John McCain quotes: the late Arizona Senator’s solid advice.
“No just cause is futile, even if it’s lost, if it helps make the future better than the past.”
“It is your character, and your character alone, that will make your life happy or unhappy.”
“Your character is what you are to yourself, not what you pretend to be to yourself or others.”
“Our character is a lifelong project, and perhaps the older we are, and the more fixed our shortcomings are, the more we can use inspiration to encourage our escape from the restraints of our deficiencies.”
“Being true to our conscience, being honest with ourselves, will determine the character of our relations with others. That is a concise definition of integrity.”
“I don’t believe in destiny. We are not born to become one thing or another, left to follow helplessly a course that was charted for us by some unseen hand, a mysterious alignment of the stars that pulls us in a certain direction, bestowing happiness on some and misfortune on others.”
“We cannot forever hide the truth about ourselves, from ourselves.”
“No one of good character leaves behind a wasted life – whether they die in obscurity or renown.”
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity to act despite our fears.”
“Courage is the enforcing virtue, the one that makes possible all the other virtues common to exceptional leaders: honesty, integrity, confidence, compassion, and humility.”
“Fear is the opportunity for courage, not proof of cowardice.”
“We should exhibit no self-doubt to our friends. Credibility is a strategic asset.”
“We must be true to ourselves. And we must be true to others, whether they believe we are or not.”
“Glory belongs to the act of being constant to something greater than yourself, to a cause, to your principles, to the people on whom you rely and who rely on you in return.”
“I have no rancor. I look forward, not backwards.”
“I consider myself a Christian. I attend church. My faith has sustained me in very difficult times.”
“Nothing in life is more liberating than to fight for a cause larger than yourself, something that encompasses you but is not defined by your existence alone.”
“In prison, I fell in love with my country. I had loved her before then, but like most young people, my affection was little more than a simple appreciation for the comforts and privileges most Americans enjoyed and took for granted. It wasn’t until I had lost America for a time that I realized how much I loved her.”
“America has seen tough times before. We’ve always known how to get through them. And we’ve always believed our best days are ahead of us. I believe that still. But we must rise to the occasion, as we always have; change what must be changed; and make the future better than the past.”
“In the real world, as lived and experienced by real people, the demand for human rights and dignity, the longing for liberty and justice and opportunity, the hatred of oppression and corruption and cruelty… is reality.”
“Our shared values define us more than our differences. And acknowledging those shared values can see us through our challenges today if we have the wisdom to trust in them again.”
“Our great power does not mean we can do whatever we want whenever we want, nor should we assume we have all the wisdom and knowledge necessary to succeed.”
“I’m just trying to keep things normal around the house, because there’s no reason why things shouldn’t be normal.”
“Public life has many more privileges than hardships.”
“But I’m still a work in progress. My mother calls me quite frequently with various critiques of my performance on TV and other public events. She’s usually pretty severe with her comments.”
“I don’t mind a good fight. For reasons known only to God, I’ve had quite a few tough ones in my life. But I learned an important lesson along the way: in the end, it matters less that you can fight. What you fight for is the real test.”
“During one period while I was in solitary, I memorized the names of all 335 of the men who were then prisoners of war in North Vietnam. I can still remember them.”
“We make the future better than the past. We don’t hide from history. We make history.”
“Our society demands that women be treated equally and that we not discriminate against them.”
“Like most people of my age, I feel a longing for what is lost and cannot be restored. But if the happy pursuits and casual beauty of youth prove ephemeral, something better can endure, and endure until our last moment on earth. And that is the honor we earn and the love we give if at a moment in our lives we sacrifice for something greater than self-interest.”
“I don’t have a complaint. Not one. It’s been quite a ride. I made a small place for myself in the story of America and the history of my times.”
“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.”
“You have at hand many examples of good character from whom you will have learned the lessons by which you can live your own lives. You are blessed. Make the most of it.”
“Keep moving if you love life, and keep your troubles well behind you.”
“I have often observed that I am the luckiest person on earth. I feel that way even now as I prepare for the end of my life. I have loved my life, all of it. I have had experiences, adventures and friendships enough for 10 satisfying lives, and I am so thankful. Like most people, I have regrets. But I would not trade a day of my life, in good or bad times, for the best day of anyone else’s.”
“Do not despair of our present difficulties but believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history. Farewell fellow Americans, God bless you, and God bless America.”
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