John F. Kennedy Quotes & Sayings
Enjoy the top 100 famous quotes, sayings and quotations by John F. Kennedy.
Famous Quotes By John F. Kennedy
While we shall never weary in the defense of freedom, neither shall we ever abandon the pursuit of peace. — John F. Kennedy
Libraries should be open to all - except the censor.
[Response to questionnaire in Saturday Review, October 29 1960] — John F. Kennedy
The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth. — John F. Kennedy
No country can possibly move ahead, no free society can possibly be sustained, unless it has an educated citizenry whose qualities of mind and heart permit it to take part in the complicated and increasingly sophisticated decisions that pour not only upon the President and upon the Congress, but upon all the citizens who exercise the ultimate power. — John F. Kennedy
I am not so much concerned with the right of everyone to say anything he pleases as I am about our need as a self-governing people to hear everything relevant. — John F. Kennedy
The great French Marshall Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardner objected that the tree was slow growing and wouldn't reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshall replied, In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon! — John F. Kennedy
A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. Ideas have endurance without death. — John F. Kennedy
If the self-discipline of the free cannot match the iron discipline of the mailed fist, in economic, political, scientific, and all the other kinds of struggles, as well as the military, then the peril to freedom will continue to rise. — John F. Kennedy
When we got into office, the thing that surprised me most was to find that things were just as bad as we'd been saying they were. — John F. Kennedy
A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers. — John F. Kennedy
There is no sense in agreeing or desiring that the United States take an affirmative position in outer space, unless we are prepared to do the work and bear the burdens to make it
successful. — John F. Kennedy
If we fail to encourage physical development and prowess, we will undermine our capcity for thought, for work, and for use of those skills vital to an expanding and complex America. — John F. Kennedy
Our national conservation effort must include the complete spectrum of resources: air, water, and land; fuels, energy, and minerals; soils, forests, and forage; fish and wildlife. Together they make up the world of nature which surrounds us- of the American heritage. — John F. Kennedy
I want to emphasize in the great concentration which we now place upon scientists and engineers how much we still need the men and women educated in the liberal tradition, willing to take the long look, undisturbed by prejudices and slogans of the moment, who attempt to make an honest judgment on difficult events. — John F. Kennedy
The 1930s, Kennedy said, 'taught us a clear lesson; aggressive conduct, if allowed to go unchecked and unchallenged, ultimately leads to war. — John F. Kennedy
The United States, as the world knows, will never start a war. We do not want a war. We do not now expect a war. This generation of Americans has already had enough - more than enough - of war and hate and oppression. We shall be prepared if others wish it. We shall be alert to try to stop it. But we shall do our part to build a world of peace where the weak are safe and the strong are just. We are not helpless before that task or hopeless of its success. — John F. Kennedy
We cannot reform the world ... Uncle Sugar is as dangerous a role for us to play as Uncle Shylock. — John F. Kennedy
If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.
[Inaugural Address, January 20 1961] — John F. Kennedy
I know there is a God - I see the storm coming and I see his hand in it - if he has a place then I am ready - we see the hand. — John F. Kennedy
Persons are judged to be great because of the positive qualities they possess, not because of the absence of faults. — John F. Kennedy
For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed. — John F. Kennedy
Freedom is not merely a word or an abstract theory, but the most effective instrument for advancing the welfare of man. — John F. Kennedy
I believe in human dignity as the source of national purpose, human liberty as the source of national action, the human heart as the source of national compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our invention and our ideas — John F. Kennedy
We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.
[Remarks on the 20th Anniversary of the Voice of America; Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, February 26, 1962] — John F. Kennedy
We also need the provisions in the tax bill that will permit working mothers to increase the deduction from income tax liability for costs incurred in providing care for their children while the mothers are working. In October the Commission on the Status of Women will report to me. This problem should have a high priority, and I think that whatever we leave undone this year we must move on this in January. — John F. Kennedy
The labor movement is people. Our unions have brought millions of men and women together, made them members one of another, and given them common tools for common goals. Their goals are goals for all America - and their enemies are the enemies for progress. The two cannot be separated. — John F. Kennedy
Only in the case of the Negro has the melting pot failed to bring a minority into the full stream of American life. — John F. Kennedy
Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength of the nation. — John F. Kennedy
I am grateful to those Members of Congress who worked so diligently to guide the Equal Pay Act through. It is a first step. It affirms our determination that when women enter the labor force they will find equality in their pay envelopes. — John F. Kennedy
Our problems are manmade
therefore, they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Man's reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable
and we believe they can do it again. — John F. Kennedy
Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.
[Undelivered remarks for Dallas Trade Mart, November 22 1963] — John F. Kennedy
There is only one rule by which to judge if God is near us or is far away - the rule that God's word is giving us today: everyone concerned for the hungry, the naked, the poor, for those who have vanished in police custody, for the tortured, for prisoners, for all flesh that suffers, has God close at hand. We have the ability, we have the means, and we have the capacity to eliminate hunger from the face of the earth. We need only the will. — John F. Kennedy
There will always be dissident voices heard in the land, expressing opposition without alternatives, finding fault but never favor, perceiving gloom on every side and seeking influence without responsibility. — John F. Kennedy
You can milk a cow the wrong way once and still be a farmer, but vote the wrong way on a water tower and you can be in trouble. — John F. Kennedy
We will neglect our cities to our peril, for in neglecting them we neglect the nation. — John F. Kennedy
We believe that when men reach beyond this planet, they should leave their national differences behind them. — John F. Kennedy
O God, Thy Sea Is So Great And My Boat Is So Small — John F. Kennedy
No responsibility of government is more fundamental than the responsibility of maintaining the highest standard of ethical behavior for those who conduct the public business. — John F. Kennedy
The very word Secrecy is repugnant in a free and open society. — John F. Kennedy
I ask particularly that those of you who are now in school will prepare yourselves to bear the burden of leadership over the next 40 years here in the United States, and make sure that the United States - which I believe almost alone has maintained watch and ward for freedom - that the United States meet its responsibility. That is a wonderful challenge for us as a people. — John F. Kennedy
The basis of self-government and freedom requires the development of character and self-restraint and perseverance and the long view. And these are qualities which require many years of training and education. — John F. Kennedy
The science of weapons and war has made us all one world and one human race with one common destiny. — John F. Kennedy
Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. — John F. Kennedy
If I had to live my life over again, I would have a different father, a different wife and a different religion. — John F. Kennedy
It is true that my predecessor did not object, as I do, to pictures of one's golf skill in action. But neither, on the other hand, did he ever bean a Secret Serviceman. — John F. Kennedy
History will never accept difficulties as an excuse. — John F. Kennedy
For if Freedom and Communism were to compete for mans allegiance in a world at peace, I would look to the future with ever increasing confidence. — John F. Kennedy
We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world or to make it the last. — John F. Kennedy
Most of us are conditioned for many years to have a political viewpoint - Republican or Democratic, liberal, conservative, or moderate. The fact of the matter is that most of the problems that we now face are technical problems, are administrative problems. They are very sophisticated judgments, which do not lend themselves to the great sort of passionate movements which have stirred this country so often in the past. - They deal with questions which are now beyond the comprehension of most men. — John F. Kennedy
The new and terrible dangers which man has created can only be controlled by man. — John F. Kennedy
Of all the multitudes who throughout history have spoken for human dignity in times of great suffering and loss, no voice is more compelling than that of Anne Frank. — John F. Kennedy
I am flatly opposed to appointment of an ambassador to the Vatican. Whatever advantages it might have in Rome - and I'm not convinced of these - they would be more than offset by the divisive effect at home. — John F. Kennedy
There are those who regard this history of past strife and exile as better forgotten. But, to use the phrase of Yeats, let us not casually reduce "that great past to a trouble of fools." For we need not feel the bitterness of the past to discover its meaning for the present and the future. — John F. Kennedy
Economic growth without social progress lets the great majority of the people remain in poverty, while a privileged few reap the benefits of rising abundance. — John F. Kennedy
Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction. — John F. Kennedy
Struggle for freedom. Where people are denied the right of choice, recourse to such struggle is the only means of achieving their liberties. — John F. Kennedy
It is not only the unit vote for the Presidency we are talking about, but a whole solar system of governmental power. If it is proposed to change the balance of power of one of the elements of the solar system, it is necessary to consider the others. — John F. Kennedy
As far as the job of President goes, its rewarding and I've given before this group the definition of happiness for the Greeks. I'll define it again: the full use of your powers along lines of excellence. I find, therefore, that the Presidency provides some happiness. — John F. Kennedy
A wall is a hell of a lot better than a war. — John F. Kennedy
With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own. — John F. Kennedy
All over the world, particularly in the newer nations, young men are coming to power
men who are not bound by the traditions of the past
men who are not blinded by the old fears and hates and rivalries
young men who can cast off the old slogans and delusions and suspicions. — John F. Kennedy
Change is the law of life. — John F. Kennedy
I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris, and I have enjoyed it. — John F. Kennedy
Only in winter can you tell which trees are truly green. Only when the winds of adversity blow can you tell whether an individual or a country has steadfastness. — John F. Kennedy
This knowledge, the knowledge that the physical well-being of the citizen is an important foundation for all of the activities of the nation, is as old as Western civilization itself. But it is a knowledge which today, in America, we are in danger of forgetting. — John F. Kennedy
I'm 43 years old and I'm the healthiest candidate for the Presidency of the United States. You've travelled with me enough to know that I'm not going to die in office. — John F. Kennedy
In a world of danger and trial, peace is our deepest aspiration. — John F. Kennedy
Never before has man had such capacity to control his own environment, ... We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind in the history or the world - or make it the last. — John F. Kennedy
In a time of domestic crisis, men of goodwill and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics. — John F. Kennedy
Suspicion on one side breeds suspicion on the other, and new weapons beget counter-weapons. — John F. Kennedy
Forbidden fruit tastes sweet, but its aftertaste is bitter. — John F. Kennedy
For to save mankind's future freedom, we must face up to any risk that is necessary. We will always seek peace
but we will never surrender. — John F. Kennedy
Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future. — John F. Kennedy
All my life Ive known better than to depend on the experts. How could I have been so stupid, to let them go ahead? — John F. Kennedy
Neither the fanatics nor the faint-hearted are needed. And our duty as a Party is not to our Party alone, but to the nation, and, indeed, to all mankind. Our duty is not merely the preservation of political power but the preservation of peace and freedom.
So let us not be petty when our cause is so great. Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves when our Nation's future is at stake.
Let us stand together with renewed confidence in our cause
united in our heritage of the past and our hopes for the future
and determined that this land we love shall lead all mankind into new frontiers of peace and abundance. — John F. Kennedy
I want every American to be free to stand up for his rights, even if sometimes he has to sit down for them. — John F. Kennedy
A medical revolution has extended the life of our elder citizens without providing the dignity and security those later years deserve. — John F. Kennedy
I am the Democratic Party's candidate for president who happens also to be a Catholic. I do not speak for my church on public matters - and the church does not speak for me. — John F. Kennedy
Our economy today depends upon women in the labor force. One out of three workers is a woman. Today, there are almost 25 million women employed, and their number is rising faster than the number of men in the labor force. — John F. Kennedy
Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures. And however undramatic the pursuit of peace, that pursuit must go on.
[Address before the United Nations, September 20 1963] — John F. Kennedy
The Kennedy Administration's public pronouncements on the matter suggested that the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Castro's Cuba would represent an unacceptable strategic threat to the United States ... This urgent transformation of Cuba into an important strategic base - by the presence of these large, long-range, and clearly offensive weapons of sudden mass-destruction - constitutes an explicit threat to the peace and security of all the Americas ... — John F. Kennedy
If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. — John F. Kennedy
Just because we cannot see clearly te end of the road, that is no reason for not setting out on the essential journey. — John F. Kennedy
I know my Republican friends were glad to see my wife feeding an elephant in India. She gave him sugar and nuts. But of course the elephant wasn't satisfied. — John F. Kennedy
If we could ever competitively, at a cheap rate, get fresh water from saltwater, ..(this) would be in the long-range interests of humanity which could really dwarf any other scientific accomplishments. — John F. Kennedy
There's an old saying. Never send a boy to do a man's job, send a lady. — John F. Kennedy
[War] can no longer be of concern to great powers alone. — John F. Kennedy
And when at some future date the high court of history sits in judgment on each of us, recording whether in our brief span of service we fulfilled our responsibilities to the state, our success or failure, in whatever office we hold, will be measured by the answers to four questions: First, were we truly men of courage ... Second, were we truly men of judgment ... Third, were we truly men of integrity ... Finally, were we truly men of dedication?- — John F. Kennedy
A nation can be no stronger abroad than she is at home. Only an America which practices what it preaches about equal rights and social justice will be respected by those whose choice affects our future. — John F. Kennedy
Foreign aid is a method by which the United States maintains a position of influence and control around the world — John F. Kennedy
We can have faith in the future only if we have faith in ourselves. — John F. Kennedy
My brother Bob doesn't want to be in government - he promised Dad he'd go straight. — John F. Kennedy
I ask that you offer to the political arena, and to the critical problems of our society which are decided therein, the benefit of the talents which society has helped to develop in you. I ask you to decide, as Goethe put it, whether you will be an anvilor a hammer. The question is whether you are to be a hammerwhether you are to give to the world in which you were reared and educated the broadest possible benefits of that education. — John F. Kennedy
There are indications because of new inventions, that 10, 15, or 20 nations will have a nuclear capacity, including Red China, by the end of the Presidential office in 1964. This is extremely serious ... I think the fate not only of our own civilization, but I think the fate of world and the future of the human race, is involved in preventing a nuclear war. — John F. Kennedy
A great change is at hand, and our task, our obligation, is to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all. — John F. Kennedy