John F. Kennedy Quotes

We must use time as a tool, not as a couch.

America has tossed its cap over the wall of space.

Discovering the context

This quote metaphorically describes the United States' active involvement or investment in space exploration, suggesting a determined and ambitious approach akin to tossing a cap over a barrier or obstacle, indicating a commitment to surpassing boundaries.

We prefer world law in the age of self-determinati... -John F. Kennedy

We prefer world law in the age of self-determination to world war in the age of mass extermination.

My brother Bob doesn't want to be in government - ... -John F. Kennedy

My brother Bob doesn't want to be in government - he promised Dad he'd go straight.

Discovering the context

This quote humorously implies that the speaker's brother, Bob, avoids entering government or politics to fulfill a promise made to their father to lead an honest and law-abiding life.

To state the facts frankly is not to despair the future nor indict the past. The prudent heir takes careful inventory of his legacies and gives a faithful accounting to those whom he owes an obligation of trust.

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.

We cannot expect that all nations will adopt like systems, for conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.

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.

If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.

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.

Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy ... -John F. Kennedy

Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.

The path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards, as all paths are. 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.

If we cannot now end our differences, at least we ... -John F. Kennedy

If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.

All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. And therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words 'Ich bin ein Berliner!'

The pay is good and I can walk to work.

I hope that no American will waste his franchise and throw away his vote by voting either for me or against me solely on account of my religious affiliation. It is not relevant.

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.

Politics is like football; if you see daylight, go... -John F. Kennedy

Politics is like football; if you see daylight, go through the hole.

Discovering the context

The speaker compares politics to football, suggesting that one should seize opportunities when they arise.

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose... -John F. Kennedy

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.

Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.

Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve great... -John F. Kennedy

Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.

Discovering the context

This quote emphasizes the relationship between taking bold risks, experiencing failures, and achieving significant success. It suggests that those who are willing to embrace failure and learn from it have the potential to accomplish remarkable things in their lives.

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.

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.

There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.

Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don't want them to become politicians in the process.

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?

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.

The tax on capital gains directly affects investment decisions, the mobility and flow of risk capital... the ease or difficulty experienced by new ventures in obtaining capital, and thereby the strength and potential for growth in the economy.

If a free society cannot help the many who are poo... -John F. Kennedy

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

Now we have a problem in making our power credible... -John F. Kennedy

Now we have a problem in making our power credible, and Vietnam is the place.

John F. Kennedy Quotes

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