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Harry S. Truman

40 quotes

Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) was the 33rd President of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. He made some of the most consequential decisions of the 20th century, including the use of atomic weapons against Japan, the Marshall Plan for European recovery, and the creation of NATO. Truman was known for his plain-spoken honesty and the famous sign on his desk: "The Buck Stops Here."

“Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.”

— Harry S. Truman

Change

All Quotes by Harry S. Truman

“I never gave anybody hell! I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.”

— Harry S. Truman

Truth

“Study men, not historians.”

— Harry S. Truman

Men

“All the president is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing, and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway.”

— Harry S. Truman

Politics

“There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.”

— Harry S. Truman

History

“I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.”

— Harry S. Truman

Truth

“You and I are stuck with the necessity of taking the worst of two evils or none at all. So-I'm taking the immature Democrat as the best of the two. Nixon is impossible.”

— Harry S. Truman

Best

“My father was not a failure. After all, he was the father of a president of the United States.”

— Harry S. Truman

Dad

“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

Great

“The reward of suffering is experience.”

— Harry S. Truman

Experience

“The best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.”

— Harry S. Truman

Best

“Experience has shown how deeply the seeds of war are planted by economic rivalry and social injustice.”

— Harry S. Truman

Experience

“I had faith in Israel before it was established, I have in it now. I believe it has a glorious future before it - not just another sovereign nation, but as an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization.”

— Harry S. Truman

Faith

“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

“It's plain hokum. If you can't convince 'em, confuse 'em. It's an old political trick. But this time it won't work.”

— Harry S. Truman

Time

“Nixon is one of the few in the history of this country to run for high office talking out of both sides of his mouth at the same time and lying out of both sides.”

— Harry S. Truman

History

“I would rather have peace in the world than be President.”

— Harry S. Truman

Peace

“The only things worth learning are the things you learn after you know it all.”

— Harry S. Truman

Learning

“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

— Harry S. Truman

Amazing

“The Marine Corps is the Navy's police force and as long as I am President that is what it will remain. They have a propaganda machine that is almost equal to Stalin's.”

— Harry S. Truman

History

“A leader in the Democratic Party is a boss, in the Republican Party he is a leader.”

— Harry S. Truman

Politics