Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by Harry S. Truman (American Head of State)

Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) was an American Democratic-party political leader who served as the 33rd president 1945–53. He oversaw the end of World War II, including the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the new challenges of the Cold War.

Born in Lamar, Missouri, Truman served in the U.S. Army during World War I and served as a U.S. senator from 1934 until 1945. Franklin D. Roosevelt selected Truman as vice president in 1944. In April 1945, with the imminent end of World War II, he became president when Roosevelt died.

After World War II, Truman led America’s evolution from wartime to peacetime economy. He introduced the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe, sanctioned the Berlin airlift, established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO,) and authorized U.S. military participation in the Korean War.

Truman retired to private life in 1952 and published two volumes of memoirs—Year of Decisions (1955) and Years of Trial and Hope (1956.)

More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Harry S. Truman

The only thing new in the world is the history you don’t know.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: History, One liners

When the decision is up before you—and on my desk I have a motto which says “The buck stops here”—the decision has to be made.
—Harry S. Truman

I never gave anybody hell! I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Truth

Once a decision was made I did not worry about it afterward.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Decisions

When you get to be President, there are all those things, the honors, the twenty-one gun salutes, all those things. You have to remember it isn’t for you. It’s for the Presidency.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Presidency

The United Nations is designed to make possible lasting freedom and independence for all its members.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Nation, Nationality, Nationalism

I always considered statesmen to be more expendable than soldiers.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Politics, Politicians, Soldiers

I learned that a great leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don’t want to do and like it.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Leadership, Leaders, Inspiration

Whenever the press quits abusing me I know Im in the wrong pew. I don’t mind it because when they throw bricks at meIm a pretty good shot myself and I usually throw em back at em.
—Harry S. Truman

They said we were soft, that we would not fight, that we could not win. We are not a warlike nation. We do not go to war for gain or for territory; we go to war for principles, and we produce young men like these. I think I told every one of them that I would rather have that medal, the Congressional Medal of Honor, than to be President of the United States.
—Harry S. Truman

I studied the lives of great men and famous women; and I found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had of energy and enthusiasm and hard work.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Enthusiasm, Role models, Action, Secrets of Success

In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves … self-discipline with all of them came first.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Discipline, Live, Victory, Great

When a leader is in the Democratic Party he is a boss, and when he is in the Republican Party he is a leader.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Politics

We must have strong minds, ready to accept facts as they are.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Realism, Acceptance

My favorite animal is the mule. He has a lot more horse sense than a horse. He knows when to stop eating. And he knows when to stop working.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Animals

I said that an expert was a fella who was afraid to learn anything new because then he wouldn’t be an expert anymore.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Knowledge

Whenever I make a bum decision, I just go out and make another.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Courage, Decisions, Decide

I got very well acquainted with Joe Stalin, and I like old Joe! He is a decent fellow. But Joe is a prisoner of the Politburo.
—Harry S. Truman

The atom bomb was no “great decision.” It was merely another powerful weapon in the arsenal of righteousness.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Weapon, War

If you can’t convince ’em, confuse ’em.
—Harry S. Truman

People are very much wrought up about the Communist bugaboo.
—Harry S. Truman

The human animal cannot be trusted for anything good except en masse. The combined thought and action of the whole people of any race, creed or nationality, will always point in the right direction.
—Harry S. Truman

You can never get all the facts from just one newspaper, and unless you have all the facts, you cannot make proper judgements about what is going on.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Media

Experience has shown how deeply the seeds of war are planted by economic rivalry and social injustice.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Experience

A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities; an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Opportunities, Pessimism, Optimism

Being too good is apt to be uninteresting.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Greatness, Greatness & Great Things

I would rather have peace in the world than be President.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Peace

We shall never be able to remove suspicion and fear as potential causes of war until communication is permitted to flow, free and open, across international boundaries.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Communication

The absence of war is not peace.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Absence

Well, I wouldn’t say that I was in the great class, but I had a great time while I was trying to be great.
—Harry S. Truman
Topics: Greatness & Great Things, Greatness

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