192 quotes
"Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."
- John F. Kennedy
Leadership
"Victory has a hundred fathers and defeat is an orphan."
- John F. Kennedy
Leadership
"Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future"
- John F. Kennedy
Change
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
- John F. Kennedy
Change
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
- John F. Kennedy
Gratitude
"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
- John F. Kennedy
Motivation
"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try it."
- John F. Kennedy
Determination
"Do not pray for easier lives, pray to be stronger men."
- John F. Kennedy
Strength
"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives."
- John F. Kennedy
Gratitude
"When written in Chinese the word “crisis” is composed of two characters – one represents danger and the other represents opportunity."
- John F. Kennedy
Change
"When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters―one represents danger and the other represents opportunity."
- John F. Kennedy
Change
"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"Democracy is never a final achievement. It is a call to an untiring effort."
- John F. Kennedy
Motivation
"If we are strong, our strength will speak for itself. If we are weak, words will be of no help."
- John F. Kennedy
Strength
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them."
- John F. Kennedy
Gratitude
"The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission."
- John F. Kennedy
Courage
"Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction."
- John F. Kennedy
Determination
"The sun doesn't always shine in West Virginia, but the people do."
- John F. Kennedy
Resilience
"Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future."
- John F. Kennedy
Aspirations
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them."
- John F. Kennedy
Gratitude
"Americans may not only pay tribute to our honored dead but also unite in prayer for success in our search for a just and lasting peace."
- John F. Kennedy
Gratitude
"Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
- John F. Kennedy
Transformation
"Life is never easy. There is work to be done and obligations to be met – obligations to truth, to justice, and to liberty."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”"
- John F. Kennedy
Motivation
"The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth."
- John F. Kennedy
Education
"Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth."
- John F. Kennedy
Growth
"The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it."
- John F. Kennedy
Courage
"A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living."
- John F. Kennedy
Ambition
"If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity."
- John F. Kennedy
Determination
"Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future."
- John F. Kennedy
Hope
"We must use time as a tool, not as a couch."
- John F. Kennedy
Motivation
"A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on."
- John F. Kennedy
Philosophy
"“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”"
- John F. Kennedy
Courage
"“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”"
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”"
- John F. Kennedy
Courage
"We stand today on the edge of a new frontier – the frontier of the 1960’s – a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils – a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats."
- John F. Kennedy
Vision
"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came."
- John F. Kennedy
Connection to Earth
"All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea—whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came."
- John F. Kennedy
Connection to Earth
"Things do not happen. Things are made to happen."
- John F. Kennedy
Taking Risks
"Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger men."
- John F. Kennedy
Strength
"Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names."
- John F. Kennedy
Forgiveness
"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
Empowerment
"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basic of dynamic and creative intellectual activity."
- John F. Kennedy
Fitness
"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of the dynamic and creative intellectual activity"
- John F. Kennedy
Health
"If the self-discipline of the free cannot match the iron discipline of the mailed fist-in economic, political, scientific and all other kinds of struggles as well as the military-then the peril to freedom will continue to rise."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly."
- John F. Kennedy
Taking Risks
"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
Health
"The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time."
- John F. Kennedy
Ambition
"The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time, and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in the race for space."
- John F. Kennedy
Leadership
"Why should man's first flight to the moon be a matter of national competition? Why should the United States and the Soviet Union, in preparing for such expeditions, become involved in immense duplications of research, construction and expenditure?"
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"Those who came before us made certain that this country rode the first waves of the industrial revolutions, the first waves of modern invention, and the first wave of nuclear power, and this generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of space. We mean to be a part of it–we mean to lead it. For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace. We have vowed that we shall not see space filled with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding. Space travel is life."
- John F. Kennedy
Leadership
"Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan."
- John F. Kennedy
Failure
"Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
- John F. Kennedy
Change
"There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction."
- John F. Kennedy
Taking Risks
"Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate."
- John F. Kennedy
Courage
"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came."
- John F. Kennedy
Connection to Earth
"The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all."
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses."
- John F. Kennedy
Integrity
"The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining."
- John F. Kennedy
Wisdom
"We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us thru that darkness to a safe and sane future."
- John F. Kennedy
Hope
"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."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all."
- John F. Kennedy
Knowledge
"The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty, and all forms of human life."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"Do you realize the responsibility I carry? I'm the only person standing between Richard Nixon and the White House."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"There is always inequality in life. Some men are killed in a war and some men are wounded and some men never leave the country. Life is unfair."
- John F. Kennedy
Adversity
"Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal."
- John F. Kennedy
Connection to Earth
"When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity."
- John F. Kennedy
Change
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
- John F. Kennedy
Courage
"Israel was not created in order to disappear - Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom."
- John F. Kennedy
Hope
"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
Responsibility
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
- John F. Kennedy
Peace
"The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds."
- John F. Kennedy
Knowledge
"Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings."
- John F. Kennedy
Hope
"Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies. Those whom God has so joined together, let no man put asunder."
- John F. Kennedy
Connection to Earth
"For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future."
- John F. Kennedy
Change
"Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource."
- John F. Kennedy
Education
"Communism has never come to power in a country that was not disrupted by war or corruption, or both."
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"It might be said now that I have the best of both worlds. A Harvard education and a Yale degree."
- John F. Kennedy
Education
"Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind."
- John F. Kennedy
Peace
"The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were."
- John F. Kennedy
Inspiration
"It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war."
- John F. Kennedy
Peace
"If freedom is to survive and prosper, it will require the sacrifice, the effort and the thoughtful attention of every citizen."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"The stories of past courage…can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this, each man must look into his own soul."
- John F. Kennedy
Courage
"For in a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, 'hold office'; every one of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"A man does what he must—in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures; and that is the basis of all human morality."
- John F. Kennedy
Morality
"Let us not emphasize all on which we differ but all we have in common. Let us consider not what we fear separately but what we share together."
- John F. Kennedy
Connection to Earth
"United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do—for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder."
- John F. Kennedy
Teamwork
"I think the American people expect more from us than cries of indignation and attack. The times are too grave, the challenge too urgent, and the stakes too high—to permit the customary passions of political debate. We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future."
- John F. Kennedy
Hope
"So let us begin anew—remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate."
- John F. Kennedy
Courage
"That is the question of the New Frontier. That is the choice our nation must make—a choice that lies not merely between two men or two parties but between the public interest and private comfort—between national greatness and national decline—between the fresh air of progress and the stale, dank atmosphere of 'normalcy'—between determined dedication and creeping mediocrity. All mankind waits upon our decision. A whole world looks to see what we will do. We cannot fail their trust; we cannot fail to try."
- John F. Kennedy
Ambition
"Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together, let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce."
- John F. Kennedy
Inspiration
"When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters - one represents danger, the other represents opportunity."
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others."
- John F. Kennedy
Respect
"Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don't want them to become politicians in the process."
- John F. Kennedy
Family
"War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today."
- John F. Kennedy
Peace
"History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside."
- John F. Kennedy
Philosophy
"The very word 'secrecy' is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths, and to secret proceedings."
- John F. Kennedy
Integrity
"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."
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"I believe in a president whose religious views are his own private affair, neither imposed by him upon the nation or imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office."
- John F. Kennedy
Belief
"Our growing softness, our increasing lack of physical fitness, is a menace to our security."
- John F. Kennedy
Health
"If anyone is crazy enough to want to kill a president of the United States, he can do it. All he must be prepared to do is give his life for the president's."
- John F. Kennedy
Bravery
"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it."
- John F. Kennedy
Courage
"Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human morality."
- John F. Kennedy
Morality
"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic."
- John F. Kennedy
Adversity
"My fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."
- John F. Kennedy
Service
"My fellow Americans, let us take that first step. Let us...step back from the shadow of war and seek out the way of peace. And if that journey is a thousand miles, or even more, let history record that we, in this land, at this time, took the first step."
- John F. Kennedy
Peace
"I have said that control of arms is a mission that we undertake particularly for our children and our grandchildren and that they have no lobby in Washington."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"If more politicians knew poetry and more poets knew politics, I am convinced the world would be a little better place in which to live."
- John F. Kennedy
Wisdom
"Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country"
- John F. Kennedy
Service
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future."
- John F. Kennedy
Change
"For one true measure of a nation is its success in fulfilling the promise of a better life for each of its members. Let this be the measure of our nation."
- John F. Kennedy
Success
"...I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit."
- John F. Kennedy
Contribution
"I have pledged myself and my colleagues in the cabinet to a continuous encouragement of initiative, responsibility and energy in serving the public interest. Let every public servant know, whether his post is high or low, that a man's rank and reputation in this Administration will be determined by the size of the job he does, and not by the size of his staff, his office or his budget."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"The success of this Government, and thus the success of our Nation, depends in the last analysis upon the quality of our career services."
- John F. Kennedy
Success
"In the Chinese language, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters, one representing danger and the other, opportunity."
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"Rising tide lifts all boats."
- John F. Kennedy
Optimism
"To further the appreciation of culture among all the people, to increase respect for the creative individual, to widen participation by all the processes and fulfillments of art; this is one of the fascinating challenges of these days."
- John F. Kennedy
Creativity
"We can say with some assurance that, although children may be the victims of fate, they will not be the victims of our neglect."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"I look forward to an America which will not be afraid of grace and beauty...an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft."
- John F. Kennedy
Achievement
"The Federal Budget can and should be made an instrument of prosperity and stability, not a deterrent to recovery."
- John F. Kennedy
Efficiency
"We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth."
- John F. Kennedy
Integrity
"The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining; by filling three basic gaps in our anti-recession protection."
- John F. Kennedy
Wisdom
"It may be different elsewhere. But democratic society; in it, the highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist is to remain true to himself and to let the chips fall where they may."
- John F. Kennedy
Integrity
"It is increasingly clear that no matter what party is in power, so long as our national security needs keep rising, an economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough jobs or enough profits."
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"Now let me make it clear that I believe there can only be one defense policy for the United States, and that is summed up in the word 'first.' I do not mean first, but. I do not mean first, when. I do not mean first, if. I mean first—period."
- John F. Kennedy
Leadership
"Too often in the past, we have thought of the artist as an idler and dilettante and of the lover of arts as somehow sissy and effete. We have done both an injustice. The life of the artist is, in relation to his work, stern and lonely. He has labored hard, often amid deprivation, to perfect his skill. He has turned aside from quick success in order to strip his vision of everything secondary or cheapening. His working life is marked by intense application and intense discipline."
- John F. Kennedy
Hard Work
"The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger--but recognize the opportunity."
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people-their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties-someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal", then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."
- John F. Kennedy
Belief
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
- John F. Kennedy
Service
"I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it's because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it's because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back from whence we came."
- John F. Kennedy
Connection to Earth
"The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie--deliberate, contrived and dishonest--but the myth--persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."
- John F. Kennedy
Ambition
"If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich."
- John F. Kennedy
Responsibility
"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men."
- John F. Kennedy
Strength
"[Public] libraries should be open to all—except the censor."
- John F. Kennedy
Education
"One person can make a difference, and everyone should try."
- John F. Kennedy
Motivation
"If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal."
- John F. Kennedy
Peace
"Liberty without Learning is always in peril and Learning without Liberty is always in vain."
- John F. Kennedy
Education
"Mankind must put an end to war - or war will put an end to mankind."
- John F. Kennedy
Peace
""As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.""
- John F. Kennedy
Gratitude
"I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute - where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote - where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference - and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him or the people who might elect him. I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish - where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source - where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials - and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all."
- John F. Kennedy
Belief
"There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long-range risks of comfortable inaction."
- John F. Kennedy
Taking Risks
"A child miseducated is a child lost."
- John F. Kennedy
Education
"When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses."
- John F. Kennedy
Wisdom
"Ask not what your country can do for you… ask what you can do for your country."
- John F. Kennedy
Service
"A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honours, the men it remembers."
- John F. Kennedy
Leadership
"Our problems are man-made; therefore, they may be solved by man. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings."
- John F. Kennedy
Hope
"The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of a final moment; but it is no less a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy."
- John F. Kennedy
Courage
"The supreme reality of our time is the vulnerability of this planet."
- John F. Kennedy
Environment
"In giving rights to others which belong to them, we give rights to ourselves and to our country."
- John F. Kennedy
Belief
"World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbour – it requires only that they live together with mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement."
- John F. Kennedy
Peace
"The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived and dishonest – but the myth – persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the clichés of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"The unity of freedom has never relied on uniformity of opinion."
- John F. Kennedy
Belief in Self
"The one unchangeable certainty is that nothing is unchangeable or certain."
- John F. Kennedy
Philosophy
"What kind of peace do I mean? What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children--not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women--not merely peace in our time but peace for all time."
- John F. Kennedy
Peace
"So, let us not be blind to our differences--but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal."
- John F. Kennedy
Connection to Earth
"We choose to go to the moon in this decade, and do other things. Not because they are easy but because they are hard."
- John F. Kennedy
Ambition
"Surely the opening vistas of space promise high costs and hardships, as well as high reward. So it is not surprising that some would have us stay where we are a little longer to rest, to wait. But this city of Houston, this State of Texas, this country of the United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. This country was conquered by those who moved forward--and so will space."
- John F. Kennedy
Ambition
"I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it is because in addition to the fact that the sea changes and the light changes, and ships change, it is because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it we are going back from whence we came."
- John F. Kennedy
Connection to Earth
"A wise man once said: "An error does not become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.""
- John F. Kennedy
Learning from Mistakes
"Those who dare to fail miserably, can achieve greatly."
- John F. Kennedy
Taking Risks
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures."
- John F. Kennedy
Peace
"The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by sceptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were."
- John F. Kennedy
Vision
"Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future."
- John F. Kennedy
Environment
"My brother Bob doesn't want to be in government - he promised Dad he'd go straight."
- John F. Kennedy
Family
"The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger–but recognize the opportunity."
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"Preschools are living messages we send to a time we won’t see."
- John F. Kennedy
Vision
"We must use time as a tool, not as a crutch."
- John F. Kennedy
Time Management
"If not us, who? If not now, when?"
- John F. Kennedy
Motivation
"Everywhere immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American life."
- John F. Kennedy
Contribution
"The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics, whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were, and ask why not."
- John F. Kennedy
Vision
"“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – – deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth – – persistent, persuasive, unrealistic.”"
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the United States Navy."
- John F. Kennedy
Persistence
"When asked what I am most proud of, I stick out my chest, hold my head high and state proudly, 'I served in the United States Navy!'"
- John F. Kennedy
Persistence
"We must find the time to stop and thank those the people who make a difference in our lives."
- John F. Kennedy
Gratitude
"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
Fitness
""Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.""
- John F. Kennedy
Change
"Let us not despair but act. 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
Leadership
"The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it—and the glow from that fire can truly light the world."
- John F. Kennedy
Inspiration
"Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind. War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today."
- John F. Kennedy
Hope
"We need men who can dream of things that never were."
- John F. Kennedy
Vision
""Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.""
- John F. Kennedy
Future
""The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.""
- John F. Kennedy
Awareness
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future."
- John F. Kennedy
Change
"light changes, and ships change, it's because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back from whence we came."
- John F. Kennedy
Connection to Earth
"Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal."
- John F. Kennedy
Connection to Earth