Harry S. Truman

accomplish credit

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

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

government silence voice opposition repression censorship

“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 (1884-1972)

leader reader

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

recession depression neighbor job

“It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose your own.”

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

convince confuse

“If you can't convince them, confuse them.”

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

efficient government dictatorship

“Whenever you have an efficient government you have a dictatorship. ”

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

mind fact

“We must have strong minds, ready to accept facts as they are.”

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

one-handed economist

“Give me a one-handed Economist. All my economists say 'on hand…', then 'but on the other…”

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

honest public servant rich service money

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

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

piano whorehouse politician difference politics

"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 (1884-1972)

risk action failure

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

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

imperfect action perfect inaction

"Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction."

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

CIA American Gestapo

"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 (1884-1972)

liberal job tax collector convince confuse

"When the Liberals said they were going to create a million new jobs, I didn't think they were all going to be tax collectors. If you can't convince them, confuse them."

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

ruin power money women house

"Three things ruin a man: power, money, and women. I never wanted power. I never had any money, and the only woman in my life is up at the house right now."

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

politician 75 percent actor ability

"I can remember when a good politician had to be 75 percent ability and 25 percent actor, but I can well see the day when the reverse could be true."

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

educational system free government democracy freedom

"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 (1884-1972)

society judge weakest member

"A society will be judged by how it treats its weakest members."

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

learning knowledge

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

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

leadership forward alone

"To be able to lead others, a man must be willing to go forward alone."

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

selfishness greed trouble

"Selfishness and greed, individual or national, cause most of our troubles."

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

pessimist optimist difficulty opportunity attitude

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

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

ranch cows funeral weather

"It doesn't matter how big a ranch you own or how many cows you brand, the size of your funeral is still gonna depend on the weather."

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

goal peace all time

"Our goal must be not peace in our time, but peace for all time."

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

danger freedom religion expression liberty

"Of course, there are dangers in religious freedom and freedom of opinion. But to deny these rights is worse than dangerous, it is absolutely fatal to liberty."

― Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)