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Franklin D. Roosevelt Quotes

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We must especially beware of that small group of selfish men who would clip the wings of the American Eagle in order to feather their own nests.

We must especially beware of that small group of selfish men who would clip the wings of the American Eagle in order to feather their own nests.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Selfish, Men, Eagles
The Four Freedoms, delivered 6 January, 1941 (photo of FDR in 1936)

We are a nation of many nationalities, many races, many religions-bound together by a single unity, the unity of freedom and equality. Whoever seeks to set one nationality against another, seeks to degrade all nationalities.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
War, Race, Drug
Campaign address, Brooklyn, New York, November 1, 1940.

Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Respect, Kindness, Character

Do Something. If it works, do more of it. If it doesn't, do something else.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Action, Ifs

Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Peace, Truth, Integrity
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (1941). “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F.D. Roosevelt, 1939, Volume 8”, p.557, Best Books on

The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerated the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself. That in its essence is fascism: ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Freedom, Power, Essence
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (1941). “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F.D. Roosevelt, 1938, Volume 7”, p.305, Best Books on

People acting together as a group can accomplish things which no individual acting alone could ever hope to bring about.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Wrestling, People, Acting

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Inspirational, Life, Motivational

In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
War, Political, Politics

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Inspirational, Leadership, Bullying
First Inaugural Address, 4 Mar. 1933 See Francis Bacon 7; Montaigne 4; Thoreau 16; Wellington 3

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Money, Economic Inequality, History
Second Inaugural Address, 20 Jan. 1937

Calm seas never made a good sailor

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Sea, Sailor, Calm

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and Senators and Congressmen and Government officials but the voters of this country.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Country, Witty, Patriotic
Franklin D. Roosevelt's Address at Marietta, Ohio, July 8, 1938.

True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Jobs, Freedom, People
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1995). “The Essential Franklin Delano Roosevelt”, Gramercy

It is better to swallow words than to have to eat them later.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Humorous

Never underestimate a man who overestimates himself.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Men, Vanity, Underestimate

Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Xenophobia, Patriotic, Usa
Remarks before Daughters of the American Revolution Convention, Washington, D.C., 21 Apr. 1938. Often paraphrased as Roosevelt's addressing the DAR as "my fellow immigrants."

Presidents are selected, not elected.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
President, Politics, Selected

Go for the moon. If you don't get it, you'll still be heading for a star. Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of the creative effort.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Inspirational, Success, Stars

We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace - business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering. They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob. Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me - and I welcome their hatred.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
War, Hate, Struggle
Franklin D. Roosevelt's Address at Madison Square Garden, New York City, October 31, 1936).

A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Clever, Men, Perfectly Good

Physical strength can never permanently withstand the impact of spiritual force.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Inspirational, Strength, Spiritual
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (1941). “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F.D. Roosevelt, 1941, Volume 10”, p.152, Best Books on

What America needs now is a drink.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
America, Needs, Drink

The value of love will always be stronger than the value of hate. Any nation or group of nations which employs hatred eventually is torn to pieces by hatred.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Love, Marriage, Couple

Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Success, Education, Real
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (1941). “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F.D. Roosevelt, 1938, Volume 7”, p.538, Best Books on