100+ Famous JFK Quotes That Inspire the World

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it."

"The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."

"We must have the courage to break with tradition if necessary."

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

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."

"The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining."

"When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters—one represents danger and one represents opportunity."

"Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer."

"The greatest honor in being a man is not what he does, but what he refuses to do."

"In a world of change, the learners shall inherit the earth, while the learned shall find themselves perfectly suited for a world that no longer exists."

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."

"The time has come for Americans of all races and creeds and political beliefs to understand and to respect one another."

"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."

"Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free."

"Democracy is never a final achievement. It is a call to an unending pursuit of the ideals of justice, liberty, and equality."

"The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all."

"No government is perfect. One of the chief virtues of a democracy, however, is that its defects are always visible and under democratic processes can be peacefully corrected."

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

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

"The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened."

"Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."

"The Constitution I took an oath to uphold endures. So do the people of the United States."

"We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values."

"Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. Our requests increase in complexity and scope and reach."

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it."

"The time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining."

"Responsibility rests upon the shoulders of every citizen."

"I am not satisfied merely to win; I would like the world to be a better place when I'm finished."

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived, and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic."

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

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

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

"Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction."

"The role of leadership is to define reality and offer hope."

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."

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

"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."

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

"Domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us."

"Mankind must put an end to war—or war will put an end to mankind."

"When you teach a child to read, you give him the keys to unlock the door to the world of knowledge—and thereby to peace."

"We must learn to live together as brothers—or perish together as fools."

"Our most dangerous adversaries are not our enemies, but our own fears and suspicions."

"The supreme reality of our time is the vulnerability of our planet."

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."

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

"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."

"Young people are not mistaken in seeking change. They are mistaken when they believe that change comes easily."

"The future belongs to the young."

"Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future."

"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."

"Let the word go forth that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans."

"Idealism in youth is known when seen."

"Youth needs challenge and inspiration, not complacency."

"No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings."

"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."

"The torch of idealism has been lit, and it must not be extinguished."

"History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid."

"The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth."

"The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth."

"Ignorance is the enemy of progress."

"The very word 'secrecy' is repugnant in a free and open society."

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."

"In a free society, the real censor is not the government, but the public itself—if it demands conformity and suppresses dissent."

"There is no guide, no manual, no textbook for the art of diplomacy or statecraft. Only judgment honed by study and experience."

"The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance."

"The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all."

"We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values."

"Knowledge is power, and information is liberating."

"The progress of science and the progress of the nation are intertwined."

"Education is the key to unlocking the full potential of every individual."

"Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."

"One person can make a difference, and everyone should try."

"The cost of greatness is responsibility."

"We must be willing to accept the risks inherent in taking action."

"To whom much is given, much is required."

"Sacrifice is not a popular word, but it is necessary."

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth."

"No duty is more important than that of protecting the freedoms of one’s fellow citizens."

"The highest duty of citizenship is participation."

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles… The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena."

"Greatness is not found in possessions, power, or prestige. It is discovered in service."

"The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened."

"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."

"The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities."

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."

"New frontiers need new ideas."

"The great breakthroughs of tomorrow will be made by those who dare to think differently today."

"Technology is best when it brings people together."

"We stand on the edge of a new frontier—the frontier of unknown opportunities and perils."

"Progress demands risk."

"The future is not a gift. It is an achievement."

"Human potential is boundless when fueled by imagination and effort."

"We must master technology—we must not let it master us."

"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."

"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try."

"We are not helpless in the face of the forces of nature or man."

"The future is ours to win or lose."

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope."

"Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks."

"We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution."

"Let us not wallow in despair. Let us instead rise to the challenge."

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that."

"We must build a world of hope, not fear."

"There are costs and risks to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction."

"Believe in the power of your ideas, even when others doubt."

"The torch of freedom burns bright, and it will not be extinguished."

"A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on."

"Those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."

"What kind of a nation we will be depends on what kind of a nation we want to be."

"We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts."

"The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened."

"Let us begin anew—remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness."

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"The courage of life is often more rare than the courage of death."

"History is the sum total of the things that could have been avoided."

"We are the authors of our own fate."

"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."

"Let every nation know… that we shall pay any price… to assure the survival and the success of liberty."