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One of the difficulties with all our institutions is the fact that we've emphasized the reward instead of the service.

Harry S. Truman

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Harry S. Truman
Age: 88 †
Born: 1884
Born: May 8
Died: 1972
Died: December 26
33Rd U.S. President
Businessperson
Diarist
Judge
Military Officer
Politician
Lamar
Missouri
Harry Truman
Truman
President Truman
H. S. Truman
H. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Fact
Emphasized
Facts
Difficulties
Reward
Rewards
Difficulty
Service
Institutions
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If I hadn't been President of the United States, I probably would have ended up a piano player in a bawdy house.
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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.
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We fully realize today that victory in war requires a mighty united effort. Certainly, victory in peace calls for, and must receive, an equal effort. Man has learned long ago, that it is impossible to live unto himself. This same basic principle applies today to nations. We were not isolated during the war. We dare not now become isolated in peace.
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Yours is not the task of making your way in the world, but the task of remaking the world which you will find before you.
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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.
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The United States, which would live on Christian principles with all of the peoples of the world, cannot omit a fair deal for its own Indian citizens.
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There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.
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Whenever a fellow tells me he's bipartisan, I know he's going to vote against me.
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Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day.
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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.
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The Republican Party either corrupts its liberals or it expels them.
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Despite his unimpressive appearance and manner, he was a brilliant fellow with a crystal-clear mind.... It was just that, when it came time for him to act like an executive, he was like a great many other people when the time comes to make decisions, they have difficulty doing it.
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Our religious faith gives us the answer to the false beliefs of Communism... I have the feeling that God has created us and brought us to our present position of power and strength for some great purpose.
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Any man who has had the job I've had and didn't have a sense of humor wouldn't still be here.
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If you don't have your own goals, you'll be doomed to work toward someone else's.
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Within the first few months I discovered that being president is like riding a tiger. A man has to keep riding or be swallowed. The fantastically crowded nine months of 1945 taught me that a President either is constantly on top of events or, if he hesitates, events will soon be on top of him. I never felt I could let up for a single moment.
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Secrecy and a free, democratic government don't mix.
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A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.
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There is enough in the world for everyone to have plenty, to live happily, and to be at peace with his neighbors.
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You should never form judgments from front page headlines. As with a contract, the fine print on the inside pages should be carefully studied.
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