Harry S. Truman Quotes

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An honest public servant can't become rich in politics. He can only attain greatness and satisfaction by service.

Harry S. Truman

Trust, Money, Presidential

650 Copy quote
Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.

Harry S. Truman

Country, Fear, Voice

United States. President (1945-1953 : Truman), Harry S. Truman (1961). “Harry S. Truman: Containing the Public Messages, Speeches, and Statements of the President, 1945-53”

505 Copy quote
It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.

Harry S. Truman

Inspirational, Motivational, Leadership

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My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. To tell the truth, there's hardly a difference.

Harry S. Truman

Life, Music, Wisdom

"The Wit & Wisdom of Harry Truman".

355 Copy quote
Work Hard. Do your best. Keep your word. Never get too big for your britches. Trust in God. Have no fear; and Never forget a friend.

Harry S. Truman

Friendship, Best Friend, God

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I think one man is just as good as another so long as he's not a n*gger or a Chinaman. Uncle Will says that the Lord made a White man from dust, a n*gger from mud, then He threw up what was left and it came down a Chinaman. He does hate Chinese and Japs. So do I. It is race prejudice, I guess. But I am strongly of the opinion Negroes ought to be in Africa, Yellow men in Asia and White men in Europe and America.

Harry S. Truman

Uncles, Hate, Men

346 Copy quote
Term limits would cure both senility and seniority- both terrible legislative diseases.

Harry S. Truman

Political, Term Limits, Disease

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When even one American - who has done nothing wrong - is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth - then all Americans are in peril.

Harry S. Truman

Fear, War, Marijuana

United States. President (1945-1953 : Truman), Harry S. Truman (1965). “Harry S. Truman: Containing the Public Messages, Speeches, and Statements of the President, 1945-53”

139 Copy quote
Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time.

Harry S. Truman

Perfect, Action, Beats

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I never would have agreed to the formulation of the Central Intelligence Agency back in forty-seven, if I had known it would become the American Gestapo.

Harry S. Truman

Freedom, Agency, Historical

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The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know.

Harry S. Truman

History, Presidential, World

"Plain Speaking : An Oral Biography of Harry S Truman" by Merle Miller, (p. 26), 1974.

66 Copy quote
Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day.

Harry S. Truman

Atheism, Hot, Turds

87 Copy quote
America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.

Harry S. Truman

Courage, Determination, Jobs

Harry S. Truman (1967). “The Quotable Harry S. Truman”, Anderson, S.C. : Droke House, distributed by Grosset & Dunlap

287 Copy quote
The fundamental basis of this nation’s laws was given to Moses on the Mount…If we don’t have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except the State.

Harry S. Truman

Believe, Rights, Government

149 Copy quote
If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog.

Harry S. Truman

Funny, Hilarious, Dog

"The Wit & Wisdom of Harry Truman".

61 Copy quote
Without a strong educational system — free of government control — democracy is crippled. Knowledge is not only the key to power. It is the citadel of human freedom.

Harry S. Truman

Strong, Educational, Keys

"Harry S. Truman: Containing the Public Messages, Speeches, and Statements of the President, 1945-53".

109 Copy quote
A leader is the man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don't want to do, and like it.

Harry S. Truman

Leadership, Army, Men

Harry S. Truman (2014). “1945: Year of Decision”, p.145, New Word City

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A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.

Harry S. Truman

Change, Attitude, Optimistic

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I wonder how many times you have to be hit on the head before you find out who's hitting you? It's about time that the people of America realized what the Republicans have been doing to them.

Harry S. Truman

America, People, Hitting

Harry S. Truman, Steve Neal (2003). “Miracle of Forty-eight”, p.72, SIU Press

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There is some risk involved in action, there always is. But there is far more risk in failure to act.

Harry S. Truman

War, Risk, Action

United States. President (1945-1953 : Truman), Harry S. Truman (1964). “Harry S. Truman: Containing the Public Messages, Speeches, and Statements of the President, 1945-53”

83 Copy quote
Of course I believe in free enterprise but in my system of free enterprise, the democratic principle is that there never was, never has been, never will be, room for the ruthless exploitation of the many for the benefit of the few.

Harry S. Truman

Believe, Political, Principles

75 Copy quote
To be able to lead others, a man must be willing to go forward alone.

Harry S. Truman

Leadership, Men, Able

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A man who is influenced by the polls or is afraid to make decisions which make him unpopular is not a man to represent the welfare of the country.

Harry S. Truman

Leadership, Country, Men

Harry S. Truman (2014). “1946-52: Years of Trial and Hope”, p.243, New Word City

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There are always a lot of people so afraid of rocking the boat that they stop rowing. We can never get ahead that way.

Harry S. Truman

Inspirational, Confidence, Courage

Harry S. Truman (1960). “Freedom and equality, addresses”

96 Copy quote
Some day we'll awake, have a reformation of the heart, teach our kids honor and kill a few sex psychologists, put boys in high schools with men teachers (not sissies), close all the girls' finishing schools, shoot all the effeciency experts and become a nation of God's people once more.

Harry S. Truman

Girl, Teacher, Sex

35 Copy quote

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Harry S. Truman

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Born: May 8, 1884
Died: December 26, 1972
Occupation: 33rd U.S. President
Cite this Page: Citation

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