans.

8 “And I Knew Exactly What To Do. But In A Much More Real Sense, I Had No Idea What To Do.”

"Stress Relief"

In the fifth season, all chaos broke out during one of Dwight's all-too-real fire drills. The mayhem overtaxed Stanley, and he had a heart attack during the drill. Michael Scott attempted to save Stanley's life, but he really just yelled at him instead of offering useful life-saving help.

His comments to the documentary crew after the incident highlighted how unprepared Micahel Scott was when facing life-or-death situations. Not only did he fail during the fire drill, but he also failed to administer CPR or any kind of help. However, Michael Scott's own self-inflated ego dealt with some contradiction as he always knew what to do, even when he didn't know.

7 “Pizza: The Great Equalizer.”

"Boys and Girls"

Michael Scott wasn't always the best manager of Dunder Mifflin, but he sure did try. He spent years putting together the first draft of his novel Somehow I Manage which he gave to Darryl to finish when he left. One of the chapters would have definitely been called "Pizza: The Great Equalizer."

After he led a divisive meeting that almost turned into a drive for unionization, he tried to calm down the workers in the warehouse by ordering some food. He revealed to the delivery driver some of his management tips, including the use of pizza to settle tough conversations. He had to question whether Black people liked pizza in the same moment of wisdom, but otherwise, it worked.

6 “Make Friends First, Make Sales Second, Make Love Third. In No Particular Order.”

"New Leads"

Michael Scott doesn't always have his priorities straight, or even in order. When the Sales staff grew oversized egos in the new Sabre climate, it caused some problems with the rest of the Dunder Mifflin team and put a strain on some of the best friendships in The Office. Michael Scott started reminiscing about the days before Sabre's takeover of Dunder Mifflin.

As Michael Scott listed off the three most important aspects of office life, he chose to make friends, make sales, and make love. He gave each aspect a very specific order as well. Of course, he then invalidated his own statement by saying there was no particular order, further proving that Michael Scott rarely thinks about what he says before he says it.

5 "I Am Beyoncé, Always."

"The Chump"

Michael Scott entered into quite a few relationships during his time on The Office. One of his most questionable was with a married woman named Donna Newton. His role in Donna's infidelity didn't sit well with some of the staff at Dunder Mifflin, especially Andy Bernard.

Bernard tried to make Michael Scott feel the weight of his decision to keep dating Donna and potentially ruin her marriage further. Andy tried to use a film analogy to explain to Michael by comparing his actions to the characters and events from 2009's Obsession. He tried to compare Michael Scott to Ali Larter's character, but Michael corrected him. He is Beyoncé, always.

4 “Would I Rather Be Feared Or Loved? Easy. Both.”

“The Fight”

“I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.” Michael Scott’s unique management style was further explored in the second season episode “The Fight.” After Dwight Schrute proudly achieved his latest belt in karate, Jim Halpert decided to set up a hilarious prank to pass the time.

Jim manipulated Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute into a fight to find out who was the strongest in the office. When Michael Scott somehow took the victory, he revealed the motivations behind his actions. While he enjoyed the love of his friends, the fear he assumed they felt towards him after the fight felt just as good.

3 “The People That You Work With Are, When You Get Down To It, Your Very Best Friends.”

“Michael’s Last Dundies”

Fans quickly learned that Michael Scott was an incredibly lonely person whose quest for love and friendship dominated his character arc. However, it became heartbreakingly clear how close he was with his staff when he decided to leave Dunder Mifflin.

After Michael Scott fell in love with HR representative Holly Flax, he decided to move with her to Colorado and leave Dunder Mifflin. He hosted one last Dundies awards show, where he came to a final and sweet realization. He had found the friends he had been looking for his entire life among the people he had spent years working with at Dunder Mifflin.

2 "That's What She Said."

“Sexual Harassment”

One of Michael Scott’s most recognizable quotes was one he used quite frequently, as it almost always got a laugh from himself, at the very least. Michael Scott first dropped his iconic “That’s what she said” retort in one of the cringiest and most iconic episodes of The Office.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the only time that Michael Scot or other members of Dunder Mifflin’s staff used the sometimes inappropriate catchphrase. Jim and Dwight both used the quote to make Michael Scott laugh at different times. He even dropped it during a legal deposition, proving that sometimes Michael Scott just couldn’t stop himself from trying to make others laugh.

1 "I Feel Like All My Kids Grew Up And Then They Married Each Other. It’s Every Parent’s Dream."

"Finale"

While Michael Scott left The Office to start his family with Holly in Colorado, fans weren't sure if they would ever see the funniest manager of Dunder Mifflin ever again. Of course, The Office broke fans' hearts when Scott surprised his former coworkers and returned to be the best man for Dwight at his wedding to Angela.

Michael Scott didn't have many lines in the final, though what he did say revealed that his character hadn't changed much in the time that he was away. He was so proud of his former employees and how far they had come in their lives, though as usual, his sentimental comment veered into creepy territory despite his wholesome intent.

The Office

TV-14

Sitcom

A mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, and tedium.

Release Date

March 24, 2005

Creator

Greg Daniels, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant

Cast

Steve Carell , John Krasinski , Rainn Wilson , Jenna Fischer

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

9 Seasons

Production Company

Reveille Productions, NBC Universal Television, 3 Arts Entertainment