Quotes by John F. Kennedy

Once you say youre going to settle for second thats what happens to you in life I find.

Once you say youre going to settle for second thats what happens to you.

All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days nor in the life of this administration nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet.

When we got into office the thing that surprised me most was to find that things were just as bad as wed been saying they were.

The Family of Man is more than three billion strong. It lives in more than one hundred nations. Most of its members are not white. Most of them are not Christians. Most of them know nothing about free enterprise or due process of law or the Australian ballot.

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 Gods work must truly be our own.

I am not so much concerned with the right of everyone to say anything he pleases as I am about our need as self-governing people to hear everything relevant.

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 proud of our ancient heritage - and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed and to which we are committed today at home and around the world. 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. All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1 000 days nor in the life of this administration nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin. Now the trumpet summons us again - not as a call to bear arms though arms we need - not as a call to battle though embattled we are - but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle year in and year out rejoicing in hope patient in tribulation- a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny poverty disease and war itself. And so my fellow Americans ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country . My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

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 in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

All free men wherever they may live are citizens of Berlin. And therefore as a free man I take pride in the words Ich bin ein Berliner.

We must use time as a tool not as a crutch.

Too often we . . . enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.

Peace is a daily a weekly a monthly process gradually changing opinions slowly eroding old barriers quietly building new structures. And however undramatic the pursuit of peace the pursuit must go on.

It takes two to make peace.

If we are strong our strength will speak for itself. If we are weak words will be no help.

I just received the following wire from my generous Daddy Dear Jack: Dont buy a single vote more than necessary. Ill be damned if I am going to pay for a landslide.

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

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

If a free society cannot help the many who are poor it cannot save the few who are rich.

I dont see whats wrong with giving Bobby a little experience before he starts to practise law.