The 75 best phrases of John Fitzgerald Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who was also known by his nickname JFK, he was a famous president of the United States of America born in the town of Brookline, Massachusetts during the year 1917.
As president he led his country through numerous sticky situations, he witnessed the rise of the rights movement civilians and began what would later be known as the space race, all of this in nothing more and nothing less than three years of mandate.
- It may interest you: "The 65 Best Richard Nixon Quotes"
Famous quotes from J.F. kennedy
Unfortunately, in 1963, this exalted president was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald while he was driving his car during a presidential parade. An unfortunate situation that, as we all know, shocked the world and immediately made him the most famous American president of the 20th century.
In the text you will find Below you can discover the 75 best phrases of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who was undoubtedly one of the most beloved presidents by all the American people.
1. Change is the law of life. And those who only look at the past or the present will surely miss the future.
You never know what life holds for you, the future can be wonderful if we make the right decisions today.
2. There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long-term risks of comfortable inaction.
If we don't act now, evil will likely prevail. Injustices often take place when most people do nothing to fix them.
3. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we will pay any price, bear any burden, face any difficulty, we will support any friend, oppose any enemy to ensure the survival and success of the freedom.
The United States under the leadership of this famous president would never give in to anyone or anything. Something that would make very clear with quotes as inspiring as this one.
4. When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' consists of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.
From every crisis someone always comes out stronger, because as they say, it never rains to everyone's liking.
5. Let the word spread 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 harsh peace and bitter.
The 1960s seemed like a new opportunity for the American people to reinvent themselves, a decade that was certainly a busy one.
6. Man remains the most extraordinary computer of all.
The human being is an exceptional biological machine. 60 years after the Kennedy presidency, no machine can still match the abilities of the human being.
7. Today we stand on the edge of a new frontier, the frontier of the 1960s, a frontier of unknown opportunities and dangers, a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats.
The future seemed to be bright for this young nation, the hopes of all its inhabitants were pinned on it.
8. The great enemy of the truth is often not the deliberate, artificial and dishonest lie, but the persistent, persuasive and unrealistic myth.
A lie told a thousand times is still a lie, as individuals we should not fall into those fallacies that have been repeated for a long time.
9. Let's not look for the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the correct answer. Let's not try to fix the guilt of the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.
The future of the nation, as this president knew, depended on all its inhabitants, not on a certain political party.
10. Our progress as a nation cannot be faster than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.
Education is a fundamental aspect for the correct development of a nation, because without it no people will ever be able to reach high intellectual levels.
11. Tolerance does not imply lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather, it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.
As a society we must be tolerant with all those who do not think like us, we must all be free to have our own point of view.
12. All mothers want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don't want them to become politicians in the process.
Politics can greatly corrupt a man, something that fortunately did not happen to Kennedy.
13. History is a relentless teacher. It has no present, only the past rushes into the future. To try to retain is to be left out.
History can teach us what mistakes we should not make, its study can undoubtedly be something that helps us a lot in our lives.
14. The world is very different now. Because man has in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life.
It depends on all of us that the human species can reach its maximum development as a society, the future can certainly be an incredible place if we all do our part.
15. When we got to the office, what surprised me the most was to discover that things were as bad as we had been saying.
When this president had full access to the nation's accounts, he was able to see with his own eyes how deep was the hole they had dug.
16. Modern cynics and skeptics... they see no harm in paying those they entrust the minds of their children less than they pay those they trust to care for their pipes.
Teachers deserve, of course, a salary commensurate with their responsibilities, something that unfortunately did not happen in those days.
17. When expressing our gratitude, we must never forget that the greatest appreciation is not speaking words, but living by them.
Our actions say much more about us than any words we can utter. Many people today live in such a way that their actions do not match their words.
18. 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.
Let's live each moment that life offers us, intensely, because once they pass they will never happen again.
19. I'm sorry to say that there is too much sense in the joke that life goes extinct on other planets because their scientists were more advanced than ours.
Human beings are fully capable of ending themselves, a great responsibility that no other animal species possesses.
20. War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior has today.
Wars should never be welcomed, as we must be clear that they always bring many more disadvantages than opportunities.
21. The basic problems facing the world today are not amenable to a military solution.
Diplomacy can effectively prevent great misfortunes, this should always be the tool that a government uses the most.
22. Victory has a thousand parents, but defeat is an orphan.
Defeats are always bitter and on a military level, they are much more common than we usually think.
23. The time to repair the roof is when the sun shines.
We must prepare for the future before it arrives, otherwise when something bad happens it will already be too late.
24. For art to feed the roots of our culture, society must free the artist to follow his vision wherever he leads.
The world of art was considered by Kennedy to be very interesting, an area that he always encouraged and encouraged to the best of his ability.
25. Khrushchev reminds me of the tiger hunter who chose a spot on the wall to hang the tiger skin long before he caught it. This tiger has other ideas.
The Russian government was selling the bear's skin before it was hunted, which, as every good hunter knows, is a clear mistake.
26. Expressing the facts frankly is not despairing of the future or accusing the past. The prudent heir makes a careful inventory of his legacies and renders faithful accounts to those to whom he owes an obligation of trust.
We must be prudent in our actions if we wish to have a benevolent future with us, the work we do today will always bear fruit tomorrow.
27. In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been given the role of defending freedom in its hour of greatest danger. I do not shy away from this responsibility, I appreciate it.
As a man Kennedy was very brave, during his lifetime he would stand up without question against everything the world threw at him.
28. There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what the big problem is between the free world and the communist world. Let them come to Berlin!
In those years the communist world was seen with very bad eyes by the Americans, something logical if we take into account that his capitalist way of life collided head-on with the social political ideas communists.
29. Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. The economy has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies. Those whom God has united so much, let no one be separated.
The US and Canada have been partners since time immemorial, both countries have always shared a common vision of the future that has benefited both over time.
30. I don't think intelligence reports are that interesting. Some days I get more out of the New York Times.
As we can see, the newspapers also fed this famous president information, something that teaches us that we should never underestimate the power of the media.
31. We prefer world law in the age of self-determination to world war in the age of mass extermination.
Wars today must be avoided at all costs, a way of thinking that, as we see, Kennedy always shared.
32. If someone is crazy enough to want to kill a President of the United States, he can do it. All you must be prepared to do is lay down your life for the president's.
A very controversial phrase, without a doubt, because unfortunately Kennedy would end up being assassinated by the infamous Lee Harvey Oswald, as we all know.
33. All free men, wherever they live, are citizens of Berlin. And therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words 'Ich bin ein Berliner!'
Without a doubt, visiting Berlin must have been a very interesting experience for him, a beautiful city divided in half in those times of the cold war.
34. A badly educated child is a lost child.
A child without education will have a much more difficult time in the future, as education is an essential tool for all of us to achieve our personal goals over time.
35. We cannot expect all nations to adopt similar systems, because conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.
Each nation must be totally free to choose the form of management that most interests it. A country, however powerful it may be, should never impose its ideas on another.
36. America has thrown its cap over the wall of space.
The USA in the 60s won the space race with extreme force, to this day it is still the only country that has sent men to the moon.
37. Arguably now I have the best of both worlds. A Harvard education and a Yale degree.
Both universities, Harvard and Yale, are among the best in the world, being able to attend either of them will probably guarantee us a very promising future.
38. When power leads man to arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows man's area of interest, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleans itself.
Kennedy highly valued poetry, a fantastic literary genre that can certainly allow us to see the world in a completely different way than we did until now.
39. I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, ever assembled in the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.
Thomas Jefferson was a clear reference for him, an example to follow as a man and also as a president.
40. The pay is good and I can walk to work.
The job of president has positive but also negative aspects, because as they say, all that glitters is not gold.
41. I hope no American will waste his franchise and throw away his vote by voting for me or against me solely because of my religious affiliation. It is not relevant.
In the end Kennedy managed to be sworn in as president, a position he held from 1961 to 1963.
42. In a very real sense, it won't be one man going to the moon, it will be an entire nation. So all of us must work to put it there.
That man could reach the moon was a truly epic feat, a fabulous achievement that humans have not replicated since.
43. The ignorance of a voter in a democracy harms the security of all.
The vote of the ignorant can be very expensive for the rest of the population, which is why education has such an important weight in any type of society.
44. The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And a path we will never choose, and that is the path of surrender or submission.
Americans can be seen as a deeply warlike people, they will never allow other countries to curtail their freedoms.
45. Our problems are man-made, therefore they can be solved by man. And the man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings.
The human being indeed has great qualities, as a species we have not yet encountered a problem that we have not been able to solve over time.
46. We are not afraid to trust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, strange philosophies, and competing values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge truth and falsehood in an open market, is a nation that is afraid of its people.
The American people should always have as much knowledge as possible, because in this way they will know how to differentiate between good and bad ideas more easily.
47. Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.
A conformist people is a people that does not advance anywhere, whenever we do not like something about our society, we must all try to fight to change it.
48. 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, harness the depths of the ocean, and foster art and commerce.
Human beings acting together can be a true force of nature, the divisions that exist between us actually only weaken us as a species.
49. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.
A society should try to be fair and equitable, but it is also true that the one who works the most should certainly own the biggest piece of the pie.
50. We have the power to make this the best generation of humanity in the history of the world or to make it the last.
In the 1960s, the Americans had to show what they were really capable of, something that in those years they undoubtedly did in spades.
51. Do you realize the responsibility I carry? I'm the only person standing between Richard Nixon and the White House.
The rivalry with Nixon was at that time clear and evident, although with the passage of time both managed to reach the presidential office of the White House, at different moments in history.
52. Things don't happen. Things are made to happen.
Coincidences certainly do not exist, because if we are not prepared for them we will never be able to take advantage of them.
53. Sure it's a big job; but I don't know anyone who can do it better than me.
Being president of the United States is one of the greatest responsibilities a person can possess, a responsibility for which Kennedy was fully prepared.
54. Our most basic common bond 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.
As human beings we must learn to respect each other, the world can be a very beautiful place if we all do our part.
55. Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of a dynamic and creative intellectual activity.
Physical exercise can be something that really greatly strengthens our health. For this reason, always within our individual possibilities, all of us should try to lead a lifestyle that is as active as possible.
56. Peace is a daily, weekly, monthly process, gradually changing minds, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.
Peace needs all of us to be able to endure, because there will always be some politician or military officer on duty who at some given moment tries to put an end to it.
57. The world's problems cannot be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were.
The big dreamers are the builders of the world of tomorrow, for without big dreams to underpin it, no bright future for all of us could ever be realized.
58. The world knows that the United States will never start a war. This generation of Americans has had enough of war and hate... we want to build a world of peace where the weak are safe and the strong are just.
War it was a situation that Kennedy wanted to avoid at all costs, knowing full well that the American people had suffered too much in the past because of it.
59. The very word secret is disgusting in a free and open society; and we are, as a people, inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, secret oaths, and secret procedures.
The United States is a nation that is home to numerous secret societies, from the well-known Illuminati to the Freemasons. Some societies that, as we see in this quote, did not have the personal approval of this young president.
60. I am an idealist without illusions.
Sure, we should set ourselves big goals, but we should always realistically live our lives.
61. I look forward to a great future for America: a future in which our country combines its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose.
Kennedy had high hopes for his own nation, a faith in everyone's future that was unfortunately cut short too soon.
62. A nation that has forgotten the quality of courage that has been brought into public life in the past is not just as likely you will insist on or consider that quality in your elected leaders today, and in fact we have forgotten.
As a people we must choose those leaders that we consider most suitable for office, a decision that can be very expensive if we do not know how to choose wisely.
63. A young man who does not have what it takes to serve in the military is not likely to have what it takes to earn a living. Today's military rejects include tomorrow's toughest unemployed.
The army is not a path suitable for everyone, only the most qualified to serve in it will be able to endure in their military career over time.
64. The path we have chosen for the present is fraught with danger, as are all paths.
The United States has always been involved in all those international issues that seemed be urgent, regardless of the possible risks that they may have to face later as a result.
65. We are tied to the ocean. And when we return to the sea, whether to sail or to look, we return to where we came from.
The ocean is a truly marvelous natural environment, but if among all the nations we do not take care of it, it will gradually deteriorate over the years.
66. Israel was not created to disappear: Israel will endure and flourish. It is the son of hope and the home of the brave. It cannot be broken by adversity or demoralized by success. He bears the shield of democracy and honors the sword of liberty.
The US has always supported the state of Israel, a coalition that as we all know still exists today.
67. We would like to live as we once lived, but history will not allow it.
Some stages of economic growth cannot be maintained over time, unfortunately a country's economy cannot always rise.
68. The capital gains tax directly affects investment decisions, mobility and the flow of venture capital... the ease or difficulty experienced by new businesses in raising capital, and therefore the strength and growth potential of the economy.
Let us be clear that no country can provide services to its citizens if it has not previously collected the necessary taxes for it.
69. A man does what he must, despite the personal consequences, despite the obstacles, the dangers and the pressures, and that is the basis of all human morality.
We must always be consistent with our ideals, because acting in this way we will never do anything that does not let us sleep at night.
70. Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.
If we are not clear about our goals, we will never be able to achieve them. Well, the great efforts, if they do not pursue a clear objective, are usually completely unsuccessful.
71. I am not the Catholic candidate for president. I am the candidate for the president of the Democratic Party, who is also a Catholic.
His religion should not be a real reason for considering or not his choice, since every American has the individual right to believe in the religion that best represents him.
72. Unconditional war can no longer lead to unconditional victory. It can no longer serve to settle disputes... it can no longer concern only the great powers.
War must be avoided at all costs, as it will always cause us much more harm than benefits.
73. A nation that is afraid to let its people judge truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.
The American people must always have the last word, otherwise that nation could not be considered a fully democratic nation.
74. No one has been excluded because of their race from fighting or dying for America, there are no white or colored signs in the trenches or cemeteries of battle.
The army has always drawn from all the peoples that have inhabited the United States of America regardless of their race, religion or ideology.
75. We believe that if men have the talent to invent new machines that put them out of work, they have the talent to put those men back to work.
Automation does not have to end jobs, as there should always be someone to supervise these machines.
