200 Best John F. Kennedy (JFK) Quotes Of All Time

Here we’ve compiled a list of the best 200 John F. Kennedy’s inspirational quotes and sayings about leadership, country, change, and freedom.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, often referred to as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States and a dominant name of American history. He served the nation at the extremes of the cold war. Kennedy prominently worked to build relations with the Soviet Union and Cuba.

In 1963 he was assassinated during his presidential motorcade ride in Dallas, Texas, by Lee Harvey Oswald, gunshots from a nearby building. People have controversy about his role in US history. Also, some think he did both good and bad work. However, he is still considered a great man in American political history.

John Kennedy’s Top Quotations

So, let’s fascinate yourself by reading these amazing famous, 200 best quotes from John F. Kennedy.

“If not us, who? If not now, when?” — John F. Kennedy
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” — John F. Kennedy
“There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long-range risks of comfortable inaction.” — John F. Kennedy
“When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters. One represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.” — John F. Kennedy
“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, but it is also the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” — John F. Kennedy
“Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one’s own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.” — John F. Kennedy
“And with privilege goes responsibility.” — John F. Kennedy
“The human mind is our fundamental resource.” — John F. Kennedy
“Just because we cannot see clearly the end of the road, that is no reason for not setting out on the essential journey.” — John F. Kennedy
“The Greeks understood that mind and body must develop in harmonious proportions to produce a creative intelligence.” — John F. Kennedy
“Those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.” — John F. Kennedy
“As they say on my own Cape Cod, a rising tide lifts all the boats. And a partnership, by definition, serves both partners without domination or unfair advantage. Together we have been partners in adversity let us also be partners in prosperity.” — John F. Kennedy
“Politics is a jungle-torn between doing the right thing and staying in office.” — John F. Kennedy
“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
“Knowledge of the oceans is more than a matter of curiosity. Our very survival may hinge upon it.” — John F. Kennedy
“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
“The Jewish people, ever since David slew Goliath, have never considered youth as a barrier to leadership.” — John F. Kennedy
“Let us welcome controversial books and controversial authors.” — John F. Kennedy
“When we got into office, the thing that surprised me most was to find that things were just as bad as we’d been saying they were.” — John F. Kennedy
“The problem of power is how to achieve its responsible use rather than its irresponsible and indulgent use; of how to get men of power to live for the public rather than off the public.” — John F. Kennedy
“The basis of effective government is public confidence, and that confidence is endangered when ethical standards falter or appear to falter.” — John F. Kennedy
“For plague and pestilence, plunder and pollution, the hazards of nature and the hunger of children are the foes of every nation. The earth, the sea, and the air are the concern of every nation.” — John F. Kennedy
“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride.” — John F. Kennedy
“It might be said now that I have the best of both worlds. A Harvard education and a Yale degree.” — John F. Kennedy
“Since the time of the ancient Greeks, we have felt that there was a close relationship between a strong, vital mind and physical fitness.”— John F. Kennedy
“Show me a man with a great golf game, and I’ll show you a man who has been neglecting something.” — John F. Kennedy
“Aggressive conduct, if allowed to go unchecked and unchallenged, ultimately leads to war.” — John F. Kennedy
“It was involuntary. They sank my boat.” — John F. Kennedy
“In our democracy, every young person should have an equal opportunity to obtain a higher education, regardless of his station in life or financial means.” — John F. Kennedy
“War and hunger and ignorance and despair know no religious barriers.” — John F. Kennedy
“So, let us not be blind to our differences – but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved.” — John F. Kennedy
“Any danger spot is tenable if men, brave men, will make it so.” — John F. Kennedy
“I am not so much concerned with the right of everyone to say anything he pleases as I am about our need as a self-governing people to hear everything relevant.” — John F. Kennedy
“You never know what’s hit you. A gunshot is the perfect way.” — John F. Kennedy
“If I don’t have a woman every three days or so, I get a terrible headache.” — John F. Kennedy
“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.” — John F. Kennedy
“The highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist, is to remain true to himself and to let the chips fall where they may.” — John F. Kennedy
“It is insane that two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world, should be able to decide to bring an end to civilization.” — John F. Kennedy
“It is in the American tradition to stand up for one’s rights – even if the new way to stand up for one’s rights is to sit down.” — John F. Kennedy
“Where nature makes natural allies of us all, we can demonstrate that beneficial relations are possible even with those with whom we most deeply disagree-and this must someday be the basis of world peace and world law.” — John F. Kennedy
“Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” — John F. Kennedy
“Life isn’t fair. In never was and never will be.” — John F. Kennedy
“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.” — John F. Kennedy
“America has tossed its cap over the wall of space.” — John F. Kennedy
“Nor problem of human destiny is beyond human beings.” — John F. Kennedy
“The Federal Government is the people, and the budget is a reflection of their need.” — John F. Kennedy
“Be aware of danger-but recognize the opportunity.” — John F. Kennedy
“There can be no progress if people have no faith in tomorrow.” — John F. Kennedy
“Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet.” — John F. Kennedy
“If anyone is crazy enough to want to kill a president of the United States, he can do it. All he must be prepared to do is give his life for the president’s.” — John F. Kennedy
“In a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the moon; it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there.” — John F. Kennedy
“I have said that control of arms is a mission that we undertake particularly for our children and our grandchildren and that they have no lobby in Washington.” — John F. Kennedy
“My experience in government is that when things are non-controversial and beautifully coordinated, there is not much going on.” — John F. Kennedy
“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
“We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values.” — John F. Kennedy
“All of us in the Senate live in an iron lung-the iron lung of politics, and it is no easy task to emerge from that rarified atmosphere in order to breathe the same fresh air our constituents breathe.” — John F. Kennedy
“I have a nice home, the office is close by, and the pay is good.” — John F. Kennedy
“Someone always needs rescuing, yet there’s only one person who ever seems to understand you. It’s a lot like being Lassie.” — John F. Kennedy
“In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation.” — John F. Kennedy
“I was never accepted into certain parts of New England society because my grandfather was an Irish barkeep.” — John F. Kennedy
“A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living. Today’s military rejects include tomorrow’s hard-core unemployed.” — John F. Kennedy
“We had a dog who was named Pushinka, who was given to my father by a Soviet official. And we trained that dog to slide down the slide we had in the back of the White House. Sliding the dog down that slide is probably my first memory.” — John F. Kennedy
“Blight has descended on our regulatory agencies – and a dry rot, beginning in Washington, is seeping into every corner of America – in the payola mentality, the expense account way of life, the confusion between what is legal and what is right.” — John F. Kennedy
“There has also been a change – a slippage – in our intellectual and moral strength. Seven lean years of drouth and famine have withered a field of ideas.” — John F. Kennedy
“Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder.” — John F. Kennedy
“Politics is like football; if you see daylight, go through the hole.” — John F. Kennedy
“To those whom much is given, much is expected.” — John F. Kennedy

John F Kennedy Inspirational quotes

“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.” — John F. Kennedy
“Our problems are man-made; therefore, they may be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings.” — John F. Kennedy
“Peace need not be impracticable, and war need not be inevitable.” — John F. Kennedy
“A life of complete leisure is the hardest work of all.” — John F. Kennedy
“In order to know who, you are you need to know God is.” — John F. Kennedy
“Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.” — John F. Kennedy
“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.” — John F. Kennedy
“Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.” — John F. Kennedy
“The rising tide lifts all the boats.” — John F. Kennedy
“Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.” — John F. Kennedy
“The only significance of analyzing the past is that it does give us some key to the future.” — John F. Kennedy
“Not every child has an equal talent or an equal ability or equal motivation, but they should have the equal right to develop their talent and their ability and their motivation, to make something of themselves.” — John F. Kennedy
“Never before has man had such a great capacity to control his own environment, to end hunger, poverty, and disease, to banish illiteracy and human misery. We have the power to make the best generation of mankind in the history of the world.”— John F. Kennedy
“According to the ancient Chinese proverb, A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — John F. Kennedy
“Intelligence and skill can only function at the peak of their capacity when the body is healthy and strong.” — John F. Kennedy
“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger – but recognize the opportunity.” — John F. Kennedy
“Every area of trouble gives out a ray of hope, and the one unchangeable certainty is that nothing is certain or unchangeable.” — John F. Kennedy
“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” — John F. Kennedy
“No matter how big the lie; repeat it often enough, and the masses will regard it as the truth.” — John F. Kennedy
“Only an educated and informed people will be a free people.” — John F. Kennedy
“Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.” — John F. Kennedy
“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” — John F. Kennedy
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” — John F. Kennedy
“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” — John F. Kennedy
“All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talent.” — John F. Kennedy
“Our task is not to fix blame for the past, but to fix the course for the future.” — John F. Kennedy
“Never let your fears hold you back from pursuing your hopes.” — John F. Kennedy
“To be courageous requires no exceptional qualifications, no magic formula, no special combination of time, place, and circumstance. It is an opportunity that sooner or later is presented to us all.” — John F. Kennedy
“While we cannot guarantee that we shall one day be first, we can guarantee that any failure to make this effort will make us last.” — John F. Kennedy
“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.” — John F. Kennedy
“Real men stay faithful. They don’t have time to look for other women because they’re too busy looking for new ways to love their own.” — John F. Kennedy
“I’m an idealist without illusions.” — John F. Kennedy
“Sincerity is always subject to proof.” — John F. Kennedy
“Great crisis produces great men and great deeds of courage.” — John F. Kennedy
“I think the success of any school can be measured by the contribution the alumni make to our national life.” — John F. Kennedy
“Ask not that the journey be easy; ask instead that it be worth it.” — John F. Kennedy
“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, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce.” — John F. Kennedy
“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
“Wealth is the means, and people are the ends. All our material riches will avail us little if we do not use them to expand the opportunities of our people.” — John F. Kennedy
“We prefer world law in the age of self-determination to world war in the age of mass extermination.” — John F. Kennedy
“I would encourage every American to walk as often as possible. It’s more than healthy; it’s fun.” — John F. Kennedy
“I do not say that all men are equal in their ability, character, and motivation. I do say that every American should be given a fair chance to develop all the talents they may have.” — John F. Kennedy
“For without belittling the courage with which men have died, we should not forget those acts of courage with which men have lived.” — John F. Kennedy

John F Kennedy Quotes about Leadership, Country, Change & Freedom

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” — John F. Kennedy
“There is too little public recognition of how much we all depend upon farmers as stewards of our soil, water, and wildlife resources.” — John F. Kennedy
“Failure has no friends.” — John F. Kennedy
“The only reason to give a speech is to change the world.” — John F. Kennedy
“Change is the law of life.” — John F. Kennedy
“Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.” — John F. Kennedy
“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” — John F. Kennedy
“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” — John F. Kennedy
“Man will be what he was born to be: free and independent.” — John F. Kennedy
“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” — John F. Kennedy
“There is nothing more certain and unchanging than uncertainty and change.” — John F. Kennedy
“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” — John F. Kennedy
“If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.” — John F. Kennedy
“The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.” — John F. Kennedy
“Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel prizes – one for peace and one for science.” — John F. Kennedy
“Food is strength, and food is peace, and food is freedom, and food is a helping hand to people around the world whose goodwill and friendship we want.” — John F. Kennedy
“Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.” — John F. Kennedy
“The best road to progress is freedom’s road.” — John F. Kennedy
“Liberty without Learning is always in peril and Learning without Liberty is always in vain.” — John F. Kennedy
“We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future.” — John F. Kennedy
“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.” — John F. Kennedy
“It is not our wealth that built our roads, but it is our roads that built our wealth.” — John F. Kennedy
“World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbor – it requires only that they live together with mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement.” — John F. Kennedy
“Time and the world do not standstill. Change is the law of life.” — John F. Kennedy
“The only unchangeable certainty in life is that nothing is unchangeable or certain.” — John F. Kennedy
“Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.” — John F. Kennedy
“It is time for a new generation of leadership to cope with new problems and new opportunities. For there is a new world to be won.” — John F. Kennedy
“Everything changes but change itself.” — John F. Kennedy
“In a time of domestic crisis, men of goodwill and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics.” — John F. Kennedy
“Our problems are man-made; therefore, they may be solved by man.” — John F. Kennedy
“Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free.” — John F. Kennedy
“Moral courage is more a rare commodity than bravery in a battle or great intelligence.” — John F. Kennedy
“Domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us.” — John F. Kennedy
“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
“A great change is at hand, and our task, our obligation, is to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all.” — John F. Kennedy
“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
“A wall is a hell of a lot better than a war.” — John F. Kennedy
“Diplomacy and defense are not substitutes for one another. Either alone would fail.” — John F. Kennedy
“We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.” — John F. Kennedy
“Life in freedom is not easy, and democracy is not perfect.” — John F. Kennedy
“Our goal is not victory of might but the vindication of right – not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom, here in this hemisphere and, we hope, around the world. God willing, that goal will be achieved.” — John F. Kennedy
“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
“We stand for freedom. That is our conviction for ourselves; that is our only commitment to others.” — John F. Kennedy
“We live in a hemisphere whose own revolution has given birth to the most powerful force of the modern age; the search for freedom and self-fulfillment of man.” — John F. Kennedy
“If the self-discipline of the free cannot match the iron discipline of the mailed fist, in economic, political, scientific, and all the other kinds of struggles, as well as the military, then the peril to freedom will continue to rise.” — John F. Kennedy
“I want every American to be free to stand up for his rights, even if sometimes he has to sit down for them.” — John F. Kennedy
“The wave of the future is not the conquest of the world by a single dogmatic creed but the liberation of the diverse energies of free nations and free men.” — John F. Kennedy
“It takes two to make peace.” — John F. Kennedy
“We go into space because whatever mankind must undertake, free men must fully share.” — John F. Kennedy
“The very word secrecy is repugnant in a free and open society.” — John F. Kennedy
“The basis of self-government and freedom requires the development of character and self-restraint and perseverance and the long view. And these are qualities which require many years of training and education.” — John F. Kennedy
“Struggle for freedom. Where people are denied the right of choice, recourse to such struggle is the only means of achieving their liberties.” — John F. Kennedy
“If men and women are in chains anywhere in the world, then freedom is endangered everywhere.” — John F. Kennedy
“We believe that when men reach beyond this planet, they should leave their national differences behind them.” — John F. Kennedy
“Nuclear weapons are so destructive, and ballistic missiles are so swift, that any substantially increased possibility of their use or any sudden change in their deployment may well be regarded as a definite threat to peace.” — John F. Kennedy
“There are many people in the world who really don’t understand-or say they don’t-what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin!” — John F. Kennedy
“For if Freedom and Communism were to compete for man’s allegiance in a world at peace, I would look to the future with ever-increasing confidence.” — John F. Kennedy
“The high office of the President has been used to foment a plot to destroy the American’s freedom, and before I leave office, I must inform the citizens of this plight.” — John F. Kennedy
“But however close we sometimes seem to that dark and final abyss, let no man of peace and freedom despair. For he does not stand alone.” — John F. Kennedy
“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
“A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.” — John F. Kennedy
“For one true measure of a nation is its success in fulfilling the promise of a better life for each of its members. Let this be the measure of our nation.” — John F. Kennedy
“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.” — John F. Kennedy
“We must abolish nuclear weapons, or they will abolish us.” — John F. Kennedy
“A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.” — John F. Kennedy
“My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” — John F. Kennedy
“Without debate, without criticism, no administration and no country can succeed, and no republic can survive.” — John F. Kennedy
“The United States has to move very fast to even stand still.” — John F. Kennedy
“We want to be first; not first if, not first but; but first!” — John F. Kennedy
“There’s a plot in this country to enslave every man, woman, and child. Before I leave this high and noble office, I intend to expose this plot.” — John F. Kennedy
Communism has never come to power in a country that was not disrupted by war or corruption, or both.” — John F. Kennedy
“We in this country, in this generation, are, by destiny rather than choice, the watchmen on the walls of world freedom.” — John F. Kennedy
“This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor.” — John F. Kennedy
“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
“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
“I look forward to a great future for America – a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose.” — John F. Kennedy
“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
“In giving rights to others which belong to them, we give rights to ourselves and to our country.” — John F. Kennedy
“It’s only when they join together in a forward movement that this country moves ahead…” — John F. Kennedy
“The US Airforce assures me that UFO’s pose no threat to National Security.” — John F. Kennedy
“Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.” — John F. Kennedy
“The American Labor Movement has consistently demonstrated its devotion to the public interest. It is, and has been, good for all America.” — John F. Kennedy
“Foreign aid is a method by which the United States maintains a position of influence and control around the world.” — John F. Kennedy
“No responsibility of government is more fundamental than the responsibility of maintaining the highest standard of ethical behavior for those who conduct the public business.” — John F. Kennedy
“Lower rates of taxation will stimulate economic activity and so raise the levels of personal and corporate income as to yield within a few years an increased – not a reduced – flow of revenues to the federal government.” — John F. Kennedy
“Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies. Those whom God has so joined together, let no man put asunder.” — John F. Kennedy
“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.” — John F. Kennedy
“We are under-exercised as a nation. We look instead of play. We ride instead of walk. Our existence deprives us of the minimum of physical activity essential for healthy living.” — John F. Kennedy
“The very word ‘secrecy’ is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths, and to secret proceedings.” — John F. Kennedy
“The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.”— John F. Kennedy

FAQs

What was JFK’s slogan?

The campaign theme of John F. Kennedy was “A time for greatness 1960.” His other commonly used words (also consider as his second slogan) were “We Can Do Better” and “Leadership for the 60s”.

Who wrote John F. Kennedy’s speeches?

Theodore Chaikin Sorensen was an American lawyer, presidential adviser, and writer. He was the speechwriter for President John F. Kennedy and one of his closest advisers.

What were the last words of John F. Kennedy?

The 35th president of the United States was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. He was killed in gunshot by Lee Harvey Oswald during riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza. He was declared dead after 30 min of the incident by the Parkland Memorial Hospital surgeons.

His last words in complete conscious just before the shot were reported as:

Nellie Connally, the First Lady of Texas, turned to Kennedy, who was sitting behind her, said, “Mr. President, you can’t say Dallas doesn’t love you”.

“No, you certainly can’t” – Kennedy replied.

According to the surgeons, just before his last breathing JF. K said, “My God, I’ve been hit” and were his last words.

What did Kennedy mean by “Ask not what your country can”?

The words from John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can,” depict he believed in taking action instead of blaming the country or land for backwardness and violation of human rights. He wanted Americans and citizens of all nations to take action to attain freedom for humanity individually. He told people the necessity of individuals working for their rights.