Profiles in Courage Quotes

“Great crises produce great men, and great deeds of courage,”

“To be courageous, these stories make clear, requires no exceptional qualifications, no magic formula, no special combination of time, place and circumstance. It is an opportunity that sooner or later is presented to us all.”

“The stories of past courage can define that ingredient—they can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration.”

″ The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of a final moment; but it is no less a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy.”

“Courage, the universal virtue, is comprehended by us all—but these portraits of courage do not dispel the mysteries of politics.”

“This is a book about that most admirable of human virtues—courage.”

“A nation which has forgotten the quality of courage which in the past has been brought to public life is not as likely to insist upon or reward that quality in its chosen leaders today.”

“Without belittling the courage with which men have died, we should not forget those acts of courage which men--have lived.”

“Compromise need not mean cowardice. Indeed it is frequently the compromisers and conciliators who are faced with the severest tests of political courage as they oppose the extremist views of their constituents.”

“What is now important is the courage he displayed in support of his convictions.”

“When his regard for himself is so high that his own self-respect demands he follow the path of courage and conscience that all benefit. ”

″ A democracy with this effort by its people must and can face its problems, that it must show patience, restraint, compassion, as well as wisdom and strength and courage, in the struggle for solutions which are very rarely easy to find.”

“Today the challenge of political courage looms larger than ever before.”

″ Some demonstrate courage through their unyielding devotion to absolute principle. Others demonstrate courage through their acceptance and compromise, through their advocacy of conciliation, through their willingness to replace conflict with co-operation. Surely their courage was of equal quality, through different caliber. ”

″ The American system of Government could not function if every man in a position of responsibility approached each problem... as a problem in higher mathematics.”

″ In whatever arena of life one may meet the challenge of courage, whatever may be the sacrifices he faces if he follows his conscience- the loss of friends, his fortune, his contentment, even the esteem of his fellow men- each man must decide for himself the course he will follow.”

″ What happens to the country, to the world, depends on what we do with what others have left us.”

“It is precisely because they did love themselves-- because each one’s need to maintain his own respect for himself was more important to him than his popularity with others-- because his desire to win or maintain a reputation for integrity and courage was stronger than his desire to maintain his office.”

“The President of the United States is not subject to quite the same test of political courage as a Senator.”

″ In this world of ours none of us can afford to be lookers-on, the critics standing on the sidelines.”