Are you searching for the perfect Calvin Coolidge quotes to inspire you, motivate your team, or share with friends? Look no further! This article is your one-stop guide to the most powerful and meaningful words from the 30th President of the United States.
Whether you need a boost of determination, wisdom, or a touch of humor, these carefully selected quotes will solve your search and leave you inspired.
Written in simple language that even a young child can understand, this article organizes 90 of Coolidge’s best quotes under six trending themes to make it easy for you to find exactly what you need.
Persistence and Hard Work
Calvin Coolidge believed that working hard and never giving up were the keys to success. These quotes show how staying strong and keeping going can make big things happen.
- Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
- All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work.
- Any reward that is worth having only comes to the industrious. The success which is made in any walk of life is measured almost exactly by the amount of hard work that is put into it.
- If you don’t try, you can’t succeed. The more I see of life, the more I am convinced that you never know what you can do until you try.
- Don’t expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong.
- The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
- Wealth comes from industry and from the hard experience of human toil. To waste it is disloyal to humanity.
- If I had let failures stop me, I would never have made progress.
- No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.
- The main value of a wage earner is his mind.
- When people work together, nothing is impossible.
- Little progress can be made by merely trying to stop what is bad. Our great hope lies in developing what is good.
- Prosperity is only a tool to be used, not a god to be worshipped.
- It has been my observation in life that, if one will only exercise the patience to wait, his wants are likely to be filled.
- They criticize me for harping on the obvious; if all the folks in the United States would do the few simple things they know they ought to do, most of our big problems would take care of themselves.
Freedom and Liberty
Coolidge loved the idea of freedom and believed everyone should have the chance to live their own way. These quotes talk about why liberty is so important.
- I want the people of America to work less for the government and more for themselves. This is the chief meaning of freedom.
- Liberty is not collective, it is personal. All liberty is individual liberty.
- No President, however powerful, can take from an individual, no matter how humble, the freedom and rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
- A government that taxes too much is not a protector of liberty, but an instrument of tyranny.
- Ultimately, property rights and personal rights are the same thing.
- To live under the American Constitution is the greatest political privilege ever given to the human race.
- We are too quick to ask for government help, thinking people are helpless and the government is always better at acting. Often, both of these ideas are wrong.
- The people cannot look to laws for success. Industry, thrift, and character are not given by laws. Government cannot take away hard work.
- There is only one form of political strategy I trust: try to do the right thing and sometimes you will succeed.
- Patriotism is easy to understand in America. It means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country.
- The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten.
- Men speak of natural rights, but I challenge anyone to show where in nature any rights existed until laws were made to protect them.
- This country would not be a land of opportunity, America could not be America, if the people were shackled with government monopolies.
- We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.
- The right thing to do never requires any tricks; it is always simple and direct.
Wisdom and Silence
Known as Silent Cal, Coolidge thought carefully before speaking. These quotes share his thoughts on being wise and saying less.
- It takes a great man to be a good listener.
- I have noticed that nothing I never said ever did me any harm.
- If you don’t say anything, you won’t be called on to repeat it.
- Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. It may not be hard to learn facts, but making good judgments takes hard work and experience.
- No man ever listened himself out of a job.
- Four-fifths of all our troubles would disappear if we would just sit down and keep still.
- I have found it best not to pay too much attention to what people say when I am trying to do something important.
- The political mind is spoiled by too much praise and too much criticism.
- If you see ten troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you.
- We need more of the office desk and less of the show window in politics.
- Common sense is saving the day.
- It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.
- The president shouldn’t do too much, and he shouldn’t know too much.
- Talking is fine, but the side that organizes and votes wins.
- Perhaps one of my greatest accomplishments was minding my own business.
Faith and Values
Coolidge believed faith and strong values shaped a good life. These quotes show his thoughts on belief and doing what’s right.
- It is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist. Without faith in a higher power, we could have little faith in ourselves.
- We do not need more brain power; we need more spiritual power.
- Doubters do not achieve; skeptics do not contribute; cynics do not create.
- Faith is the great motive power, and no man reaches his full potential without believing life is important and his work matters.
- The foundations of our society rest so much on the Bible that it would be hard to support them if faith in these teachings stopped.
- Peace, justice, humanity, and charity cannot be made by laws. They come from divine grace.
- There is no way to replace the virtue of man with the authority of law.
- The government of a country never gets ahead of its religion.
- Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be kind, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
- The only way I know to drive out evil from the country is by filling it with good.
- There are only two main forms of government: one based on righteousness, the other on force.
- Patriotism does not mean loving only one part of the country; it means loving the whole country.
- Heroism is not only in the man but in the occasion.
- We need to feel that behind us is intelligence and love.
- The man who builds a factory builds a temple, and the man who works there worships there.
Business and Economy
Coolidge thought business and hard work built a strong nation. These quotes share his ideas on money, work, and success.
- The chief business of the American people is business.
- Collecting more taxes than needed is legalized robbery.
- The man who builds a factory builds a temple, and the man who works there worships there, and both deserve respect, not blame.
- Advertising is a great power that inspires and lifts up the business world.
- Nothing is easier than spending public money. It feels like it belongs to no one.
- There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no independence quite so important, as living within your means.
- Industry, thrift, and character are not given by laws.
- Don’t expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong.
- Prosperity is a tool to be used, not a god to be worshipped.
- Wealth comes from hard work and toil. To waste it is disloyal to humanity.
- The main value of a wage earner is his mind.
- When people work together, nothing is impossible.
- Those who trust to chance must accept the results of chance.
- This country would not be a land of opportunity if people were held back by government monopolies.
- It is much better not to press a candidacy too much, but to let it grow on its own merits.
Leadership and Government
Coolidge had clear ideas about how leaders and governments should act. These quotes explain his thoughts on leading wisely.
- It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.
- The president shouldn’t do too much, and he shouldn’t know too much.
- A government that taxes too much is not a protector of liberty but an instrument of tyranny.
- There is only one form of political strategy I trust: do the right thing and sometimes succeed.
- When a man thinks he is the only one who can lead, he betrays the spirit of our country.
- Any man in the White House cannot feel it is because of his own efforts. Some power beyond him works through him.
- We need more of the office desk and less of the show window in politics.
- The people make the government, not the other way around.
- Of course, people can make political mistakes, but they are small compared to the mistakes of autocrats.
- I sometimes wish people would focus more on following the law than on enforcing it.
- The government cannot take away hard work or give the rewards of service.
- There are only two main forms of government: one appeals to reason, the other to force.
- Patriotism means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country.
- No President can take away the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
- If the people do not believe in these principles, they cannot believe in our government.
Conclusion
Calvin Coolidge’s words are like a treasure chest of wisdom, offering simple yet powerful ideas about hard work, freedom, faith, and leadership. This article brings you 90 of his best quotes, organized under six themes that are trending and relevant today.
Whether you’re looking for motivation to keep going, thoughts on living free, or advice on leading well, these quotes are easy to understand and share. From persistence to patriotism, Coolidge’s words remind us that simple truths can guide us through life’s challenges.
Save this article, share it with your family, and let these quotes inspire you every day!
