Best 110 JFK Quotes by the Unforgettable American Leader
Some political figures leave their mark for their decisions, but also for the way their popularity and cultural influence exceed even their lifetime – and John Fitzgerald Kennedy was one of them. As a tribute to this US President, a great man and fervent patriot, we have collected these JFK quotes that really still make an impact today.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, byname JFK, was born in 1917 into one of the wealthiest and most prominent Irish Catholic families of Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard and then served as commander of PT boats in the Pacific during WWII, where he earned the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for gallantry and a Purple Heart for wounds received during battle. After the war, he served as junior senator for Massachusetts and also published his book, “Profiles in Courage”, which won a Pulitzer Prize.
In 1960, Kennedy won the presidential election and became the 35th president of the United States, being the youngest person and the first Roman Catholic to be elected US president.
With his charm and unmistakable aura of youth, Kennedy inspired the nation with his future vision of America and became enormously popular, ranked among the most loved presidents in U.S. history. A staunch advocate for freedom and human rights, JFK took initiatives to address social issues and ensure equal rights and opportunities for all Americans. Serving amidst turbulent times, at the height of the Cold War, Kennedy was a vigorous supporter of the U.S. space program and displayed thoughtful but dynamic leadership in dealing with foreign policy challenges, such as his adept handling of the Cuban missile crisis that nearly brought the world on the verge of nuclear war.
Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, while riding in a motorcade, during a campaign in downtown Dallas, shocked the whole world and remains one of the most traumatic events in American history.
Share his most inspirational quotes with your loved ones and friends in order to enlighten them, but also to reflect upon and broaden your perspective of life for the better!
Table of Contents
- Short JFK Quotes To Inspire and Motivate You
- Best John F. Kennedy Quotes About Freedom and Democracy
- Life and Inspirational Quotes By John F. Kennedy
- Famous John F. Kennedy Quotes
- Liberal and Government Quotes by John F. Kennedy
Short JFK Quotes To Inspire and Motivate You
Succinct nuggets of wisdom by JFK to inspire and fuel you with positive energy!
- If not us, who? If not now, when? John F. Kennedy
- Lets talk to one another instead of about one another. John F. Kennedy
- The supreme reality of our time is the vulnerability of our planet. John F. Kennedy
- Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly. John F. Kennedy
- Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names. John F. Kennedy
- Victory has a hundred fathers and defeat is an orphan. 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
- This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor. John F. Kennedy
- One person can make a difference, and everyone should try. John F. Kennedy
- Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. John F. Kennedy
- Effort and courage are not enough without purpose and direction. John F. Kennedy
- Ask not that the journey be easy; ask instead that it be worth it. John F. Kennedy
- Things do not happen. Things are made to happen. John F. Kennedy
- We can have faith in the future only if we have faith in ourselves. John F. Kennedy
- Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past, let us accept our own responsibility for the future. John F. Kennedy
- Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. John F. Kennedy
- One person can make a difference, and everyone should try. John F. Kennedy
- I’m an idealist without illusions. John F. Kennedy
- Sometimes party loyalty asks too much. John F. Kennedy
- Mankind must put an end to war – or war will put an end to mankind. John F. Kennedy
- There can be no progress if people have no faith in tomorrow. John F. Kennedy
- The rising tide lifts all the boats. John F. Kennedy
- We need men who can dream of things that never were. John F. Kennedy
- The one unchangeable certainty is that nothing is certain or unchangeable. John F. Kennedy
- Never let your fears hold you back from pursuing your hopes. John F. Kennedy
- Justice delayed is democracy denied. John F. Kennedy
- I would rather be accused of breaking precedents than breaking promises. John F. Kennedy
- Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try. John F. Kennedy
- If we are strong, our strength will speak for itself. If we are weak, words will be of no help. John F. Kennedy
- Politics is a jungle-torn between doing the right thing and staying in office. John F. Kennedy
- The future promise of any nation can be directly measured by the present prospects of its youth. John F. Kennedy
Best John F. Kennedy Quotes About Freedom and Democracy
Well known for his uncompromising values and principles, JFK was the icon of freedom and democracy, not only for the U.S. but also for the whole world!
- Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth. John F. Kennedy
- Democracy may not be perfect, but at least I don’t have to build a wall to keep my people in. John F. Kennedy
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If freedom is to survive and prosper, it will require the sacrifice, the effort and the thoughtful attention of every citizen. John F. Kennedy
- The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened. John F. Kennedy
- The very word Secrecy is repugnant in a free and open society. John F. Kennedy
- Without debate, without criticism no administration and no country can succeed and no republic can survive. John F. Kennedy
- Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. John F. Kennedy
- Only an educated and informed people will be a free people. John F. Kennedy
- The unity of freedom has never relied on uniformity of opinion. John F. Kennedy
- The state is the servant of the citizen, and not his master. John F. Kennedy
- I was born an American, I live like an American, I will die an American. John F. Kennedy
- If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. John F. Kennedy
- There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction. John F. Kennedy
- Those who do nothing are inviting shame as well as violence. Those who act boldly are recognizing right as well as reality. John F. Kennedy
- We stand for freedom. That is our conviction for ourselves; that is our only commitment to others. 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
- 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
- When power corrupts, poetry cleanses. John F. Kennedy
- Great crises produce great men, and great deeds of courage. John F. Kennedy
- The complacent, the self-indulgent, the soft societies are about to be swept away with the debris of history. Only the strong, only the industrious, only the determined, only the courageous, only the visionary who determine the real nature of our struggle can possibly survive. John F. Kennedy
- If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. John F. Kennedy, Commencement Address at American University, June 10 1963
- Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one’s own beliefs. Rather
it condemns the oppression or persecution of others. John F. Kennedy
Life and Inspirational Quotes By John F. Kennedy
An inspirational collection of quotes by JFK that provide valuable insight and guidance to help you appreciate the things that matter in life!
- We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives. John F. Kennedy
- There is, in addition to a courage with which men die; a courage by which men must live. John F. Kennedy
- 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
- Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. John F. Kennedy
- History will never accept difficulties as an excuse. John F. Kennedy
- Art is the great democrat, calling forth creative genius from every sector of society, disregarding race or religion or wealth or color. John F. Kennedy
- 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, Commencement Address at Yale University, June 11 1962
- 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
- We cannot negotiate with people who say what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is negotiable. John F. Kennedy
- Our task is not to fix blame for the past, but to fix the course for the future. John F. Kennedy
- A boy spends his time finding a girl to sleep with. A real man spends his time looking for the one worth waking up to. John F. Kennedy
- Those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside. John F. Kennedy
- We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth. John F. Kennedy
- Once you say you’re going to settle for second, that’s what happens to you in life, I find. 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
- The ancient Greek definition of happiness was the full use of your powers along lines of excellence. John F. Kennedy
- When power narrows the areas of a man’s concerns, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. John F. Kennedy
- There are three things in life which are real: God, human folly and laughter. Since the first two are beyond our comprehension, we must do what we can with the third. John F. Kennedy
Famous John F. Kennedy Quotes
A hand-picked collection of JFK quotes reflecting his beliefs in science, education and a new generation of socially and politically active Americans as the means necessary for achieving social progress and advancing the U.S. into the future.
- My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy
- 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
- 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
- Everywhere immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American life. John F. Kennedy
- Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom. John F. Kennedy
- 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
- Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel prizes – one for peace and one for science. John F. Kennedy
- It is insane that two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world, should be able to decide to bring an end to civilization. John F. Kennedy
JFK Quote About The Sea
- 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, Remarks at the Dinner for the America’s Cup Crews, September 14 1962
JFK Moon Quote
- 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, Address at Rice University, September 12 1962
JFK Quotes About Education and Public Libraries
- In a time of turbulence and change, it is more true than ever that knowledge is power. John F. Kennedy
- A child miseducated is a child lost. John F. Kennedy
- [Public] libraries should be open to all—except the censor. John F. Kennedy
- Liberty without Learning is always in peril and Learning without Liberty is always in vain. John F. Kennedy
- The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all. John F. Kennedy
- If this nation is to be wise as well as strong, if we are to achieve our destiny, then we need more new ideas for more wise men reading more good books in more public libraries. These libraries should be open to all—except the censor. We must know all the facts and hear all the alternatives and listen to all the criticisms. Let us welcome controversial books and controversial authors. For the Bill of Rights is the guardian of our security as well as our liberty. John F. Kennedy, Response to questionnaire in Saturday Review, October 29 1960
More Famous JFK Quotes
- No sane society chooses to commit national suicide. John F. Kennedy
- Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future. 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Our nation is founded on the principal that observance of the law is the eternal safeguard of liberty and defiance of the law is the surest road to tyranny. 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. John F. Kennedy
- 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
- 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 futures, and we are all mortal. John F. Kennedy
- Immigration policy should be generous; it should be fair; it should be flexible. With such a policy we can turn to the world, and to our own past, with clean hands and a clear conscience. John F. Kennedy
- Truth is a tyrant-the only tyrant to whom we can give our allegiance. The service of truth is a matter of heroism. John F. Kennedy
- Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans. John F. Kennedy
Liberal and Government Quotes by John F. Kennedy
A staunch liberal, JFK aimed to transform the U.S. into the world’s premier superpower, a nation of law and freedom that cares for the welfare and progress not only of its citizens but also for the whole world!
- No American is ever made better off by pulling a fellow American down, and all of us are made better off whenever any one of us is made better off. John F. Kennedy
- 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
- 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
- Every time that we try to lift a problem from our own shoulders, and shift that problem to the hands of the government, to the same extent we are sacrificing the liberties of our people. John F. Kennedy
- The Republican Party can lead any person to believe that their promises will be fulfilled in the future. They follow the Hitler line – no matter how big the lie; repeat it often enough and the masses will regard it as truth. John F. Kennedy
- For in a government of laws and not of men, no man, however prominent or powerful, and no mob however unruly or boisterous, is entitled to defy a court of law. If this country should ever reach the point where any man or group of men by force or threat of force could long defy the commands of our court and our Constitution, then no law would stand free from doubt, no judge would be sure of his writ, and no citizen would be safe from his neighbors. 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
- It is in the American tradition to stand up for one’s rights–even if the new way to stand up for one’s rights is to sit down. John F. Kennedy
- 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 - Probably the greatest concentration of talent and genius in this house except for perhaps those times when Thomas Jefferson ate alone. John F. Kennedy
- I look forward to a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose. John F. Kennedy
Without doubt, John F. Kennedy was one of the most consequential figures of the 20th century. A charismatic and courageous leader whose charm and optimism, expressed through his candid speeches, managed to inspire the whole nation, making them embrace his vision of the U.S. as the global colossus. Championing American idealism as a way to achieve freedom and progress of all people, he showed what was possible, and provided new hope and the necessary material to loom the fabric of a better world!
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