Inspirational Quotes
Words to motivate, inspire, and guide you.
George Washington Quotes
CompletionFarewellAffectionDignityResignation Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of Action; and bidding an Affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my Commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.
LibertyUnionGovernmentMilitaryFreedom Hence, likewise, they will avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments, which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to Republican Liberty In this sense it is, that your Union ought to be considered as a main prop of your liberty, and that the love of the one ought to endear to you the preservation of the other.
MotherGratitudeSuccessInfluenceUpbringing My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.
FriendshipTrustConfidencePerseveranceRelationship Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to appellation.
Liberty The hour is fast approaching, on which the Honor and Success of this army, and the safety of our bleeding Country depend Remember officers and Soldiers, that you are free men, fighting for the blessings of Liberty -- that slavery will be your portion, and that of your posterity, if you do not acquit yourselves like men.
PatriotismNational IdentityUnityCivic PrideCountry Citizens by birth or choice of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.
BooksKnowledgeFoundation I conceive a knowledge of books is the basis upon which other knowledge is to be built.
RightsEqualityJusticeCitizenshipGovernment It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights For happily the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction - to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens.
Law All obstructions to the execution of the laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels and modified by mutual interests.
ExampleIntegrityInfluence Wherein you reprove another be unblameable yourself, for example is more prevalent than precepts.
LeadershipBurdenIsolationWorry The reflection upon my situation and that of this army produces many an uneasy hour when all around me are wrapped in sleep Few people know the predicament we are in.
SimplicityContentmentNatureHumilityPersonal Values I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.
LearningExperiencePastWisdom We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience.
HumilitySelf-DoubtIntegrityReputation But lest some unlucky event should happen unfavorable to my reputation, I beg it may be remembered by every gentleman in the room that I this day declare with the utmost sincerity, I do not think myself equal to the command I am honored with.
HonestyIntegrityPolicy I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is always the best policy.
LiteratureArtsCitizenshipDutyCulture To encourage literature and the arts is a duty which every good citizen owes to his country.
LoveUnderstandingConnection Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough. Not only have I found that when I talk to the little flower or to the little peanut they will give up their secrets, but I have found that when I silently commune with people they give up their secrets also-if you love them enough.
LibertyGrowthFreedomRootsPotential Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.
Freedom of SpeechLibertyOppressionVulnerability If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.
FreedomDignityResistanceCourage I'll die on my feet before I'll live on my knees! (*often attributed to Washington, but cannot be confirmed).
MoneyCommerceFraudInjustice Paper money has had the effect in your state that it will ever have, to ruin commerce, oppress the honest, and open the door to every species of fraud and injustice.
ResponsibilityPosterityEthicsBurden We should avoid ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear.
LeadershipTeamworkDependence It is absolutely necessary for me to have persons that can think for me, as well as execute orders.
Human RightsHappinessKnowledgeGovernanceCollaboration The foundation of our Empire was not laid in the gloomy age of Ignorance and Superstition, but at an Epoch when the rights of mankind were better understood and more clearly defined, than at any former period, the researches of the human mind, after social happiness, have been carried to a great extent, the Treasures of knowledge, acquired by the labours of Philosophers, Sages and Legislatures, through a long succession of years, are laid open for our use, and their collected wisdom may be happily applied in the Establishment of our forms of Government.
TreasonJusticePatriotism No punishment, in my opinion, is to great, for the man who can build his greatness upon his country's ruin.
EmpathyCompassionSorrowAfflictionsKindness Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone.
HumilityRespectModestyWisdom Strive not with your superiors in argument, but always submit your judgment to others with modesty.
HonestyJusticeNon-InterferencePeace In politics as in philosophy, my tenets are few and simple. The leading one of which, and indeed that which embraces most others, is to be honest and just ourselves and to exact it from others, meddling as little as possible in their affairs where our own are not involved If this maxim was generally adopted, wars would cease and our swords would soon be converted into reap hooks and our harvests be more peaceful, abundant, and happy.
LibertyPatriotismFortitudePerseveranceResilience We began a contest for liberty ill provided with the means for the war, relying on our patriotism to supply the deficiency. We expected to encounter many wants and distressed... we must bear the present evils and fortitude...
LibertyVirtueJusticeLiberalityGovernance As Mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality.
ProvidenceNational IdentityIndependence No people can be bound to acknowledge the invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency.
ReadinessDefensePeaceStrengthVigilance To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.
CongressParty DisputesPersonal QuarrelsNational Concerns Of Congress, party disputes and personal quarrels are the great business of the day whilst the momentous concerns of an empireare but secondary considerations, that business of a trifling nature and personal concernment withdraws their attention from matters of great national moment.
ConflictFreedomSlaveryMoralityChoice Unhappy it is, though, to reflect that a brother's sword has been sheathed in a brother's breast and that the once-happy plains of America are either to be drenched with blood or inhabited by slaves Sad alternative! But can a virtuous man hesitate in his choice?
FreedomCourageUnityLiberty Let us therefore animate and encourage each other, and show the whole world that a Freeman, contending for liberty on his own ground, is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth.
ResponsibilityPerseveranceAccountabilitySelf-Reliance 99% of failures come from people who make excuses.
WisdomLearningValueFaith Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles.
PoliticsInfluenceMisrepresentation One of the expedients of party to acquire influence, within particular districts, is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts.
Religious ConflictEnduring AnimosityPeaceBelief SystemsMoral Disapproval Of all the animosities which have existed among mankind, those which are caused by a difference of sentiments in religion appear to be the most inveterate and distressing, and ought most to be deprecated.
PerseveranceDutySilenceIntegrity To persevere in one's duty, and be silent is the best answer to calumny.
Inner StrengthMental StateHappinessPerspectiveSelf-Reflection Happiness depends more upon the internal frame of a person's own mind, than on the externals in the world.
LibertyLoveAttachment Interwoven as is the love of liberty with every ligament of your hearts, no recommendation of mine is necessary to fortify or confirm the attachment.
WisdomStrategyCooperationPerseverance Much was to be done by prudence, much by conciliation, much by firmness.