Delving into the reservoir of historical wisdom, "Quotes By Richard Nixon" encapsulates the essence of a transformative era in American politics. Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, is renowned for his eloquence, pragmatism, and enduring legacy. As we embark on an exploration of his profound insights and quotable remarks, we unearth a treasure trove of guidance, inspiration, and timeless truths. "Quotes By Richard Nixon" offers a window into the complexities of leadership, the nuances of diplomacy, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Quotes By Richard Nixon (2024)
Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, was known for his eloquence and sharp wit. Here his most memorable quotes:
"The greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker."
"Remember, always give your best. Never get discouraged. Never be petty. Always remember, others may hate you. But those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself."
"In the end, what you do is more significant than what you say."
"I reject the cynical view that politics is a dirty business."
"A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits."
"I can take it. The tougher it gets, the cooler I get."
"The harder you work, the luckier you get."
"A man isn't a man until he has to meet a payroll."
"You've got to learn to survive a defeat. That's when you develop character."
"I'm not a quitter. I never have been."
"Make sure you pay attention to what is happening around you. It's your responsibility as a citizen."
"The presidency has many problems, but boredom is the least of them."
"Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music."
"Always remember others may hate you, but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself."
"You must pursue this investigation of Watergate even if it leads to the president. I'm innocent. You've got to believe I'm innocent. If you don't, take my job."
"When the president does it, that means it's not illegal."
"People react to fear, not love; they don't teach that in Sunday school, but it's true."
"I can see clearly now… that I was wrong in not acting more decisively and more forthrightly in dealing with Watergate."
"If you want to make beautiful music, you must play the black and the white notes together."
"When you have a crisis, the first thing you have to do is pull together as a team."
"Defeat doesn't finish a man, quit does. A man is not finished when he's defeated. He's finished when he quits."
"I was not lying. I said things that later on seemed to be untrue."
"I have impeached myself by resigning."
"The American Dream does not come to those who fall asleep."
"In the building of our nation, we must be sure to have both women and men."
"The American people are entitled to see the president and to hear his views directly, and not to see him only through the press."
"I am not a crook."
"I can't do anything about the past."
"I would like to add, I never did anything that would lead to the impeachment of the president."
"When you're down, you find out who your real friends are."
"There are times that I lie awake at night and I wonder if it was worth it."
"The only thing worse than losing is quitting."
"I believe the greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker."
"Remember, always give your best. Never get discouraged. Never be petty."
"I've always tried to hide my efforts and wished my works to have the light, joyousness of springtime which never lets anyone suspect the labors it has cost me."
"I think the American people are entitled to see the president and to hear his views directly."
"Politics would be a helluva good business if it weren't for the goddamned people."
"A man who has never lost himself in a cause bigger than himself has missed one of life's mountaintop experiences. Only in losing himself does he find himself."
"You must never be satisfied with losing. You must get angry, terribly angry, about losing. But the mark of the good loser is that he takes his anger out on himself and not his victorious opponents or on his teammates."
"I let the American people down and I have to carry that burden with me for the rest of my life."
"A man who has never lost himself in a cause bigger than himself has missed one of life's mountaintop experiences."
"I gave 'em a sword, and they stuck it in, and they twisted it with relish. And I guess if I had been in their position, I'd have done the same thing."
"I don't know anything that builds the will to win better than competitive sports."
"Always remember, others may hate you. But those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself."
"The great eventful Present hides the Past, but through its loud din, hints and echoes from the life behind steal in."
"You must not let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it."
"Any lady who is first lady likes being first lady. I don't care what they say, they like it."
"Life isn't meant to be easy. It's hard to take being on the top - or on the bottom. I guess I'm something of a fatalist. You have to have a sense of history, I think, to survive some of these things… Life is one crisis after another."
"To know the road ahead, ask those coming back."
"The only place where you really have equality is in the cemetery."
"I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is opposed to every instinct in my body. But as president, I must put the interests of America first. America needs a full-time president and a full-time Congress, particularly at this time with problems we face at home and abroad."
"I think most people… would rather face the bullets than the interview board."
"I know what it is to feel lonely and helpless and to have the whole world against me, and those are things that no men or women ought to feel."
"You must not let your ego get too close to your position, so that if your position gets shot down, your ego doesn't go with it."
"It's not a crime if you don't get caught, but in your case, it's a disaster."
"There's nothing wrong with being a conservative and coming up with a conservative belief in foreign policy where we have a strong national defense and we don't go to war so carelessly."
"Never forget, the press is the enemy. The establishment is the enemy. The professors are the enemy. Professors are the enemy. Write that on a blackboard 100 times and never forget it."
"I never was one to go into an office and not know why I was there."
"I would have made a good pope."
"If an individual wants to be a leader and isn't controversial, that means he never stood for anything."
"I gave 'em a sword. And they stuck it in, and they twisted it with relish. And I guess if I had been in their position, I'd have done the same thing."
"I'd rather use nuclear diplomacy than let these people have a bomb."
"I would say you're not a friend to anyone if you want to kill them."
"No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now."
"The finest steel has to go through the hottest fire."
"Always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself."
"In the television age, the key distinction is between the candidate who can speak poetry and the one who can only speak prose."
"I've never been a millionaire, but I just know I'd be darling at it."
"The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger—but recognize the opportunity."
"A public man must never forget that he loses his usefulness when he as an individual, rather than his policy, becomes the issue."
"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."
"I know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail nonetheless."
"I know what it is to feel like there's no hope left."
"We cannot learn from one another until we stop shouting at one another—until we speak quietly enough so that our words can be heard as well as our voices."
"The only greatness for man is immortality."
"I can't quit. I can't give up. I can't stop. My instinct is to keep going."
"The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him."
"Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid."
"The silent majority is silent, but it's still a majority."
"A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people."
"Don't get the impression that you arouse my anger. You see, one can only be angry with those he respects."
"I have always felt that if a man gives you his word, he should keep it."
"Any nation that decides the only way to achieve peace is through peaceful means is a nation that will soon be a piece of another nation."
"When the president does it, that means it is not illegal."
"The American dream need not forever be deferred."
"Always give your best, never get discouraged, never be petty; always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself."
"I know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail nonetheless."
"There are times when a man has to do what a man has to do."
"The memory of that scene for me is like a frame of film forever frozen at that moment: the red carpet, the green lawn, the white house, the leaden sky. The new president and his first lady."
"The most dangerous thing about living in Washington is that it's so far from America."
"I'm not for women, frankly, in any job. I don't want any of them around. Thank God we don't have any in the Cabinet."
"A man is not finished when he's defeated; he's finished when he quits."
"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."
"The only place where you and I disagree is with regard to the importance of the Fourth of July. I believe it is just as important as Thanksgiving, and perhaps even more so because it celebrates something that happened once, and that we should be thankful for every day."
"I welcome this kind of examination, because people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook."
"I made my mistakes, but in all my years of public life, I have never profited from public service. I've earned every cent. And in all of my years in public life, I have never obstructed justice."
"The greatness comes not when things go always good for you, but the greatness comes when you're really tested, when you take some knocks, some disappointments, when sadness comes. Because only if you've been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain."
"I have never been a quitter."
"Americans admire a people who can scratch a desert and produce a garden. The Israelis have shown qualities that Americans identify with: guts, patriotism, idealism, a passion for freedom. I have seen it. I know. I believe that."
"When the President does it, that means that it is not illegal."
"A man of knowledge lives by acting, not by thinking about acting."
"Always give your best, never get discouraged, never be petty; always remember, others may hate you. But those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself."
"The Jews are irreplaceable, and every black should know that."
"We cannot learn from one another until we stop shouting at one another - until we speak quietly enough so that our words can be heard as well as our voices."
"If you take no risks, you will suffer no defeats. But if you take no risks, you win no victories."
In reflecting on the multifaceted legacy of Richard Nixon, it becomes evident that his words resonate through time, capturing the essence of his era and enduring relevance. From political sagacity to personal introspection, Nixon's quotes offer insight into the complexities of leadership and the human condition. As we navigate our own challenges and triumphs, we can draw inspiration from his resilience, wit, and unwavering determination.
