Motivational quotes by Franklin D. Roosevelt

Here are 150 motivational quotes by Franklin D. Roosevelt:

1. "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
2. "Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort."
3. "We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future."
4. "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
5. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
6. "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 too little."
7. "Men and nature must work hand in hand. The throwing out of balance of the resources of nature throws out of balance also the lives of men."
8. "A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people."
9. "When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
10. "I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made."
11. "The only true limit to realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
12. "The point in history at which we stand is full of promise and danger. The world will either move forward toward unity and widely shared prosperity - or it will move apart."
13. "In our seeking for economic and political progress, we all go up - or else we all go down."
14. "No man and no force can abolish memory."
15. "True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence."
16. "To reach a port we must sail, sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it. But we must not drift or lie at anchor."
17. "Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education."
18. "I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded... I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed... I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war."
19. "No democracy can long survive which does not accept as fundamental to its very existence the recognition of the rights of minorities."
20. "There is nothing so American as our national parks. The scenery and the wildlife are native. The fundamental idea behind the parks is native. It is, in brief, that the country belongs to the people, that it is in the process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us."
21. "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 too little."
22. "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
23. "We must be the great arsenal of democracy."
24. "In the face of great perils never before encountered, our strong purpose is to protect and to perpetuate the integrity of democracy."
25. "I am not the champion of lost causes, but the champion of causes not yet won."
26. "The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself."
27. "Men and nature must work hand in hand. The throwing out of balance of the resources of nature throws out of balance also the lives of men."
28. "The truth is found when men are free to pursue it."
29. "Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off."
30. "Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort."
31. "I have an unshakable belief that our destiny as free people is to make the most of our opportunities."
32. "No democracy can long survive which does not accept as fundamental to its very existence the recognition of the rights of minorities."
33. "I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made."
34. "The only way to have a friend is to be one."
35. "We are all in this together and we are going to come through together."
36. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
37. "I never forget that I live in a house owned by all the American people and that I have been given their trust."
38. "We have faith—faith in the goodness of our fellow citizens of whatever race, of whatever creed, of whatever political party."
39. "We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics."
40. "There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations, much is given. Of other generations much is expected."
41. "I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men coughing out their gassed lungs. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. I have seen 200 limping, exhausted men come out of line – the survivors of a regiment of 1,000 that went forward 48 hours before. I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war."
42. "Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education."
43. "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."
44. "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 too little."
45. "A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people."
46. "A wise man once said that the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members."
47. "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
48. "The only way to make democracy work is to make it work for all."
49. "The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself."
50. "True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence."
51. "Freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere. Our support goes to those who struggle to gain those rights and keep them."
52. "Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them."
53. "Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time."
54. "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."
55. "I have no expectation of making a hit every time I come to bat. What I seek is the highest possible batting average."
56. "Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort."
57. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
58. "We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon."
59. "It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something."
60. "The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government."
61. "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear."
62. "I am neither bitter nor cynical but I do wish there was less immaturity in political thinking."
63. "When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
64. "The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government."
65. "There is nothing I love as much as a good fight."
66. "We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future."
67. "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
68. "A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward."
69. "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 too little."
70. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."
71. "Men and nature must work hand in hand. The throwing out of balance of the resources of nature throws out of balance also the lives of men."
72. "We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, any hatred, is a wedge designed to attack our civilization."
73. "To reach a port, we must sail—sail, not tie at anchor—sail, not drift."
74. "True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence."
75. "We have faith—faith in the goodness of our fellow citizens of whatever race, of whatever creed, of whatever political party."
76. "The point in history at which we stand is full of promise and danger. The world will either move forward toward unity and widely shared prosperity - or it will move apart."
77. "I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed."
78. "Happiness lies in the joy of achievement, and the thrill of creative effort."
79. "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 too little."
80. "We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon."
81. "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
82. "There is nothing so American as our national parks... The fundamental idea behind the parks...is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in the process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us."
83. "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 too little."
84. "A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people."
85. "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
86. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."
87. "Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort."
88. "Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education."
89. "The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood."
90. "Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists."
91. "We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future."
92. "The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government."
93. "When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
94. "I am not the Catholic candidate for President. I am the Democratic Party's candidate for President, who happens also to be a Catholic."
95. "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."
96. "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 too little."
97. "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
98. "The school is the last expenditure upon which America should be willing to economize."
99. "The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something."
100. "We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon."
101. "The truth is found when men are free to pursue it."
102. "The greatest thing we have to fear is fear itself."
103. "We are a nation of many nationalities, many races, many religions - bound together by a single unity, the unity of freedom and equality."
104. "Men and nature must work hand in hand. The throwing out of balance of the resources of nature throws out of balance also the lives of men."
105. "The only way to have a friend is to be one."
106. "No man and no force can abolish memory."
107. "I am neither bitter nor cynical but I do wish there was less immaturity in political thinking."
108. "I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded...I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed...I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war."
109. "We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future."
110. "It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something."
111. "A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people."
112. "We know that equality of individual ability has never existed and never will, but we do insist that equality of opportunity still must be sought."
113. "The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself."
114. "A nation, like a person, has a mind - a mind that must be kept informed and alert, that must know itself, that understands the hopes and needs of its neighbors - all the other nations that live within the narrowing circle of the world."
115. "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
116. "I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made."
117. "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."
118. "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 too little."
119. "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."
120. "The point in history at which we stand is full of promise and danger. The world will either move forward toward unity and widely shared prosperity - or it will move apart."
121. "Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education."
122. "The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over its government."
123. "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 too little."
124. "Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort."
125. "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
126. "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
127. "I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded...I have seen cities destroyed...I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war."
128. "The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it; if it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something."
129. "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 too little."
130. "Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."
131. "Men and nature must work hand in hand. The throwing out of balance of the resources of nature throws out of balance also the lives of men."
132. "There is nothing to fear but fear itself."
133. "I am not the smartest fellow in the world, but I sure can pick smart colleagues."
134. "When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
135. "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 too little."
136. "In our seeking for economic and political progress, we all go up - or else we all go down."
137. "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
138. "We must be the great arsenal of democracy."
139. "I am not the type to be content with things as they are. We must always aspire to something higher and better."
140. "The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it; if it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something."