Top 500 John F. Kennedy Quotes (2024 Update)
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151. “What really counts is not the immediate act of courage or of valor, but those who bear the struggle day in and day out – not the sunshine patriots but those who are willing to stand for a long period of time.”

— John F. Kennedy

152. “With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking his blessing and his help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”

— John F. Kennedy

153. “We believe that if men have the talent to invent new machines that put men out of work, they have the talent to put those men back to work.”

— John F. Kennedy

154. “The most powerful single force in the world today is neither Communism nor Capitalism, neither the H-bomb nor the guided missile – it is man’s eternal desire to be free and independent.”

— John F. Kennedy

155. “It is our task in our time and in our generation, to hand down undiminished to those who come after us, as was handed down to us by those who went before, the natural wealth and beauty which is ours.”

— John F. Kennedy

156. “We in this country, in this generation, are, by destiny rather than choice, the watchmen on the walls of world freedom.”

— John F. Kennedy

157. “Moral courage is more a rare commodity than bravery in a battle or great intelligence.”

— John F. Kennedy

158. “Success has many fathers.”

— John F. Kennedy

159. “It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war.”

— John F. Kennedy

160. “This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor.”

— John F. Kennedy

161. “Domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us.”

— John F. Kennedy

162. “Ask not that the journey be easy; ask instead that it be worth it.”

— John F. Kennedy

163. “Our alliance is born, not of fear, but of hope. It is an alliance that advances what we are for, as well as opposes what we are against.”

— John F. Kennedy

164. “A country is as strong, really, as its citizens. And I think that mental and physical health – mental and physical vigor – go hand in hand.”

— John F. Kennedy

165. “We would like to live as we once lived, but history will not permit it.”

— John F. Kennedy

166. “There is an old saying that the course of civilization is a race between catastrophe and education. In a democracy such as ours, we must make sure that education wins the race.”

— John F. Kennedy

167. “The Jewish people, ever since David slew Goliath, have never considered youth as a barrier to leadership.”

— John F. Kennedy

168. “The supreme reality of our time is the vulnerability of our planet.”

— John F. Kennedy

169. “I would rather be accused of breaking precedents than breaking promises.”

— John F. Kennedy

170. “Life in freedom is not easy, and democracy is not perfect.”

— John F. Kennedy

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

— John F. Kennedy

172. “We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world or to make it the last.”

— John F. Kennedy

173. “When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.”

— John F. Kennedy

174. “Never have the nations of the world had so much to lose, or so much to gain. Together we shall save our planet, or together we shall perish in its flames.”

— John F. Kennedy

175. “First I believe that this Nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon.”

— John F. Kennedy

176. “Those who do nothing are inviting shame as well as violence. Those who act boldly are recognizing right as well as reality.”

— John F. Kennedy

177. “There’s an old saying. Never send a boy to do a man’s job, send a lady.”

— John F. Kennedy

178. “The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring this endeavor will light our bounty and all who serve it, and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.”

— John F. Kennedy

179. “Jika politik itu kotor, puisi akan membersihkannya. Jika politik bengkok, sastra akan meluruskannya.”

— John F. Kennedy

180. “We will neglect our cities to our peril, for in neglecting them we neglect the nation.”

— John F. Kennedy

181. “Compromise does not mean cowardice.”

— John F. Kennedy

182. “No one gains from fair employment law and legislation if there is no employment to be had.”

— John F. Kennedy

183. “Our privileges can be no greater than our obligations. The protection of our rights can endure no longer than the performance of our responsibilities.”

— John F. Kennedy

184. “Show me a man with a great golf game, and I’ll show you a man who has been neglecting something.”

— John F. Kennedy

185. “Only in winter can you tell which trees are truly green. Only when the winds of adversity blow can you tell whether an individual or a country has steadfastness.”

— John F. Kennedy

186. “Aggressive conduct, if allowed to go unchecked and unchallenged, ultimately leads to war.”

— John F. Kennedy

187. “The US Airforce assures me that UFO’s pose no threat to National Security.”

— John F. Kennedy

188. “Let us welcome controversial books and controversial authors.”

— John F. Kennedy

189. “A wall is a hell of a lot better than a war.”

— John F. Kennedy

190. “Diplomacy and defense are not substitutes for one another. Either alone would fail.”

— John F. Kennedy

191. “Our growing softness, our increasing lack of physical fitness, is a menace to our security.”

— John F. Kennedy

192. “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. I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it.”

— John F. Kennedy

193. “The basis of effective government is public confidence, and that confidence is endangered when ethical standards falter or appear to falter.”

— John F. Kennedy

194. “For I can assure you that we love our country, not for what it was, though it has always been great – not for what it is, though of this we are deeply proud – but for what it someday can, and, through the efforts of us all, someday will be.”

— John F. Kennedy

195. “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.”

— John F. Kennedy

196. “Immigration policy should be generous; it should be fair; it should be flexible. With such a policy we can turn to the world, and to our own past, with clean hands and a clear conscience.”

— John F. Kennedy

197. “Libraries should be open to all – except the censor.”

— John F. Kennedy

198. “I think the American people expect more from us than cries of indignation and attack. The times are too grave, the challenge too urgent, and the stakes too high – to permit the customary passions of political debate.”

— John F. Kennedy

199. “Let us resolve to be masters, not the victims, of our history, controlling our own destiny without giving way to blind suspicions and emotions.”

— John F. Kennedy

200. “Sailing has given me some of the most pleasant and exciting moments of my life. It also has taught me something of the courage, resourcefulness, and strength of men who sail the seas in ships.”

— John F. Kennedy