History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the inevitability of time and the futility of trying to resist its flow.
In this quote, John F. Kennedy suggests that history is an unstoppable force, moving forward without regard for the present. The past continuously shapes the future, and any attempts to cling to past moments will ultimately lead to being left behind. It emphasizes the importance of accepting change and adapting rather than resisting it.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of adapting to change in a business environment.
The great battleground for the defense and expansion of freedom today is the whole southern half of the globe... the lands of the rising peoples. Their revolution is the greatest in human history. They seek an end to injustice, tyranny and exploitation. More than an end, they seek a beginning.
I had always enjoyed the title of Commander-in-Chief until I was informed ... that the only forces that cannot be transferred from Washington without my express permission are the members of the Marine Corps Band. Those are the only forces I have. I want it announced that we propose to hold the White House against all odds at least for some time to come.
I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children - not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women - not merely peace in our time but peace for all time.
I just received the following wire from my generous Daddy; Dear Jack, Don't buy a single vote more than is necessary. I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for a landslide.
Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.
Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.
Happy ending are only a pause. There are three kinds of big endings: Revenge. Tragedy. Forgiveness. Revenge and Tragedy often happen together. Forgiveness redeems the past. Forgiveness unblocks the future.
He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God's providence to lead him aright.
We are not just visitors on this planet, it belongs to us just as we belong to her, its past is ours, so is its future.
You belong neither to God nor the state nor me. You belong to yourself and no one else.
What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we cannot cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves?
The willing, destiny guides them; the unwilling, destiny drags them.
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