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Quote by John F. Kennedy

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Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1962

This volume includes a wide range of documents reflecting the policies and priorities of the Kennedy administration, showcasing the President's approach to various domestic and international issues. more

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John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 to 1963. His presidency was marked by the Civil Rights Act, the New Frontier policy, and the intense Cold War confrontation with the Soviet Union. Kennedy was known for his youthful charm and charisma, but his assassination during his term shocked the world. more

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“In whatever area in life one may meet the challenges of courage, whatever may be the sacrifices he faces if he follows his conscience - the loss of his friends, his fortune, his contentment, even the esteem of his fellow men - each man must decide for himself the course he will follow. The stories of past courage can define that ingredient - they can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.”

“It requires greater courage to preserve inner freedom, to move on in one's inward journey into new realms, than to stand defiantly for outer freedom. It is often easier to play the martyr, as it is to be rash in battle. Strange as it sounds, steady, patient growth in freedom is probably the most difficult task of all, requiring the greatest courage. Thus if the term "hero" is used in this discussion at all, it must refer not to the special acts of outstanding persons, but to the heroic element potentially in every man.”

“In any age courage is the simple virtue needed for a human being to traverse the rocky road from infancy to maturity of personality. But in an age of anxiety, an age of herd morality and personal isolation, courage is a sine qua non. In periods when the mores of the society were more consistent guides, the individual was more firmly cushioned in his crises of development; but in times of transition like ours, the individual is thrown on his own at an earlier age and for a longer period.”