John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)

Quotes

• I would rather be accused of breaking precedents than breaking promises.

• We believe that if men have the talent to invent need machines that put men out of work, they have the talent to put those men back to work.

• We have come too far, we have sacrificed too much, to disdain the future now.

• A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.

• Mothers may still want their sons to grow up to be President, but according to a famous Gallup poll of some years ago, some 73 percent do not want them to become politicians in the process.

• The great French Marshall Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshall replied, 'In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon!'

• 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.

• If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.

• 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.

• Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.

• And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country.

• Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.

• Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.

• Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable.

• 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, born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today, at home and around the world!

• Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.

• Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings.

• 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 for our nation.

• But peace does not rest in the charters and covenants alone. It lies in the hearts and minds of all people. So let us not rest all our hopes on parchment and on paper, let us strive to build peace, a desire for peace, a willingness to work for peace in the hearts and minds of all of our people. I believe that we can. I believe the problems of human destiny are not beyond the reach of human beings.

• When power leads man towards 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 his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.