“For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it.”
— Thomas Jefferson Primary source“But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
— Ernest Hemingway Primary source“You do your worst—and we will do our best.”
— Winston Churchill Primary source“Never give in—never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.”
— Winston Churchill Primary source“Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.”
— Winston Churchill Primary source“A man does what he must—in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures—and that is the basis of all human morality.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.”
— Winston Churchill Primary source“If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.”
— Ernest Hemingway Primary source“The coward dies a thousand deaths, the brave but one.”
— Ernest Hemingway Primary source“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
— Thomas Jefferson Primary source“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”
— Steve Jobs Primary source“I couldn’t afford luxuries like embarrassment.”
— Andrew S. Grove Primary source“When we reflect upon the brutal vices of these salt-water bandits, pirates as shameful as any whom the sea has borne, or recoil from their villainous destruction and cruel deeds, we must also remember the discipline, the fortitude, the comradeship and martial virtues which made them at this period beyond all challenge the most formidable and daring race in the world.”
— Winston Churchill Primary source“The courage, the unconquerable grit and stamina of our people, showed itself from the very outset. Without that all would have failed. Upon that rock, all stood unshakable.”
— Winston Churchill Primary source“However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names.”
— Henry David Thoreau Primary source“Not all Senators would agree—but few would deny that the desire to be re-elected exercises a strong brake on independent courage.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“As I look back on the flight I think two questions have been asked me most frequently. First: Was I afraid? Secondly: What did I wear?”
— Amelia Earhart Primary source“The thing to do is not to get scared, but to learn.”
— Ayn Rand Primary source“The true democracy, living and growing and inspiring, puts its faith in the people—faith that the people will not simply elect men who will represent their views ably and faithfully, but also elect men who will exercise their conscientious judgment—faith that the people will not condemn those whose devotion to principle leads them to unpopular courses, but will reward courage, respect honor and ultimately recognize right.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“Without justice courage is weak.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source“Grace under pressure.”
— Ernest Hemingway Secondary source“Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace.”
— Amelia Earhart Primary source“The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth.”
— Albert Einstein Primary source“I may not be as strong as I think. But I know many tricks and I have resolution.”
— Ernest Hemingway Primary source“Perhaps if the American people more fully comprehended the terrible pressures which discourage acts of political courage, which drive a Senator to abandon or subdue his conscience, then they might be less critical of those who take the easier road—and more appreciative of those still able to follow the path of courage.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“ In whatever arena of life one may meet the challenge of courage, whatever may be the sacrifices he faces if he follow 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 provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment.”
— Napoleon Bonaparte Disputed“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
— Winston Churchill Disputed“Courage cannot be counterfeited. It is one virtue that escapes hypocrisy.”
— Napoleon Bonaparte Disputed“Intelligence precedes force. Force itself is nothing without intelligence. In the heroic age the leader was the strongest man; with civilization he has become the most intelligent of the brave.”
— Napoleon Bonaparte Disputed“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
— Winston Churchill Disputed“We are warlike, because self-control contains honour as a chief constituent, and honour bravery.”
— Thucydides Primary sourceTenacity Defiance Perseverance Politics Truth