Inspirational Quotes
Words to motivate, inspire, and guide you.
George Washington Quotes
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.
EducationGovernmentCivic DutyLiberty A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?
UnderstandingDecision MakingWisdom The great mass of our Citizens require only to understand matters rightly, to form right decisions.
National UnityPreservationPatriotismHappinessProsperity It is of infinite moment, that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national Union to your collective and individual happiness; that you should cherish a cordial, habitual, and immovable attachment to it; accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the Palladium of your political safety and prosperity; watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety; discountenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion, that it can in any event be abandoned; and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties which now link together the various parts.
AgingRetirementAcceptanceRest Every day the increasing weight of years admonishes me more and more, that the shade of retirement is as necessary to me as it will be welcome.
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.
PowerLibertyAbuseTyranny Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.
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.
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.
Freedom of SpeechLibertyOppressionVulnerability If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.
Public DebtFiscal ResponsibilityTimeliness No pecuniary consideration is more urgent, than the regular redemption and discharge of the public debt: on none can delay be more injurious, or an economy of time more valuable.
National SecuritySelf-ReliancePreparedness A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined; to which end a uniform and well-digested plan is requisite; and their safety and interest require that they should promote such manufactories as tend to render them independent of others for essential, particularly military, supplies.
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.
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.
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?
LeadershipPatriotismDutyAction Where are our Men of abilities? Why do they not come forth to save their Country?
FactionalismRevengeDespotismTyranny The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism.
HatredAffectionSlaveryDutyNational Interest The nation which indulges toward another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to it animosity or two its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest.
FreedomDignityResistanceCourage I'll die on my feet before I'll live on my knees! (*often attributed to Washington, but cannot be confirmed).
HonestyIntegrityVirtueCharacter I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.
PeaceWarPreparednessStrengthSecurity If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War.
Freedom of SpeechLibertyJusticeReason There might, Gentlemen, be an impropriety in my taking notice, in this Address to you, of an anonymous production, but the manner in which that performance has been introduced to the army, the effect it was intended to have, together with some other circumstances, will amply justify my observations on the tendency of that Writing With respect to the advice given by the Author, to suspect the Man, who shall recommend moderate measures and longer forbearance, I spurn it, as every Man, who regards liberty, and reveres that justice for which we contend, undoubtedly must; for if Men are to be precluded from offering their Sentiments on a matter, which may involve the most serious and alarming consequences, that can invite the consideration of Mankind, reason is of no use to us; the freedom of Speech may be taken away, and dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep, to the Slaughter.
ImmigrationInclusionLibertyOpportunityCivility The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations And Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment.
ChangeSubtletyPerceptionSignificance The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they pass unobserved.
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.
PoliticsRightsConstitutionSelf-Governance The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government.
BooksKnowledgeFoundation I conceive a knowledge of books is the basis upon which other knowledge is to be built.
TreasonJusticePatriotism No punishment, in my opinion, is to great, for the man who can build his greatness upon his country's ruin.
IntegrityStandardsHonestyFaith If to please the people, we offer what we ourselves disapprove, how can we afterwards defend our work? Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair. The rest is in the hands of God.
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.
PerseveranceDutySilenceIntegrity To persevere in one's duty, and be silent is the best answer to calumny.
ExampleIntegrityInfluence Wherein you reprove another be unblameable yourself, for example is more prevalent than precepts.
Self-ControlDecision MakingResponsibilityPublic Impact Do not suffer your good nature to say yes when you ought to say no; remember that it is a public not a private cause that is to be injured or benefitted by your choice.
Freedom of SpeechReasonExpressionVoiceConsequence if Men are to be precluded from offering their Sentiments on a matter, which may involve the most serious and alarming consequences, that can invite the consideration of Mankind, reason is of no use to us; the freedom of Speech may be taken away, and dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep, to the Slaughter.
CoercionGovernanceHuman NatureWisdom Experience has taught us, that men will not adopt and carry into execution measures best calculated for their own good, without the intervention of a coercive power.
ResponsibilityPosterityEthicsBurden We should avoid ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear.
ConsciencePerseveranceMorality Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.
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...
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.