Quotes by John F. Kennedy

The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of a final moment but it is no less a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy.

Once you say you’re going to settle for second, that’s what happens to you in life.

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

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.

I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House – with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.

I don’t think the intelligence reports are all that hot. Some days I get more out of the New York Times.

I hope that no American will waste his franchise and throw away his vote by voting either for me or against me solely on account of my religious affiliation. It is not relevant.

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.

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.

History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside.