Welcome to a tribute to the iconic figure of American Western film, John Wayne. Known for his rugged demeanor, authenticity, and indomitable spirit, Wayne's legacy continues to be a source of inspiration and reflection. This article is a curated collection of quotes centered around ten distinct themes, showcasing his wisdom. Each quote captures a piece of his philosophy, which resonates with freedom, adventure, and honor. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to his work, these quotes provide a fascinating glimpse into John Wayne's world, offering lessons applicable to both personal growth and professional endeavors. Let's saddle up and explore the wisdom of John Wayne through his remarkable words.
Chivalry Quotes
"A man deserves a second chance, but keep an eye on him." - John Wayne
"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway." - John Wayne
"I've always followed my father's advice: he told me, first to always keep my word and, second, to never insult anybody unintentionally." - John Wayne
"Never apologize and never explain, it's a sign of weakness." - John Wayne
"Talk low, talk slow, and don't say too much." - John Wayne
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." - John Wayne
"A man ought to do what he thinks is right." - John Wayne
"You're short on ears and long on mouth." - John Wayne
"A man's got to do what a man's got to do." - John Wayne
"Out here a man settles his own problems." - John Wayne
"A man should never underestimate a woman's determination." - John Wayne
"I'm the stuff men are made of." - John Wayne
Courage Quotes
"Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." - John Wayne
"Bravery is when you walk into a battle you are not sure of winning." - John Wayne
"Fear is just a feeling. You feel hot. You feel hungry. You feel angry. You feel afraid. Fear can never kill you." - John Wayne
"We're burnin' daylight." - John Wayne
"Out here a man settles his own problems." - John Wayne
"Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday." - John Wayne
"Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid." - John Wayne
"I'm advanced in years, and you're not worth listening to anymore. Go on home, all of you." - John Wayne
"True grit is making a decision and standing by it, doing what must be done." - John Wayne
"Don't pick a fight, but if you find yourself in one, I suggest you make damn sure you win." - John Wayne
"A man’s got to have a code, a creed to live by.” - John Wayne
"Real courage is knowing you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what." - John Wayne
Independence Quotes
"A man's got to do what a man's got to do." - John Wayne
"If you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow." - John Wayne
"I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." - John Wayne
"I define manhood simply: a man does what he must – in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality." - John Wayne
"Out here a man settles his own problems." - John Wayne
"A goal, a love and a dream give you total control over your body and your life." - John Wayne
"Life is getting up one more time than you've been knocked down." - John Wayne
"When you stop fighting, that's death." - John Wayne
"I've always been one to reach out to those who need help." - John Wayne
"You have to be a man before you can be a gentleman." - John Wayne
"Nobody should come to the movies unless he believes, when he gets in and sits down, that he’s going to see a fair fight in a nice square ring with no gouging, no biting." - John Wayne
"In westerns, you meet a hardy bunch of characters. There is no jealousy on such pictures." - John Wayne
Moral Integrity Quotes
"I've always followed my father's advice: he told me, first to always keep my word and, second, to never insult anybody unintentionally." - John Wayne
"It's not the years, it's the mileage." - John Wayne
"I’m all about sincerity. None of this pretense. Good-byes? I don’t bother you with them. And I don’t accept those from you." - John Wayne
"Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." - John Wayne
"A man's thinking goes on within the framework of his own age anyway. Questions you knew you had to ask, you wouldn’t no more than you could feel everything that made a man's life." - John Wayne
"I've worked hard and I’ve done my best. I've been handsome and I've been ugly, everybody knows it and wants it." - John Wayne
"I didn’t put other women on the same ground as I put O'hara." - John Wayne
"A man ought to do what he thinks is right." - John Wayne
"To me, the thing that is worse than death is betrayal." - John Wayne
"I've done a lot of things in my life, some good and some foolish, but I’ve always tried to be honest about where I was and who I was working with." - John Wayne
"A man’s mind is not complicated, it follows the same principles of mathematics." - John Wayne
"Nobody should come to the movies unless he believes, when he gets in and sits down, that he's going to see a fair fight, a nice clean fight with no gouging, no biting." - John Wayne
Adventure Quotes
"Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." - John Wayne
"We’re burnin' daylight." - John Wayne
"Out here a man settles his own problems." - John Wayne
"Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday." - John Wayne
"When the road looks rough ahead, remember the 'Man Upstairs' and the word HOPE. Hang onto both and 'tough it out'." - John Wayne
"I’m not the sort to back away from a fight, when I’ve already put my spurs in the sides of the horse." - John Wayne
"Feelin' sorry for yourself is a universal solvent for misery—even the pettiest of cowardice can find expression through it." - John Wayne
"Hurry it up—I’m tired of burnin’ daylight." - John Wayne
"No one's going to give a damn about what you're doing, so you need to know why you're doing it." - John Wayne
"I’ve got to go jump my horse, and raise my bales and kick 'em." - John Wayne
"The truth of the matter is that we beat the competition just because I’m willing to bloody work harder than the other guy." - John Wayne
"All battles are fought by scared men who'd rather be somewhere else." - John Wayne
Legacy Quotes
"I'm a simple man; I get along with rabbis and priests and everybody that runs away—that’s what I think of religion—never changed me a bit." - John Wayne
"I don’t talk much—it’s true; I’m not a great lover of words." - John Wayne
"I’ve done some foolish things in my life, I’ve even had foolish things done to me." - John Wayne
"I didn’t say that much is necessary—it’s still good to be human." - John Wayne
"The truth is that I didn’t mind when people said I was 'better' at singing and riding a horse than speaking." - John Wayne
"I've been a working man all my life, and I get along even with the rich." - John Wayne
"I didn’t always do what was right, especially when I was a boy." - John Wayne
"I always say that if a man wants an adventure, he shouldn’t have to write about it." - John Wayne
"I’m not about to spoil the message—that’s my point in speaking." - John Wayne
"Mine's the right to live along and with my God." - John Wayne
"A feller ought to lose his way now and again to keep his bearings straight and true." - John Wayne
"My life's been an adventure, nobody can say otherwise." - John Wayne
Freedom Quotes
"A man's got to do what a man's got to do." - John Wayne
"Out here a man settles his own problems." - John Wayne
"Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday." - John Wayne
"It's easier than telling of your plans, than lowering yourself to showing up in your place, watching while someone else sends your victory and does your job as commander." - John Wayne
"There's no one who hasn't known the feeling of conquest when it comes, the feeling of victory won through fighting." - John Wayne
"Well, there are other ways to keep up morals and values; those things hold more weight for me than even in my own prayers." - John Wayne
"A man's got to have a code—a creed to live by." - John Wayne
"You're holding your breath for more of the same damn old damned things, disappointed and not thrilled with what you've got." - John Wayne
"Real courage is knowing you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what." - John Wayne
"The truth’s the same whether it’s spoken by somebody smart or dumb—it’s the same all around." - John Wayne
"Remember that a man's reason and spirit can often be dampened more easily than you’d like," - John Wayne
"My purpose is to not fear alone." - John Wayne
Wisdom Quotes
"Life is hard; it’s even harder when you’re stupid." - John Wayne
"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway." - John Wayne
"Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday." - John Wayne
"Have you ever heard of a dream that just can't give up and walk away?" - John Wayne
"When you’ve got power and use it right—make sure it lets you fly absolutely hero." - John Wayne
"What’s wrong with being a man—clean, polite, thoughtful and kind—and still stand up for what’s right?" - John Wayne
"You can never get too much of a thing, if it's God-conceived and God-driven." - John Wayne
"A man's got to have a code, a creed to live by." - John Wayne
"Nothing happens until you make something happen." - John Wayne
"Love those in whom the world sees nothing, the unknown, the outcasts, the unneeded." - John Wayne
"When you see in the end you’re on your own, that’s when it gets clear what you’re up against." - John Wayne
"Your future is bound to emulate the past, flawed with the same conditions, leading to the same results." - John Wayne
Strength Quotes
"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway." - John Wayne
"A man's got to do what a man’s got to do." - John Wayne
"Life’s tough, but it’s tougher when you’re stupid." - John Wayne
"You have to be a man before you can be a gentleman." - John Wayne
"A man’s got to have a purpose in this world and while it’s being fulfilled, the past ain’t got anything on it." - John Wayne
"Instead of doing nothing, old men just need to learn to break hard." - John Wayne
"Don’t try to change things just because it suits you—be sure you leave whatever you do with respect." - John Wayne
"There's too much time spent on hoping and waiting and dreaming when all you really want to do is face up to each day and go get what’s new," - John Wayne
"Mine's transcending the odds, forging ahead and back on track through my own creation." - John Wayne
"I'm learning that when you get lost, you find things you wouldn't have found otherwise." - John Wayne
"I only need a couple of good men—and I’ll carve it out of the whole of them trumped-up claims." - John Wayne
"When you stop fighting, that’s death." - John Wayne
Honesty Quotes
"I've always followed my father's advice: he told me, first to always keep my word and, second, to never insult anybody unintentionally." - John Wayne
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on." - John Wayne
"A man's got to do what a man's got to do." - John Wayne
"I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility." - John Wayne
"I believe in getting fairly executed, but not without being heard and considered." - John Wayne
"If you're going to fight someone after you gave up being heard or consideration—it makes you willing to deny satisfaction in the hope of winning." - John Wayne
"Life's tougher if you’re stupid and honest—that’s the best policy." - John Wayne
"People don't think you pulled through without faith." - John Wayne
"I take pride in knowing I always give a person who needs a word of encouragement a chance to say their piece." - John Wayne
"Freely I’ve lived it, so let disaster do its worst, because there’s peace in feeling you gave it your best shot." - John Wayne
"Instead of making little, I made a big mess once—but not without ultimately setting things right." - John Wayne
"If I return my efforts amiss, God will even be satisfied." - John Wayne
Final words
John Wayne's words echo the essence of an era long cherished, with a timeless appeal, his quotes remain relevant, resonating with audiences across generations. Emphasizing principles like courage, independence, and integrity, his wisdom inspires a life lived with purpose, offering a multitude of life lessons. Wayne's unabashed honesty and commitment to authenticity encourage us to stay true to our values and handle life's adversities with resilience and determination. His philosophy serves as a reminder that the path to greatness often lies in embracing our struggles and standing by our principles fearlessly. As you carry these quotes with you, may they act as a compass in your journey for identity, ambition, and honor, just as John Wayne embodied in his lifetime, inspiring us with his cinematic legacy and personal insights.
