speech on life struggle

Speech on Life Is Struggle

Life is a journey, and like all journeys, it’s not always smooth sailing. You’ll face struggles, challenges that can seem insurmountable. Yet, these struggles are what shape us, what mold us into who we are. They are the path to growth.

Think of struggles as your teachers. They may be tough, even harsh at times, but they are essential. They teach us about resilience, courage, and the power of perseverance. They remind us that life isn’t a straight road, but a winding path full of lessons.

1-minute Speech on Life Is Struggle

Ladies and gentlemen, let’s talk about life. Life is like a journey on a rough road, full of ups and downs. It is not always easy, it’s full of challenges. Just like climbing a mountain, you can’t reach the top without effort. This is the first lesson of life – struggle.

Now, let’s think about a seed. It fights with soil, wind, and water to become a big tree. It does not give up. It keeps on fighting until it becomes a tree providing fruits and shade. Just like that seed, we should also keep on fighting. We should not give up.

Remember, tough times don’t last, but tough people do. And every struggle in life shapes you into the person you are today. When life pushes you down, you must get up. You must keep going.

In conclusion, life is struggle. But this struggle is not there to break us. It’s there to make us strong, to make us ready for the future. So, let’s embrace the struggle and become the best versions of ourselves. Thank you.

2-minute Speech on Life Is Struggle

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, today we talk about a universal truth, that is, “Life is a struggle”. It’s a simple phrase but filled with deep meaning. It’s like a big puzzle that we all need to solve.

Let’s start by looking at life as a journey. Like every journey, it has ups and downs, twists and turns. From little kids learning to walk, to adults trying to balance work and family, everyone faces challenges. A bird learning to fly, a seed growing into a tree, all face struggles. It’s a part of life that we can’t ignore.

Now, let’s think about the struggles we face. They can seem like big mountains standing in our path. It could be a difficult math problem, a tough game, or a friend who is upset with you. But remember, these struggles are not there to stop you, they’re there to make you stronger. Like a piece of coal that becomes a diamond under pressure, we too become better through our struggles.

But, why do we struggle? Why can’t life be easy? The answer is simple. Struggles make us learn. When we face a problem, we think, we try and we learn. We learn to be patient, to be strong and to never give up. It’s through our struggles that we grow. Just like a caterpillar struggles to become a beautiful butterfly, we struggle to become the best version of ourselves.

And, how do we deal with struggles? We face them. We don’t run away. We stand tall and brave. We learn to accept challenges and find solutions. It’s like playing a game. The more you play, the better you get. So, the more problems you face, the stronger you become.

Lastly, remember, even if struggles are tough, they are not forever. Like a storm that passes, struggles too pass. And after every storm, there’s a rainbow. So, after every struggle, there’s a victory, a lesson, a growth.

To conclude, don’t be scared of struggles. Welcome them. Embrace them. Grow through them. Always remember, life is not about avoiding struggles, it’s about facing them with courage and coming out stronger. After all, a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. So, let’s make our struggles our stepping stones to success.

We also have speeches on more interesting topics that you may want to explore.

6 Speech Examples About Life

Life is a beautiful tapestry woven with threads of joy, sorrow, triumph, and growth.

It’s a journey filled with unexpected twists and turns, where every experience shapes us into the individuals we are meant to become.

Speech Examples About Life

In moments of uncertainty or doubt, we often seek wisdom and inspiration from those who have navigated the path before us.

Through the power of speech, we can connect with others, share our stories, and ignite the spark of motivation within ourselves and those around us.

So sit back, relax, and let these heartfelt speeches about life guide you on your own extraordinary journey.

Speech 1: Embracing Change

Change is inevitable. It’s the one constant in this ever-evolving world we live in. Sometimes, change comes knocking on our door uninvited, catching us off guard and leaving us feeling unsettled. Other times, we actively seek change, driven by an insatiable desire for growth and transformation.

Regardless of how change enters our lives, it is up to us to decide how we will respond. Will we resist it, clinging desperately to the familiarity of the past? Or will we embrace it, recognizing that change is the catalyst for personal development and new opportunities?

The truth is, change can be frightening. It pushes us out of our comfort zones and forces us to confront the unknown. But it is in these moments of discomfort that we discover our true strength and resilience. By embracing change, we open ourselves up to a world of possibilities and unlock our potential for greatness.

So when change comes knocking, don’t hide from it. Answer the call with courage and curiosity. Trust in your ability to adapt and grow. Embrace the journey, even when the path ahead is uncertain. For it is through change that we become the best versions of ourselves and create the lives we truly desire.

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Commentary: This inspirational speech encourages the audience to embrace change as a catalyst for personal growth and new opportunities. It acknowledges the fear and discomfort that often accompanies change but emphasizes the importance of facing it with courage and curiosity. This speech is suitable for audiences facing significant life transitions, such as graduations, career changes, or personal milestones.

Speech 2: The Power of Perseverance

Life is not always easy. There will be times when you feel like giving up, when the challenges before you seem insurmountable, and the road ahead appears endless. In these moments, it’s crucial to remember the power of perseverance.

Perseverance is the unwavering determination to keep moving forward, even in the face of adversity. It’s the inner strength that pushes you to take one more step, even when your legs are tired and your spirit is weary. It’s the voice inside your head that whispers, “Keep going,” when everything else is telling you to quit.

The journey to success is rarely a straight line. It’s filled with detours, obstacles, and setbacks. But it is through these challenges that we grow, learn, and become stronger. Every failure is an opportunity to learn, every setback is a chance to reassess and pivot, and every victory is a testament to your resilience and determination.

So when life gets tough, remember the power of perseverance. Embrace the challenges, learn from the setbacks, and keep pushing forward. Success is not about perfection; it’s about progress. And with perseverance as your guiding light, there is no limit to what you can achieve.

Commentary: This motivational speech highlights the importance of perseverance in the face of life’s challenges. It encourages the audience to view obstacles as opportunities for growth and to keep pushing forward, even when the road ahead seems daunting. This speech is suitable for audiences facing significant challenges or setbacks, such as students, entrepreneurs, or individuals pursuing personal goals.

Speech 3: Finding Your Purpose

In this vast and complex world, it’s easy to feel lost and uncertain about our place in it. We often find ourselves wandering through life, searching for meaning and purpose, wondering what our true calling might be.

But here’s the truth: your purpose is not some elusive, mystical concept that you must spend your entire life seeking. It’s not a hidden treasure that only a select few are lucky enough to find. Your purpose is something that already exists within you, waiting to be discovered and nurtured.

Your purpose is the unique combination of your passions, skills, and experiences. It’s the way in which you choose to make a positive impact on the world around you. It’s the legacy you leave behind through the lives you touch and the difference you make.

Finding your purpose is not always easy. It requires introspection, self-awareness, and a willingness to step outside of your comfort zone. It may involve trying new things, taking risks, and facing your fears. But the journey of self-discovery is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences you will ever have.

So take the time to explore your interests and passions. Reflect on the moments in your life when you have felt most alive and inspired. Surround yourself with people who encourage and support your growth. And trust in the journey, knowing that every step you take is bringing you closer to your true purpose.

Remember, your purpose is not a destination to be reached but a lifelong journey of self-discovery and impact. Embrace it with open arms, and watch as your life unfolds in ways you never could have imagined.

Commentary: This introspective speech encourages the audience to embark on a journey of self-discovery to find their unique purpose in life. It emphasizes that one’s purpose is not an elusive concept but rather a combination of their passions, skills, and experiences. This speech is suitable for audiences seeking direction and meaning in their lives, such as recent graduates, individuals at a career crossroads, or those experiencing a mid-life crisis.

Speech 4: The Gift of Failure

Failure. It’s a word that strikes fear into the hearts of many, a concept that we’ve been taught to avoid at all costs. From a young age, we’re conditioned to believe that failure is a sign of weakness, a mark of inadequacy, and a reflection of our worth as individuals.

But what if I told you that failure is not something to be feared but rather a gift to be embraced? What if I said that failure is not the opposite of success but a necessary step on the path towards it?

You see, failure is not the end of the story. It’s a chapter in the book of your life, a plot twist that adds depth and dimension to your journey. Failure is a teacher, a mentor, and a guide. It shows you what doesn’t work so that you can discover what does. It reveals your weaknesses so that you can strengthen them and your strengths so that you can leverage them.

Failure is not a permanent state but a temporary setback. It’s an opportunity to learn, grow, and adapt. It’s a chance to reassess your goals, your strategies, and your priorities. It’s a reminder that success is not a destination but a journey, and that every obstacle you encounter along the way is an opportunity to become a better version of yourself.

So the next time you experience failure, don’t run from it. Embrace it. Learn from it. Grow from it. Use it as a stepping stone to propel you towards your dreams. Remember that every successful person you admire has failed countless times before achieving their goals. They didn’t let failure define them; they let it refine them.

In the end, failure is not something to be ashamed of but something to be proud of. It’s a badge of honor, a testament to your courage, resilience, and determination. It’s proof that you’re willing to take risks, to step outside of your comfort zone, and to pursue your passions with every fiber of your being.

So embrace the gift of failure. Let it shape you, mold you, and transform you into the person you were always meant to become. And know that every failure brings you one step closer to the success you so deeply desire.

Commentary: This thought-provoking speech challenges the common perception of failure as something to be avoided and instead presents it as a valuable learning experience and a necessary step on the path to success. It encourages the audience to embrace failure, learn from it, and use it as a tool for personal growth and development. This speech is suitable for audiences facing setbacks or disappointments, such as entrepreneurs, athletes, or individuals pursuing ambitious goals.

Speech 5: The Beauty of Vulnerability

In a world that often equates vulnerability with weakness, it’s easy to believe that we must always project an image of strength and perfection. We hide our flaws, mask our insecurities, and present a carefully curated version of ourselves to the world, afraid that revealing our true selves will lead to judgment, rejection, or ridicule.

But what if I told you that vulnerability is not a weakness but a strength? What if I said that by embracing our vulnerabilities, we open ourselves up to deeper connections, greater empathy, and more meaningful relationships?

You see, vulnerability is the courage to be ourselves, fully and authentically, without fear of judgment or rejection. It’s the willingness to share our stories, our struggles, and our successes with others, knowing that in doing so, we create space for them to do the same. It’s the recognition that we are all imperfect beings, navigating this complex and sometimes messy journey of life together.

When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we create a bridge of understanding and compassion between ourselves and others. We invite them to see us as we truly are, flaws and all, and in doing so, we give them permission to do the same. We foster a sense of belonging, a feeling of being seen, heard, and valued for who we are, not just for what we achieve.

Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness but a mark of courage. It takes immense strength to be open and honest about our fears, our doubts, and our insecurities. It requires a willingness to step outside of our comfort zones and risk being hurt or rejected. But in doing so, we create the opportunity for growth, healing, and transformation.

So embrace your vulnerability. Share your stories, your struggles, and your triumphs with others. Be open and honest about who you are and what you’re going through. Know that in doing so, you are not only helping yourself but also inspiring others to do the same.

Remember, vulnerability is not a weakness but a strength. It’s the key to unlocking deeper connections, greater empathy, and more meaningful relationships. It’s the path to a more authentic and fulfilling life.

Commentary: This powerful speech challenges the notion that vulnerability is a weakness and instead presents it as a strength and a path to deeper connections and personal growth. It encourages the audience to embrace their vulnerabilities, share their stories, and foster a sense of belonging and understanding with others. This speech is suitable for audiences seeking to build more authentic relationships, overcome fears of judgment or rejection, or cultivate greater self-acceptance and empathy.

Speech 6: The Power of Gratitude

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s easy to get caught up in the pursuit of more – more success, more wealth, more recognition, more achievements. We often focus so intently on what we lack that we forget to appreciate all that we already have.

But what if I told you that the key to a happier, more fulfilling life lies not in the constant pursuit of more but in the simple practice of gratitude? What if I said that by cultivating a deep sense of appreciation for the blessings in your life, you can transform your outlook, your relationships, and your overall well-being?

Gratitude is the act of acknowledging and appreciating the good things in your life, no matter how big or small they may seem. It’s the practice of focusing on what you have rather than what you lack, of counting your blessings rather than your burdens.

When you make gratitude a daily habit, you begin to shift your perspective from one of scarcity to one of abundance. You start to notice the little things that bring joy and meaning to your life – a beautiful sunset, a warm hug from a loved one, a kind word from a stranger. You become more present in the moment, more attuned to the beauty and wonder that surrounds you.

Gratitude also has the power to transform your relationships with others. When you express appreciation and thanks to the people in your life, you strengthen your connections and foster a sense of positivity and goodwill. You create a ripple effect of kindness and compassion that extends far beyond your immediate circle.

But gratitude is not just about feeling good in the moment. It’s also a powerful tool for resilience and growth. When you face challenges or setbacks, gratitude can help you maintain a sense of perspective and hope. It can remind you of the strengths and resources you have to draw upon, the people who support and believe in you, and the lessons and opportunities that lie ahead.

So make gratitude a daily practice. Take a few moments each day to reflect on the things you’re thankful for, no matter how small they may seem. Express your appreciation to others through words and actions. Cultivate a mindset of abundance and positivity, even in the face of adversity.

Remember, gratitude is not just a feeling but a choice. It’s a powerful tool for transforming your life and the lives of those around you. By embracing gratitude, you open yourself up to greater joy, connection, and fulfillment. You become a force for good in the world, spreading light and positivity wherever you go.

Commentary: This uplifting speech highlights the transformative power of gratitude in fostering happiness, strengthening relationships, and building resilience. It encourages the audience to make gratitude a daily practice, focusing on the blessings in their lives and expressing appreciation to others. This speech is suitable for a wide range of audiences, from corporate teams seeking to boost morale and positivity to individuals looking to cultivate a more fulfilling and joyful life.

Life is a tapestry woven with threads of joy, sorrow, growth, and change.

These six speech examples about life offer a glimpse into the many facets of the human experience – from embracing change and persevering through challenges to finding purpose, learning from failure, embracing vulnerability, and cultivating gratitude.

As you navigate your own journey through life, may these speeches serve as a source of inspiration, comfort, and guidance.

Remember that you are not alone in your struggles and that every challenge you face is an opportunity for growth and transformation.

So embrace the journey, trust in the process, and know that with courage, resilience, and a grateful heart, there is no limit to what you can achieve.

16 Most Life-Changing Motivational Speeches & What You’ll Gain from Them

It’s all very well reading about ways to get ahead in life, but no account will ever reach you in quite the same way as hearing someone speak about their own experiences. While these people may be household names now, it wasn’t always that way, and this collection of some of the best motivational speeches will move you and inspire you to make your own dreams come true.

16 Most Life-Changing Motivational Speeches and What You’ll Gain From Them

From Arnold Schwarzenneger talking about how he filled every moment of every day with steps to fulfil his ambition of becoming Mr. Universe, to J.K. Rowling’s life as an impoverished single mother, these speeches will fill you with the drive and determination to reach your full potential, and not let anything stand in your way.

Some are long, and some last just a few minutes, but each one will make you want to grab life with both hands and go for what you want, whatever it is.

“Most people have done all that they’re ever going to do – they raise a family, they earn a living, and then they die.”

That’s what we’re supposed to do, right? Wrong! Life is made for greater things, and you are meant for greater things.

When Les Brown was a child, he was labeled ‘educable mentally retarded’, and until a chance encounter with another teacher, he believed that he would amount to nothing. But this one teacher planted the seeds in Les’ head which would blossom and grow, and eventually make him one of the best motivational speakers of all time.

This speech will give you permission to rise above other people’s opinions, to break free of their prejudices, and make a success of whatever you do. Watch ‘It’s Not Over Until You Win! Your Dream is Possible’ and take those first steps towards following your passion and making your dream come true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f0nIhDpXuU

“Stress doesn’t come from the facts, stress comes from the meaning that we give the facts.”

Life is about choices. Every day we’re faced with hundreds of choices, and this speech by Tony Robbins will help you see that it’s the choices, not the conditions, which shape our lives.

Take a moment during this speech to pause and reflect on some choices you have made in the past, and really think about the direction your life took because of them, both good and bad. Tony Robbins explains in his inimitable way that we have the choice to focus on what we want, and that when we focus, we can achieve whatever we want.

Part of Tony’s speech explains how, when the economy is down, some people thrive and some people crash and burn, and the COVID 19 pandemic is the perfect example. Small businesses took a huge hit, and while some of them threw up their hands in despair and said ‘that’s it, it’s over for us’, others adapted, and saw it as an opportunity to expand, diversify, and turn the situation to their advantage.

And that’s the cornerstone of this video – how we react, how we adapt, and how we choose is the difference between success and failure.

“So every rep that I do gets me closer to accomplishing the goal to make this goal – this vision – into reality.”

Be inspired by Arnold Schwarzenneger as he talks about his goal of becoming Mr. Universe. Never wasting a second of his day, Arnie worked in construction, spent 5 hours in the gym, and went to acting classes, all of which took him further along his journey to making his dream come true.

We all have a propensity to waste time, but if you have a goal, if you have a passion that smolders away, take a leaf out of Arnie’s book and make sure that everything you do propels you forward.

And don’t be afraid to fail.

“Your conviction and your convenience don’t live on the same block.”

If you are a fan of The Secret, you will be familiar with Lisa Nicholls. In this video, Lisa tells Tom Bilyeu how she was willing to leave everything and everyone behind in order to grow into the version of herself that she knew she wanted.

Lisa explains how, as a young mother, she was forced to wrap her baby in a towel for two days because she had no money for diapers, and how it was at that moment that she vowed never to be that broke or that broken again.

Change, success, drive…they’re all inconvenient and disruptive, and Lisa Nicholls demonstrates that wonderfully in this emotional and highly motivating interview in which she declares “your story is not meant to be your fortress, your story is meant to be your fuel.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toQmqLwNtho

Eric Thomas had a dream, a goal, and that goal was to be the best motivational speaker in the world. He didn’t achieve this by giving 70%, or 80%…he didn’t achieve it by staying in bed late in the mornings. He achieved it by giving 100% every minute of every day.

Listen to Eric’s words, hear the passion in his voice, and feel the lessons he is giving to you if you want to be the best at whatever you do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtuHZC-ObA8

“If we don’t take control of our environment, it takes control of us.”

This short piece by Tony Robbins has been designed to show you that you are in control of your own environment. Whether you realize it or not, what goes on around you has a massive influence on the way you feel and the way you act.

By taking leadership of your own life, you can defy outside influences and set your own tone for the day ahead, regardless of whatever or whoever is exerting pressure from the outside.

Follow Tony’s example of taking 10 minutes for yourself at the start of every day – for gratitude, prayer or wishes for family and friends, and a recap of what you want to accomplish that day, and your day will continue on that same path of thankfulness, hope, and goals.

“Your mind doesn’t know the difference between something you vividly imagined and something that’s real, literally!”

If you want to emulate the way successful people behave, take these 10 billionaires’ habits and adopt them yourself for 21 days.

Billed by Jim Kwik as being ‘like a magic pill’, these habits will rewire your brain into thinking and behaving like some of the world’s most successful people.

In this 8 minute clip, Jim shares how, for instance, your brain reacts the same way when you imagine your dog walking in as it does when your dog actually walks in, and this can apply to anything. What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

As much as this applies to positive things, it also can be applied to negative things, so if you imagine failure, that’s what you will get. Fill your mind with thoughts of success and that’s what will happen.

None of these habits are difficult to accomplish, but in doing so you will change your entire mindset into one of a hugely successful person, no matter what you want to achieve in life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fzGPwY40Cw

“Don’t leave crumbs.”

If this sounds more like a housekeeping hint and less like a motivational affirmation, you’re 50% right. Our lives do need housekeeping, and not leaving crumbs – i.e. regrets – which will come back and rob your tomorrow of joy, is one of the chores you need to do on a daily basis.

Matthew McConaughey delivers a powerful speech in a gentle way at the University of Houston Commencement Address.

Discussing the five rules he lives by, he will show you how to avoid falling into a trap of entitlement, and why ‘Unbelievable’ is the stupidest word in the dictionary.

With some invaluable life lessons contained inside a highly watchable speech, Matthew McConaughey is an unlikely but very inspiring speaker who has stayed humble despite all his successes.

“There are a lot of sharks in the world; if you hope to complete the swim, you will have to deal with them. So if you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.”

Spoken with eloquence and quiet assuredness, this six-minute speech draws on US Navy Admiral William McRaven’s experience of survival in the Navy Seals.

He explains how making your bed, while seemingly insignificant and even pointless, will set a series of tasks in motion which will ensure that at best, the first job of the day is done, and at worst, you have a neat, tidy bed to fall into at the end of a trying day.

The world is full of people who want to bring you down (the sharks) but if you stand your ground, they will eventually swim away, leaving you to go on to bigger and better things.

“Sometimes life’s gonna hit you in the face with a brick…don’t lose faith.”

Steve Jobs, chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Apple Inc. was hit in the face with more than one brick during his 56 years on earth. From being given up for adoption as a baby, to being fired from the very company which he founded, he never let anything get in his way.

In this commencement speech at Stamford University in 2005, Steve explained how his love for what he did spurred him on to rebuild his life in spectacular fashion.

Life dealt a further blow when, in 2003, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

This speech focuses on three stories which, when combined, show how life offers opportunities for change and growth, no matter how dire the circumstances.

Steve Jobs never graduated college, but when he died in 2011, aged just 56, he had a net worth of US$7 billion. He achieved this by doing what he loved, and in this speech he will inspire you to do the same.

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously than you might as well not have lived at all. In which case, you fail by default.”

Let J. K. Rowling inspire you with this 2008 commencement speech at Harvard University. Extolling the virtues of failure and imagination, she tells the graduates how being at rock bottom set her free to pursue her dreams of being an author.

As poor as it is possible to be without being homeless, she created the world of Harry Potter and went on to amass a fortune of £795 million, but that without her failures in life, she would never have had the opportunity to do so.

Let her words become your own mantra, and view every failure in your life as a future success.

“We shine, because baby you just can’t dim the sun.”

A beautiful antidote for anyone who has ever felt or been told that they are ‘too much’, Gina Hatzis’ winning Speaker Slam speech of 2018 will give you permission to be unashamedly you.

Although written by a woman for women, this powerful and sometimes humorous speech about being your own authentic self will inspire anyone – man or woman – to shine and never dim their own light to suit other people.

“The first step you need to take is just that…step.”

If you are in need of a short, sharp burst of motivation, listen to this speech by ex Navy Seal, Jocko Willink.

Running for less than three minutes, this recording will inspire you to take a step into whatever you want to achieve. Awarded both the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for service, Jocko Willink is no stranger to taking those brave steps, having come face to face with Iraqu insurgents in Ramadi. He will spur you on to put one metaphorical foot in front of the other, and will leave you in no doubt as to what you need to do to achieve your goals.

“On the other side of your maximum fear are all of the best things in life.”

If you like your motivation with a side order of laughter, watch Will Smith as he talks about fear. Agreeing to skydive on a night out with friends, Will realizes that he actually has to go through with it.

Discussing how fear ruins things (he couldn’t sleep or eat before the jump), Will also discloses that beyond fear was the most blissful experience of his life, and how that principle can be applied to anything in life.

“Only those that can see the invisible, can do the impossible.”

Tyrese Gibson knows success, and in this speech he talks about how it can be achieved, by anyone who wants it.

Actor, singer, author, model…Tyrese seems to have the Midas touch, but he didn’t get it by luck. Follow his words as he gently but passionately guides you along the path you need to take if you have goals and dreams in life.

“I refuse to be another man who lived and died, and wasn’t significant’”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzl3CQXMRVo

“If it is written, so shall it be.”

When Steve Harvey’s teacher crushed his dreams of being on TV, the one person who believed in him was his father. He told him to put a piece of paper with his dreams on in his drawer, and to read it every morning and every night.

His dreams came true.

It didn’t always come easy for Steve Harvey though – he spent years living in his car when he had nowhere else to go, but the one thing he never lost was his ambition and determination to see his dreams through to fruition.

A firm believer in the Law of Attraction, Steve still has vision boards and still commits his dreams to writing, and encourages you to do the same in this speech that made Obama cry.

These motivational speeches, and many more like them, show how having guts, determination, and a vision will get you anywhere you want to go, no matter your beginnings in life. These inspirational speakers have suffered loss, sickness, and unbelievable hardships, but the one thing that got them through was their desire to win and their belief that they could.

Immerse yourself in their words of wisdom, and take that next step into your best life.

248 Motivational Speech Quotes About Overcoming Life’s Challenges

As I look back on my life, I can see that some of my greatest achievements have come in the face of adversity.

It's during our most challenging moments that we often discover our greatest strengths , and this is a theme that's echoed in some of history's greatest speeches.

From Winston Churchill's "We Shall Fight on the Beaches" to Nelson Mandela's "I Am Prepared to Die," these speeches offer powerful messages of resilience, courage, and determination that can inspire us to overcome our own life challenges.

In this article, I'll be exploring some of the most inspiring and motivational quotes about life challenges from famous speeches throughout history.

Whether you're facing personal struggles , professional setbacks, or simply feeling overwhelmed by the demands of daily life, these quotes can offer valuable insights and inspiration to help you persevere.

We'll start with Winston Churchill's famous speech delivered on June 4, 1940, in which he rallied the British people to continue fighting against Nazi Germany, despite the overwhelming odds.

In the speech, Churchill declared, "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."

This quote has become an enduring symbol of the British spirit of resilience and determination in the face of adversity.

Another iconic speech that offers powerful insights into facing life challenges is Nelson Mandela's "I Am Prepared to Die" speech, which he delivered during his trial in 1964.

In the speech, Mandela declared his commitment to the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, despite the fact that it could cost him his life. He said, "I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

This quote serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of standing up for what we believe in, even in the face of great adversity.

In this article, we'll explore more motivational quotes about life challenges from famous speeches throughout history, and how they can inspire us to overcome our own struggles and persevere in the face of adversity.

70 Motivational Quotes To Overcome Life’s Challenges

1. “You see a mousetrap; I see free cheese and a fucking challenge!” – Scroobius Pip

2. “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” - Winston Churchill

3. “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” - Leo Tolstoy

4. “When you see an obstacle approaching, grab your courage and speed up.” – Angela Lynne Craig

5. "Success Is Due To Our Stretching To The Challenges Of Life. Failure Comes When We Shrink From Them." – John C. Maxwell

6. “I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” - Jimmy Dean

7. “There is nothing permanent except change.” - Heraclitus

8. “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” — Viktor Frankl

9. "Being Challenged In Life Is Inevitable, Being Defeated Is Optional." – Roger Crawford

10. “If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude .” - Maya Angelou

11. “Play to your strengths. If you aren’t great at something, do more of what you’re great at.” - Jason Lemkin

12. "No dream is too big. No challenge is too great. Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach." – Donald Trump

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13. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela

14. "You can go slow. Allow your dreams and goals to change, but live an intentional life." — Kumail Nanjiani

15. “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new” - Socrates

16. "You cannot let a fear of failure or a fear of comparison or a fear of judgment stop you from doing the things that will make you great. You cannot succeed without the risk of failure. You cannot have a voice without the risk of criticism. You cannot love without the risk of loss. You must take these risks." — Charlie Day

17. “Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.” - Nikos Kazantzakis

18. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” - Mother Teresa

19. “Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s a day you’ve had everything to do and you’ve done it.” – Margaret Thatcher

20. “Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future” - John F. Kennedy

21. "Be present. I would encourage you with all my heart just to be present. Be present and open to the moment that is unfolding before you because, ultimately, your life is made up of moments. So don't miss them by being lost in the past or anticipating the future." — Jessica Lange

22. “Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.” - Sydney J. Harris

23. “I’d rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate.” – George Burns

24. “If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said ‘Don’t change anything." - Henry Ford

25. "I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which is that you can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love." — Jim Carrey

26. "Change before you have to." - Jack Welch

27. "I encourage you to live with life. Be courageous, adventurous. Give us a tomorrow, more than we deserve." — Maya Angelou

28. “Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future.” - Walt Disney

29. “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change” - Albert Einstein

30. “You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” - Johnny Cash

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31. “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” - Harriet Tubman

32. “Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” - Dr. Suess

33. “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward ” - Martin Luther King Jr.

34."The most important thing in your life is to live your life with integrity and not give into peer pressure to try to be something that you're not." — Ellen DeGeneres

35. “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” - John C. Maxwell

36. “In order to design a future of positive change, we must first become expert at changing our minds.” - Jacque Fresco

37. “Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody.” - Stephen Chobsky

38. “In order to change the world, you have to get your head together first.” - Jimi Hendrix

39. “Don’t let rejection create self-doubt. The founder of Starbucks was turned down by 217 of the 242 investors he initially spoke with.” - Elizabeth Galbut

40. "The trick is to listen to your instinct, grab the opportunity when it presents itself, and then give it your all. You will stumble and fall, you will experience both disaster and triumph, sometimes in the same day, but it's really important to remember that, like a hangover, neither triumphs or disasters last forever. They both pass and a new day arrives. Just try to make that new day count." — Helen Mirren

41. “If you know what you want to achieve in life, then you are more inspired to change for the better.” - Philip Vang

42. “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead

43. “Always, always break through the challenges.” ― Prof. Salam Al Shereida

44. “The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.” — Bill Clinton

45. “How wonderful is it that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank

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46. “You've done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.” - Ralph Marston

47. “Things don’t have to change the world to be important” - Steve Jobs

48. "To me, being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship to yourself and your family and your friends." — "Friday Night Lights"

49. “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude” - Oprah Winfrey

50. “Every day the clock resets. Your wins don't matter. Your failures don't matter. Don't stress on what was, fight for what could be." - Sean Higgins

51. "Sometimes you find out what you are supposed to be doing by doing the things you are not supposed to do." — Oprah Winfrey

52. “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” - James Baldwin

53. “Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” – Bernice Johnson Reagon

54. “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” - John D. Rockefeller

55. “If your startup builds a room full of pessimists and you have one optimist at the table, then I think you’re in the wrong business. But the other way around is invaluable and necessary” - David Cohen

56. “All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.” – Helen Keller

57. “What's dangerous is not to evolve.” - Jeff Bezos

58. “Miracles happen every day, change your perception of what a miracle is and you’ll see them all around you.” - Jon Bon Jovi

59. “Change in all things is sweet.” - Aristotle

60. "To those of you graduates sitting out there who have a pretty good idea of what you'd like to do with your life, congratulations. For many of you who maybe don't have it all figured out, it's okay. That's the same chair that I sat in. Enjoy the process of your search without succumbing to the pressure of the result. Trust your gut, keep throwing darts at the dartboard. Don't listen to the critics and you will figure it out." — Will Ferrell

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61. “Just take any step, whether small or large. And then another and repeat day after day. It may take months, maybe years, but the path to success will become clear” - Aaron Ross

62. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." — Steve Jobs

63. “A comfort zone is the most dangerous area anyone can stay in. It is a place of no growth and no challenges.” – Brian Cagney, Fear: The 7 Laws Of Fear

64. “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” - Helen Keller

65. "Joy is always in process. It's always under construction." — Matthew McConaughey

66. "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." - Leo Tolstoy

67. “I have also worked with leaders who have a positive outlook, and the morale is so different. Even when faced with challenges, the people looked for solutions.” – Byron and Catherine Pulsifer

68. “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” – Chinese proverb

69. "Don't ever let somebody tell you that you can't do something. Not even me, alright? You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they want to tell you you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period." — "The Pursuit of Happiness"

70. "The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude." - Oprah Winfrey

71 Life Changing Quotes After Challenges

71. "I've found that nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks. Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success. You've got to take risks. You will fail at some point in your life. Accept it. You will lose. You will embarrass yourself. You will suck at something. There is no doubt about it. Never be discouraged. Never look back. Give everything you've got. And when you fall throughout life, fall forward." — Denzel Washington

72. " Empathy is a choice , and it's a vulnerable choice. Because in order to connect with you, I have to connect with something in myself that knows that feeling." — Brené Brown

73. " The measure of intelligence is the ability to change." - Albert Einstein

74. “A life filled with vicissitudes, uncertainty, and hard lessons provides us with skills to better approach new challenges that come along.” – Vivian Eisenecher, Recovering Me, Discovering Joy

75. "Every day the clock resets. Your wins don't matter. Your failures don't matter. Don't stress on what was, fight for what could be." - Sean Higgins

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76. "Great moments are born from great opportunity, and that's what you have here tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. One game; if we played them 10 times, they might win nine. But not this game, not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them, and we shut them down, because we can. Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world." — Herb Brooks

77. “Part of the challenge that comes with striving for success is how the entire journey comes with its own fair share of failures and disappointments.” – Rupert Johnson, Build for Success

78. "Don’t let rejection create self-doubt. The founder of Starbucks was turned down by 217 of the 242 investors he initially spoke with." - Elizabeth Galbut

79. “By cultivating gratitude you eventually expand your internal sense of what is possible, regardless of seeming obstacles and challenges you go through.” – Veronica Smith, Loving Yourself

80. "Regardless of the situation, regardless of the scoreboard, you're going to be successful because you've put in all the time, all the effort, all the hard work, and you know that it's going to pay off." — Apollo Hester

81. “If you compared your troubles, or challenges, with those of others, you would surely find that there are those whose troubles make yours look like minor inconveniences.” – Catherine Pulsifer

82. "Play to your strengths. If you aren’t great at something, do more of what you’re great at." - Jason Lemkin

83. "The infinite player isn't playing to be number one…They're playing to outlast the competition." — Simon Sinek

84. “Understand that it is ok to be scared or uncertain, however right beyond those barriers ultimately lies your dreams.” – Josh Hinds

85. "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." - Harriet Tubman

86. “There are no great people in this world, only great challenges that ordinary people rise to meet.” – William Frederick Halsey, Jr.

87. “Change, like healing, takes time.” ― Veronica Roth

88. "Don't be afraid of fear. Because it sharpens you, it challenges you, it makes you stronger; and when you run away from fear, you also run away from the opportunity to be your best possible self." — Ed Helms

89. “I don’t run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run towards it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your foot.” – Nadia Comaneci

90. “Believe something and the Universe is on its way to being changed . Because you've changed, by believing. Once you've changed, other things start to follow. Isn't that the way it works?” ― Diane Duane

91. “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?" - Hillel

92. "Motivation comes from working on things that we care about." — Sheryl Sandberg

93. "I know if I am going to have any life anymore, it is because I am still willing to fight and die for that inch, because that is what living is. The six inches in front of your face." — "Any Given Sunday"

94. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” ― Barack Obama

95. "It's easy to be positive when everything is working out. It's much harder, much much harder when nothing is working out. But that's when we need it the most…Everything is worth the prize." — "Fearless Motivation"

96. “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” ― George Bernard Shaw

97. “Smiling is a wonderful way to get a boost of happiness . The next time life presents you with a challenging situation, take a deep breath and smile.” – Morris Pratt, The Secret of Positive Thinking

98. “The opportunity to develop resilience comes through difficult circumstances that both highlight and challenge existing mindsets.” – Devra Davis, Through Grief and Beyond: What We Don’t Get Told

99. "Passionately play your position no matter how bad things get. You are significant. Why we are here is not for our own glory. Ultimately, we're here to lead and serve everybody else. By doing that, we encourage others to do the same." — Vera Jones

100. “To change one’s life: 1. Start immediately. 2. Do it flamboyantly. 3. No exceptions.” ― William James

101. "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done." — Rocky Balboa

102. “What we choose to do on a daily basis prepares us for the greater things God has in store; those faith challenges that will take us into our promised land.” – Lisa Cook, 30 Days of Strength for a Woman’s Heart

103. “Life is not merciful; it throws a challenge at you when you are least prepared.” ― Dr. Prem Jagyasi

104. “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” ― Albert Einstein

105. "Stop the crazy mind chatter in your head that tells you all the time that you are not good enough." — Oprah Winfrey

106. “We are not trapped or locked up in these bones. No, no. We are free to change. And love changes us. And if we can love one another, we can break open the sky.” ― Walter Mosley

107. “Fashion changes, but style endures.” ― Coco Chanel

108. “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” ― Rumi

109. “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” ― Wayne W. Dyer

110. “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.” ― Mary Shelley

111. “Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.” ― Eckhart Tolle

112. “Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment

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113. “I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better” - Plutarch

114. “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” ― Buckminster Fuller

115. “Certain things, they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone.” ― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

116. “Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't.” - Steve Maraboli

117. “I have accepted fear as part of life – specifically the fear of change… I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says: turn back….” ― Erica Jong

118. “You're always you, and that don't change, and you're always changing, and there's nothing you can do about it.” ― Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book

119. “Maturity is when you stop complaining and making excuses, and start making changes.” ― Roy T. Bennett

120. “And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time.” ― Libba Bray, The Sweet Far Thing

121. “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ― Lao Tzu

122. “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” ― Malala Yousafzai

123. “No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you've come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself.” ― Madonna

124. "If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change. If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change." — John A. Simone, Sr.

125. “You cannot change what you are, only what you do.” ― Philip Pullman

126. “When people are ready to, they change. They never do it before then, and sometimes they die before they get around to it. You can't make them change if they don't want to, just like when they do want to, you can't stop them.” ― Andy Warhol

127. “Every woman that finally figured out her worth, has picked up her suitcases of pride and boarded a flight to freedom, which landed in the valley of change.” ― Shannon L. Alder

128. "Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof." ― John Kenneth Galbraith

129. “I find the best way to love someone is not to change them, but instead, help them reveal the greatest version of themselves.” ― Steve Maraboli

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130. “Much of life isn’t fair. It’s how you live that matters. It’s how you deal with the bumps in the road.” – Maya Banks

131. “Time takes it all, whether you want it to or not.” ― Stephen King, The Green Mile

132. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible!” – Audrey Hepburn

133. “All that you touch, You Change. All that you Change, Changes you. The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change.” ― Octavia E. Butler

134. “Anger, resentment and jealousy doesn't change the heart of others-- it only changes yours.” ― Shannon Alder

135. “Just be prepared for a long and often uncertain journey. The good stuff doesn’t come easy.” – Tim Westergren

136. “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it.” – Karl Marx

137. "Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” – Benjamin Spock

138. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” – Helen Keller

139. “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” – J. M. Barrie

140. “No one can tell what goes on in between the person you were and the person you become. No one can chart that blue and lonely section of hell. There are no maps of the change. You just come out the other side. Or you don't.” ― Stephen King, The Stand

141. “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” – Vince Lombardi

54 Quotes To Change Life & Perspective

142. “To remain indifferent to the challenges we face is indefensible. If the goal is noble, whether or not it is realized within our lifetime is largely irrelevant. What we must do therefore is to strive and persevere and never give up.” – Dalai Lama

143. “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things. Not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” – John F. Kennedy

144. “Life is tough, my darling, but so are you.” – Stephanie Bennett-Henry

145. “When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.” – Paulo Coelho

146. “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou

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147. “The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done.” – Arnold Palmer

148. “Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. And when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others.” – Amelia Earhart

149. “Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” – Les Brown

150. “I like the challenge of trying different things and wondering whether it’s going to work or whether I’m going to fall flat on my face.” – Johnny Depp

151. “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

152. “It’s too easy to walk away quitter never wins so you should better stay look challenges straight in the eye.” – Z. Vujcic

153. “It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties.” – Abigail Adams

154. “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” – Tony Robbins

155. “Brave men rejoice in adversity, just as brave soldiers triumph in war.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

156. “Expect obstacles and face them head-on. They are going to come up so the way you handle them is what makes all the difference.” – Lance Dale

157. “To be successful you must accept all challenges that come your way. You can’t just accept the ones you like.” – Mike Kafka

158. “Life throws challenges and every challenge comes with rainbows and lights to conquer it.” – Amit Ray

159. “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” – Norman Vincent

160. “Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savoring the journey.” – Roy T. Bennett

161. “Go make your mark on the world. Be a world changer! Live bold for Christ no matter the cost.” – Crystal Woodman Miller

162. “Be a bit of a challenge; not because you’re playing games but because you realize you’re worth the extra effort.” – Mandy Hale

163. “Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have worries. They just don’t let these feelings stop them.” – T. Harv Eker

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164. “Comfort is your biggest trap and coming out of comfort zone your biggest challenge.” – Manoj Arora

165. “Some fish love to swim upstream. Some people love to overcome challenges.” – Amit Ray

166. “The further you get away from yourself, the more challenging it is. Not to be in your comfort zone is great fun.” – Benedict Cumberbatch

167. “The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph but whether he can overcome obstacles.” – Garth Stein

168. “It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.” – Andre Gide

169. “You have come a long way and have won many battles. Whenever you’re faced with a difficult or challenging situation, you’ll overcome it. Yes, you can.” – Roy T. Bennett

170. “Nothing is impossible for pure love .” – Mahatma Gandhi

171. “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln

172. “It is during the worst times of your life that you will get to see the true colors of the people who say they care for you.”― Ritu Ghatourey

173. “To love oneself is the beginning of a life long romance.” – Oscar Wilde

174. “I have a voice, I cannot remain silent.”― Nurudeen Ushawu

175. “You cannot change the past, but you can make a difference now.”― Avis J. Williams

176. “Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua J. Marine

177. “Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.” – Theodore Roosevelt

178. “The real winners I’ve met in life weren’t necessarily skilled or perfect. They just had the tenacity to never, ever give up.”― Curtis Rivers

179. “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” – Soren Kierkegaard

180. “The real gift of today is somehow finding the me I knew ought to exist but has not.” ― Gary M. Douglas

181. “Life is like that…sometimes you have to peel off the bitterness in order to get to the part that is sweet.” ― Ken Poirot

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182. “We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.” – Sam Keen

183. “Why tomorrow when there is today?” ― Connor Franta

184. “Don’t gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold.” – Bob Marley

185. “Our life is all about personal choices we make. We choose the life we live.” ― Sanjeev Himachali

186. “The sorrow we feel when we lose a loved one is the price we pay to have had them in our lives.” ― Rob Liano

187. “Sadness taught me to let someone hurt me and yet still talk beautifully about them.” ― Harlrey Biala

188. “Sometimes it took death for me to see life, don’t live with regrets, keep your head high. In a world filled with beauty I don’t want to blink twice; soak up every moment because you can’t stop time.” ― Puerto Rican Princess

189. “The only way to get over a death is by seeing it as a life completed, instead of a life interrupted.” ― Anonymous

190. “Our existence comes with Death. And it comes with suffering, death alone is not enough and pleasure have consequences. Love comes with hurting. And having means losing.” ― Ira N. Barin

191. “Death is sometimes kinder than Love.” ― Rick Riordan

192. “It’s better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.” – Elizabeth Kenny

193. No matter how bad we might think the world is, in my experience the vast majority of us want to rub along with our fellow men and very often buried beneath a gruff exterior, there is a generous spirit waiting to be revealed.” - Tony Clark

194. "There is nothing permanent except change." - Heraclitus

195. “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

53 More Sayings & Quotes On Challenges

196. “Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular.” — Roy T. Bennett, author

197. “Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

198. “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” – Tony Robbins

199. "Change alone is unchanging." - Heraclitus

200. “People can do whatever they want if they just set their heart to it, and just never give up, and just go out there and do it.” – Bethany Hamilton, Surfer

201. “At any given moment, you have the power to say: this is not how the story is going to end.” — Christine Mason Miller, author

202. “I don’t think you’re human if you don’t get nervous.” – Sidney Crosby

203. "Things do not change; we change." — Henry David Thoreau

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204. “Success is most often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” – Coco Chanel

205. “By changing nothing, nothing changes.” — Tony Robbins, author and philanthropist

206. “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” — Toni Morrison, author

207. “Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

208. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe, American tennis player

209. “Don’t cry after my death, I won’t know it. Love me when I am alive.” ― Luffina Lourduraj

210. “Don’t search for the meaning of life. Simply be present for the people you love.” – Maxime Lagacé

211. “The trivial will be the evidence they provide to prove they are still right here.” ― Angie Corbett-Kuiper

212. “Memories is all that you have, which help you survive the storms and struggles of your daily life after you lose someone!” ― Nikita Dudani

213. “The greatest power that a human possesses is the power of pure love.” – Debasish Mridha

214. “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” – Albert Einstein

215. “What will be your death note?” ― Lailah Gifty Akita

216. “I don’t regret the things I’ve done, I regret the things I didn’t do when I had the chance.” – Unknown

217. “Live your life in such a way that you’ll be remembered for your kindness, compassion, fairness, character, benevolence, and a force for good who had much respect for life, in general.” ― Germany Kent

218. “Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive.” – Matt Cameron

219. “You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.” – Oscar Wilde

220. “Life often teaches us through our wrong turns and missed possibilities.” – Anne Wilson Schaef

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221. “While it is impossible to forget the past, it is necessary that we leave the past where it was. We are not the same people that we was then.” – Quirky Grandma

222. “When life is too easy for us, we must beware or we may not be ready to meet the blows which sooner or later come to everyone, rich or poor.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

223. “Each of us experiences defeats in life. We can transform defeat into victory if we learn from life’s whuppings.” – Les Brown

224. “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” – Oprah Winfrey

225. “Each person must live their life as a model for others.” – Rosa Parks

226. “There is nothing brilliant or outstanding in my record, except perhaps this one thing. I do the things I believe ought to be done. And when I make up my mind to do a thing, I act.” — Theodore Roosevelt, 26th U.S. president

227. “Fear is forward. No one is afraid of yesterday.” — Renata Adler, author, journalist, and film critic

228. “We build too many walls and not enough bridges.” — Isaac Newton, mathematician

229. “You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” — Stephen King, author

230. “If you’re serious about changing your life, you’ll find a way. If you’re not, you’ll find an excuse.” — Jen Sincero, author

231. “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” — John A. Shedd, author and professor

232. “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” — Helen Keller, author

233. “For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, author

234. “Each life is made up of mistakes and learning, waiting and growing, practicing patience and being persistent.” – Billy Graham

235. “Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.” – Vivian Komori

236. “Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” – Lucille Ball

237. “Some people are so poor, all they have is money.” – Jack Kerouac

238. “Everyone in life is gonna hurt you; you just have to figure out which people are worth the pain.” – Erica Baican

239. “Transformation is a process, and as life happens there are tons of ups and downs. It’s a journey of discovery–there are moments on mountaintops and moments in deep valleys of despair.” – Rick Warren

240. “The greatest chapters in history always begin with risk, and the same is true with the chapters of your life.” – Mark Batterson

RELATED: 28 SHORT INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES TO LIVE A FULFILLING LIFE

241. “Every day is not a day to master but an adventure to experience.” ― A.D. Posey

242. “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

243. “When you change your thoughts, remember to also change your world.” — Norman Vincent Peale

244. “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” – Vince Lombardi

245. “The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” — Colin R. Davis

246. “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” – Marcel Proust

247. “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” — Will Rogers

248. “Life isn’t about finding yourself . Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw

How Can Reading Motivational Quotes About Life’s Challenges Help You?

Reading motivational quotes about life’s challenges from famous speeches can be highly beneficial in a number of ways.

First and foremost, these quotes can provide a sense of perspective and inspiration when we're facing difficult times.

They can remind us that we're not alone in our struggles, and that others have faced and overcome similar challenges throughout history.

These quotes can also offer valuable insights and guidance on how to navigate life challenges.

They can provide us with new perspectives on our problems, and help us to see them in a different light.

For example, a quote about perseverance may remind us that the key to overcoming our challenges is not giving up , but rather continuing to push forward even when things are tough.

Additionally, reading motivational quotes about life challenges can help to boost our motivation and confidence.

They can give us a sense of hope and optimism, and remind us that we have the inner strength and resilience to overcome even the toughest of obstacles.

Finally, reading these quotes can serve as a source of inspiration and guidance for developing our own resilience and determination .

We can learn from the examples of great leaders who have overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and apply their insights and strategies to our own lives.

Implementing motivational quotes about life challenges from famous speeches into daily life can be a powerful way to stay motivated and focused on your goals.

Here are a few ways to incorporate these quotes into your daily routine:

Write Them Down: One of the most effective ways to internalize a quote is to write it down. You can keep a journal or notebook where you write down your favorite quotes, and refer back to them whenever you need a dose of inspiration. You can also write them on sticky notes and place them on your desk or around your home as a reminder.
Repeat Them To Yourself: Another way to incorporate these quotes into your daily life is to repeat them to yourself throughout the day. You can say them out loud, or simply repeat them silently in your head as a mantra. This can be especially helpful during challenging moments when you need a quick boost of motivation.
Share Them With Others: Sharing motivational quotes about life challenges from famous speeches with others can be a great way to inspire and uplift those around you. You can share them with friends, family, or colleagues, or even post them on social media to inspire your wider network.
Use Them As Inspiration For Goal-Setting: Finally, you can use these quotes as inspiration for setting goals and working towards them. For example, if you're facing a particular challenge, you could choose a quote that resonates with you and use it as motivation to keep pushing forward towards your goal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are motivational quotes about life challenges from famous speeches so powerful.

Motivational quotes about life challenges from famous speeches are powerful because they come from individuals who have faced adversity and overcome it.

These quotes offer insights and strategies that have been proven to work, and can serve as a source of inspiration and guidance for individuals facing similar challenges.

Can Reading Motivational Quotes About Life Challenges From Famous Speeches Really Make A Difference In My Life?

Absolutely. Reading motivational quotes about life challenges from famous speeches can help you develop a more positive outlook and build resilience in the face of adversity.

They can help you to see your challenges in a new light and offer valuable guidance and inspiration for overcoming them.

How Do I Choose The Right Motivational Quotes About Life Challenges From Famous Speeches?

Choosing the right motivational quotes about life challenges from famous speeches depends on your personal preferences and the challenges you are facing.

Look for quotes that resonate with you and offer insights or strategies that you can apply to your own life.

You can also consider the source of the quote and the context in which it was delivered to gain a deeper understanding of its meaning and relevance.

12 Inspirational Speeches That Teach You the Most Valuable Life Lessons

The most valuable thing an experienced person has is their experience. People make mistakes, learn from them, and adapt their life around them to become better people. Those people would then tell tales to others to help teach those lessons so that others would not have to make the same mistakes.

People still tell these stories today but in a slightly different format — they use speeches to express their experiences. Here are some valuable life lessons you can learn from some of the greatest inspirational speeches:

1. JK Rowling teaches us to not fear failure no matter how bad things become

It is a well-known fact that JK Rowling’s now-famous Harry Potter series was turned down by several publishers before it was finally picked up. Those publishers are likely kicking themselves in the pants right now. However, before that, JK Rowling was in a fairly dire situation and was on the brink of failure. Despite being turned down time and time again, she kept trying. Her efforts paid off. Harry Potter is now a ubiquitous character in today’s world culture. Despite failing over and over again, Rowling kept trying and fulfilled her dreams. You can watch her deliver some valuable life lessons in her Harvard commencement speech video above.

2. Steve Jobs teaches us to never settle

Steve Jobs had a fairly tumultuous life. He co-founded Apple, was kicked out of the company, came back, and then re-defined the mobile phone space with the iPhone. Even if iPhones aren’t the rage they once were, its iconic value is forever written in stone. One thing Jobs never did was settle. He lived life on his own terms and was rewarded for it by being dubbed one of the most revolutionary voices in technology of our time. In the Stanford commencement speech above, Jobs explains how you should never settle for what someone else wants out of your life. It’s your life and you should do what you want with it.

3. Admiral William H McRaven teaches us to make our beds every day

Anyone who has gone through the basic training of a military service will tell you it’s pretty difficult. However, every seemingly obnoxious step is actually a life lesson in disguise. This even applies to flawlessly making one’s bed every single morning. As Admiral William H McRaven teaches us, recruits are taught to make their beds every morning to remind them that even the little things in life matter. After all, how can you be expected to handle the biggest obstacles in your life if you can’t even handle the small and the mundane like making your bed every day? You can watch the entire speech in the video above.

4. Author David Foster Wallace teaches us that we’re a part of a greater existence

David Foster Wallace found fame in 1987 with his book The Broom of the System . Nearly 20 years later in 2005 he game a commencement speech at Kenyon College that is worth listening to at least once. In his speech, he reminds us that was are but a part of a huge, dynamic, ever changing interaction of life forms. In order to truly experience life, we need to leave our personal bubbles and interact with others even if it’s in an unpleasant way. Wallace states, “It will actually be within your power to experience a crowded, hot, slow, consumer-hell type situation as not only meaningful, but sacred, on fire with the same force that made the stars: love, fellowship, the mystical oneness of all things deep down.” You can watch the whole speech above.

5. Stephen Colbert teaches us that life isn’t something you can plan

If there is anyone who knows about improvisation, it’s comedian Stephen Colbert. In his commencement speech at Northwestern University in 2011, Colbert reminded students that you cannot plan life. Life throws too many curve balls. There are too many unpredictable things that can happen. The most successful and happy people are not those who have a plan, but those who can roll with the punches and overcome the obstacles. He goes on to site his time as an improv comic and how all of the actors working together to create a scene out of literally nothing are all working for one another. He states that like improv comedy, you don’t know what happens next in life. You just make it up as you go along. You can watch the whole speech above.

6. Kurt Vonnegut teaches us to not sweat the small stuff

Some of our younger readers may not know Kurt Vonnegut. He is a famous author that found of of his success during the middle of last century. In 1999, Kurt Vonnegut was at Agnes Scott College giving a commencement speech. During the speech, he mentioned that in order to live a more complete life, people needed to let stuff go. He argued that you cannot reasonably expect others to forgive you for your mistakes if you cannot forgive others and that you cannot live life fostering a personal vendetta against others.

7. Neil Gaiman teaches us that success can be distracting.

Neil Gaiman is most known for his work in a number of literary mediums including journalism, comic books, and novels. In 2012, Gaiman gave a speech at the University of the Arts where he talked about success. He stated that when you become successful, you may be unintentionally swayed from performing the actions that made you successful. Gaiman recalled his early success and how he felt pressured to answer emails all day long and it actually prevented him from writing as much as he wanted. So he reminds us to keep doing what makes us successful and to not let others get in the way.

8. Barack Obama’s life lessons teaches us that you really can beat the odds

We know that not everyone likes Barack Obama but that doesn’t mean the man can’t deliver an amazing speech. In this 2004 keynote speech at the Democratic National Convenction, Obama reminds that it is possible to beat the odds and become something great. He cites his own upbringing as an example and how he was never expected to make it as far as he did. It shows that when you’re passionate about something and when you try hard enough, you can accomplish almost anything. It’s important to note that Obama talks about this in 2004 and would become the President of the United States just four years later.

9. Robin Roberts reminds us that we each have the courage to overcome challenges

Robin Roberts knows a thing or two about courage. She is a breast cancer survivor and has done battle with a rare blood disease called myelodysplastic syndrome. Her sister once had to donate bone marrow just so Robin could remain alive. She was also ESPN’s first African American broadcaster in the early 1990’s. She’s a woman who works in an industry predominately populated by men. So when Robin Roberts takes the stage at the ESPYs and delivers a short lecture on having courage, we would do well to listen!

10. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us that some things are more important than success

We all know the story of Martin Luther King Jr. So much so that we have a day of the year to celebrate him as a national holiday here in the United States. Most of us have listening to segments of his famous speech where he told the world about a dream he had. The main message of his famous speech is that racial inequalities needed to end and he was absolutely right. However, he also reminds us that there are things that are more important than success such as equal rights and treating each other with respect and kindness. If you somehow made it through school without watching the famous speech, we’ve got it linked above.

11. Jim Carrey reminds us that even if you keep it safe, you can still fail so you might as well go big

Jim Carrey delivered a commencement speech at Maharishi University recently that went absolutely viral. You may know it as the one minute video that will change your life. They weren’t lying but they weren’t telling the whole truth because the speech was actually 28 minutes long. During the speech, Carrey talks about his father who wanted to be a comedian but decided to take the safe route and become an accountant. As it turns out, his father was laid off and his family ended up poor anyway. With that, Carrey tells us that you can still end up failing even if you play it safe so you might as well swing for the fences and do what you want to do.

12. Bill Murray teaches us that it’s the hard times that determine if someone really loves you

You may have heard the story about Bill Murray crashing someone’s bachelor party and delivering a speech. It turns out the speech was both short and fairly epic. During the speech, Bill Murray challenged the bachelors to travel around the world with the women they love and go to places that are difficult to go to and deal with. He says if you can get back to the United States and you still love each other, then you should get married right then and there. It’s a great message. It’s easy to love one another when times are good but do you still love each other when the times are bad? If so, that’s true love according to Bill Murray.

Final thoughts

Inspiration comes from everywhere and from anyone. There are a countless number of speeches and stories that can teach us an incalculable number of life lessons.

All these speeches almost share the same message: Don’t be afraid to fail and keep trying.

If you also want to live your best life like the above successful people, this is what you should start doing:

You’ll Only Live Your Best Life Once You Step Out

At the end of the day, everything is inspirational. It’s just a matter of finding the message that we need to hear to change our lives.

Featured photo credit: Miguel Henriques via unsplash.com

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16 Inspirational Speeches for Career (+ Life Lessons & Speaker Traits)

Bluleadz Marketing | July 9, 2020 | Inspiration | 11 min read

The Most Inspirational Speeches of All Time

1. J.K. Rowling – Harvard University
2. Jim Carrey – Maharishi University
3. Steve Jobs – Stanford University
4. Al Pacino – Any Given Sunday
5. Tony Robbins – TED Talk
6. Will Smith – The Pursuit of Happiness
7. Matthew McConaughey – University of Houston
8. Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa
9. Denzel Washington – University of Pennsylvania
10. Yoda – The Empire Strikes Back
11. Elizabeth Gilbert – TED Talk, 2009
12. Michelle Obama – Eastern Kentucky University
13. David Goggins – Driven
14. Peter Dinklage – Bennington College
15. John Roberts – Cardigan Mountain School
16. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - LA Lakers

Being motivated at work and in life is crucial for your performance. This is true when you have an approaching deadline, an important meeting, or customers depending on you.

The power of words can physically and emotionally rejuvenate you. Inspirational speeches can guide you to keep performing at your best and drive your team to achieve their goals . The right words at the right time can change you and challenge you.

No matter what is thrown at you in life, you can use these speeches to stay motivated.

How Inspiration Impacts People

Inspiration helps propel people forward. It pushes apathy away and awakens people to new and exciting possibilities. They're able to transcend their limitations and mundane lives.

It can help all people to become more creative and help them to progress toward their goals if they are open to it.

Although inspiration impacts people in several meaningful and often magical ways, it is not something as elusive as it seems. Inspiration is everywhere, and it can be captured, activated, and manipulated.

Most often, inspiration is found in others who say something or do something thought provoking and meaningful.

What Makes a Speech Inspirational?

Great inspirational speeches all include one key thing – emotions . Emotions motivate actions and beliefs in any given aspect of life. Inspirational speeches are often loaded with tales of struggle, resilience, trials, endurance, and breakthroughs. All things that most people can relate to.

The philosopher, Aristotle, once said that people tend to believe in people who can be perceived as trustworthy or in those who have proper values and morals. This means that speakers who understand the concerns their audience has and empathizes with them are more likely to connect with their audience and gain their trust.

Speakers who select emotional themes and talking points that people can relate to are more likely to inspire those in the audience with their stories.

The key to this is making others feel as though they aren’t alone, and that they too can overcome the roadblocks in their way because someone else has. Hope is one of the most powerful emotions that sparks inspiration.

Next, comes an excellent oral delivery. Facial expressions, tone of voice, and appropriate pausing all help to make a speech that much more effective and inspirational.

7 Qualities of the Best Motivational Speakers

Here are seven traits, qualities, and characteristics that some of the best motivational speakers have.

1. They Tell Great Stories.

The ability to tell a great story is one of the core qualities that a motivational speaker needs to help add value to the lives of listeners. Motivational speakers tell original stories to provide the audience with fresh and relevant information.

More importantly, the best motivational speakers paint a picture that lets the audience put themselves into the story so they can feel the emotions to understand the lesson better.

2. They Are Passionate About What They Do.

Great speakers are often passionate about wanting to change others for the better, and the amount of passion a speaker has translates into their presentation. The audience can tell when a speaker is passionate about their subject matter because it will reflect in the speaker’s enthusiasm and excitement when they perform.

Passion is infectious, and when a great speaker is passionate, it inspires the audience to cultivate passion as well.

3. They Are Confident.

It is essential that motivational speakers have confidence in themselves and in their message.

Audience members can tell when speakers are nervous or unsure about what they are doing or saying. This automatically causes the audience to doubt the speaker, and it may invalidate the message.

Great speakers have confidence that reflects in their speech and gestures while they are on stage, which in turn inspires confidence in the audience. It helps to engage them and makes them believe in what the speaker is saying.

4. They Are Self-Aware.

A great motivational speaker understands who they are and knows exactly what they stand for. They are also aware of their strengths and weaknesses.

They use their strengths to make a speech more effective, and they work on improving their weaknesses.

5. They Show Empathy.

A defining mark of a great motivational speaker is their ability to put themselves in the shoes of those in their audience. They do their best to understand their audience’s motivation, fears, hopes, challenges, and worries.

This helps them tailor their speech to appeal to and inspire their audience. Empathetic speakers are also individuals who have gone through what they talk about.

They have been where the audience is, and they understand what that is like, which helps make a pure connection with them.

6. They Possess Knowledge.

Any motivational speaker must remain up to date and knowledgeable in their area of expertise. Motivational speakers aren’t born; they are made.

This means that they must grow and learn to become an expert with great knowledge and insight to share with others.

7. They Have a Sense of Humor.

Motivational speeches tend to discuss serious topics, and great speakers know how to add fun anecdotes or jokes when it is appropriate to do so.

Humor often makes a speech more memorable. Plus, it enthralls listeners, and everyone likes someone with a good sense of humor.

16 of the Best Inspirational Speeches of All Time

We all need some inspiration from time to time. If you are in need of inspiration, look no further than these 16 best inspirational speeches of all time.

1. J.K. Rowling – Harvard University

It's well known that J.K. Rowling's famous Harry Potter series was turned down by several publishers before it was finally accepted. But before her success, she was in a dire situation and was on the brink of bankruptcy.

Despite constant rejection, she kept trying and finally her efforts paid off. Her Harvard speech delivered some valuable life lessons about not fearing failure and persevering no matter how bad things get.

2. Jim Carrey – Maharishi University

Actor/comedian Jim Carrey gave one of the most unique and emotional commencement speeches ever at Maharishi University in Iowa.

In his speech , he offered the students powerful and inspiring words about life, the future, and urged them never to settle for anything less than what they want. His message: Never give up and follow your dreams!

3. Steve Jobs – Stanford University

This is one of the greatest inspirational speeches! In his commencement speech , Jobs discussed how he dropped out of college after six months, then took another 18 months to figure out what his life's work would be.

He quit college because his parents were struggling financially, and he couldn't see the value in an education that was draining his parents life savings.

His speech talked of the setbacks in life, including death, and how being aware of death can help you make better choices in life. At the time, Jobs was dying of pancreatic cancer, and his inspirational words on the importance of acquiring knowledge and following your dreams was the best life lesson he could bestow upon the graduates.

4. Al Pacino – Any Given Sunday

This movie features an inspirational speech about how even the simplest things can inch you closer to your dream.

Pacino's speech motivated the players on his football team to do whatever it takes to win. The takeaway? The little things you do every day will lead you to success.

5. Tony Robbins – TED Talk

Tony Robbins is one of the most famous motivational speakers around. This TED talk is particularly inspirational. It's topic, “Why We Do What We Do,” asks two key questions: What drives you? What motivates you to do your daily tasks?

By asking these questions, we're able to explore ourselves and appreciate others. The takeaway? We are our own path to success!

6. Will Smith – The Pursuit of Happiness

Considered one of the best motivational speeches in film, this scene starts with Smith and his son playing basketball. When his son shouts “I'm going pro,” Smith decides to try and temper his son's expectations, telling him he never excelled at basketball, so he shouldn't expect to.

His son is visibly disappointed, and Smith launches into his speech proclaiming, “Don't ever let somebody tell you that you can't do something, not even me.” He tells his son, “You got a dream, you gotta protect it. You want something, go get it. Period.”

The takeaway? Only you can decide to chase a dream. No one can stop you besides yourself.

7. Matthew McConaughey – University of Houston

McConaughey delivered some pertinent points in his speech to the graduating class, but the one that really stuck out was "joy being a constant approach." He said, ”Joy is always in process; it's always under construction."

He spoke of how he takes everything one step at a time when he's making a film, and how when he truly enjoys his craft, things just fall into place. The takeaway? “Define success for yourself.” Figure out what you want to achieve and enjoy the entire journey.

8. Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa

In the sixth film in the Rocky franchise, Stallone gives one of the most inspirational speeches of all time. He starts with, “The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows,” and goes on to talk about the value of hard work and commitment.

“It ain't about how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” The takeaway? Even when your back is up against the wall, winners never give up!

9. Denzel Washington – University of Pennsylvania

In this commencement speech, Denzel Washington speaks about how nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks, adding that when you fall in life, fall forward . He speaks of embracing failure and using it as a chance to learn.

This is especially true when it comes to being an entrepreneur. The most important thing isn't winning or losing, it's getting out there and giving it everything you've got!

10. Yoda – The Empire Strikes Back

Ok, you can't have a list of inspirational speeches without at least one offering from Yoda!

In this speech from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back , Yoda is teaching Luke about the ways of the force. The key teaching? Whether or not something can or can't be done is all in your head and your heart. If you believe in yourself, anything is possible!

The takeaway? In the words of Yoda, “Do or do not. There is no try.”

11. Elizabeth Gilbert – Ted Talk

Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the bestselling book Eat, Pray, Love , gave an inspiring Ted Talk about the "genius" in all of us.

In her speech, she mentions that everyone can be a creative genius in their work and that the best years of our work and creativity are never behind us if we think of creative genius as something we borrow.

The key takeaways from Gilbert's speech are to not be daunted or afraid of success. Just keep showing up and doing the work that you love without the anguish of what it will turn into.

12. Michelle Obama – Eastern Kentucky University

In 2013, Michelle Obama addressed the graduating class of Eastern Kentucky University. She encouraged them to continue learning to challenge their perspectives, and she told them to find a way to turn their weaknesses into strengths.

The key takeaway from her speech is that the defining moments in your life will not be the moment you get the promotion or breakthrough to a classroom. They will be the days that you have to claw through to keep going.

As long as you keep working and pick yourself up when you fall down, then you will develop skills to apply to anything you do in life. And your resilience can be used in service to others.

13. David Goggins – Driven

David Goggins is a former Navy Seal and Army Ranger who participates in ultra-marathons. In his talk, he discusses suffering and how you can turn hurt into strength. He talks about how you can still be successful and happy without guidance if you just stay true to who you are because you define greatness.

The takeaway from Goggins' talk is that we all have greatness no matter what. You just have to find the courage through hard work and discipline.

14. Peter Dinklage – Bennington College

Peter Dinklage is an actor who is known for his role as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones . He gave the 2012 commencement address at Bennington College.

In his address to the graduates, he discusses persistence and doing whatever it takes to get to where you want to be. He also mentions that you shouldn't wait until you are ready to do what you love.

The key lesson from his speech was to give yourself permission to fail early instead of waiting for permission. Show the world you're ready by doing it.

15. John Roberts – Cardigan Mountain School

John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States, gave the commencement address at his son's high school in 2017. In his speech, he wishes the graduates bad luck instead of good luck.

He tells them that he hopes they will be lonely, fail, and lose from time to time. He says all of this to say that these things are the greatest teachers of compassion, true friendship, and sportsmanship.

The key takeaway from Roberts' speech is that there is always a message in your misfortunes, and you should not be afraid to fail. If you fail, you should get up and try again.

16. Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson - LA Lakers

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, tenured WWE superstar & mega Hollywood performer, gave an incredible speech to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019.

He speaks from the heart, about remembering where you came from, and letting that fuel the hard work you will put in to become successful.

Per usual, pure gold from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

These 16 inspirational speeches touch on three main themes. It's important to love what you're doing. Failure is only bad if you don't learn and continue to move forward. And finally, you need to want it!

Life is hard. If you want something bad enough, whether it's a job, a relationship, or a successful business, you need to prove it!

General FAQ

An inspirational speech will create a positive emotional experience for the audience that will resonate with them. Similarly, a motivational speech can inspire an audience by motivating them to take action on something.

What Are the Qualities of an Inspirational Speaker?

To be a great inspirational speaker, you should have:

A strong speaking voice
A good story to tell

How Do You Write an Inspirational Speech?

It's important to know who your audience is and what your message is going to be when writing an inspirational speech. Use should also employ storytelling techniques to evoke emotion into your speech.

Who Is the Most Motivational Speaker in the World?

It is often said that Tony Robbins is the most motivational speaker. Tony Robbins is known best for his TED talks and self-help books.

Erika Giles

Erika is a Marketing Copywriter at Bluleadz. She is a huge fan of houseplants and podcasts about conspiracy theories. She spends most of her free time reading, writing, and enjoying the outdoors.

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Life Is Tough: Overcoming Hardship and Failure

What defines those who thrive despite adversity.

Posted August 21, 2013 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

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“When life gets tough, the tough get going.” This timeless proverb may be true for some, but for others, hardship can be too much to overcome. When the going gets tough, their life simply falls apart.

What is it exactly that separates those who thrive regardless of adversity and those who don’t? Is it genetics , luck, or pure willpower ?

Consider that Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison before he became the first democratically elected president in South Africa. Abraham Lincoln failed in business, had a nervous breakdown, and was defeated eight times in elections before becoming president. A boy born to a teenage alcoholic prostitute and an absentee father found himself in trouble throughout his childhood , eventually growing up to be Charles Manson.

These examples are extreme, but they demonstrate the different routes people may choose when facing major obstacles. Some people turn to alcohol and drugs, stealing, or physical violence. Nearly 16,000 people drank themselves to death in 2010. Every year, more than 3 million children will witness domestic violence in their home. Conversely, many people have gone through hell and back and are moral, happy, and successful. As a youth violence and family trauma psychologist, it’s my job to find the turning point between the right path and the wrong one.

In my own life, I dealt with hardship and failure. My family was poor. I had to cope with suicides, mental illness, and domestic violence; two of my family members died of alcoholism .

My grandmother was a teacher and I thought I would follow in her footsteps. After attempting to go to school for teaching, I realized that I was not cut out for it. I felt like I had failed. When I was young, I tried to be a writer and was not successful. My first marriage was a failure, as was my first business. I was challenged significantly when I enrolled in my Ph.D. program at the age of 42 and my classmates were all 20 years younger.

And the story would not be complete without telling you that someone attempted to rape me when I was a young woman. I only told a few people. I cried and cried. I wanted to scrub the skin right off my body. Yet today, I can face my fears and am a big fan of Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit .

Despite all these trials, life marched on and turned out positive. I earned my Ph.D. I am a successful non-fiction writer and the author of two books that have sold well. I own my own practice, Eastern Shore Psychological Services, which has grown considerably and won numerous awards. And I am happily remarried to a loving husband, although I once told myself that I’d never marry again.

Why was I able to overcome the negative parts of my life when others from similar backgrounds have ended up addicted to substances or in jail? The simple answer is that I had enough protective factors in my life to outweigh my risk factors. For instance:

The neighborhood I grew up in was safe.
I was always supported by people who loved me.
I did well in school and had opportunities to succeed.
I had pro-social role models.
I received treatment for depression and PTSD .
There were many happy events in my life.
I kept going, one foot after the other, no matter what.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention found that children who have more than five risk factors (learning problems, maltreatment, chaotic neighborhoods, etc.) and less than six protective factors (adult support, life skills, clear standards set by caregivers, etc.) have an 80 percent chance of committing future violent acts. This means that, while we all face varying levels of hardship, there must be a counterbalance of positives in our lives so that we may continue to grow and succeed.

Looking back at my family members who struggled, I realize that they did not have the level of support and education about depression and alcoholism that I was fortunate to have. At two points in my life, I had problems controlling my anger , just like my father. But I gained support through education and friends, and I learned to deal with it effectively. Without these support systems, statistical research says that I would most likely have failed.

It’s true that some of our ability to deal with hardships and failure has to do with biological traits and genetics. Some of it may have to do with luck. But mostly it has to do with the environment and people around us. Our parents, siblings, peers, educators, and community all play a vital role in shaping who we become.

Life is tough and we all have our own challenges to face. But we don’t have to face them alone. With a caring heart and encouraging hand, we can all play a role in supporting others through their greatest hardships.

For more information, please visit my website .

Kathryn Seifert, Ph.D. , is the author of the Child & Adolescent Risk Evaluation screening tool.

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Never Give up on Your Dream, Motivational Speeches

When you show courage in the ..., template: letter to request to attend a conference, do you want to attend a ..., motivational speech template to congratulate your team, an excellent safety motivational speech, i recently saw safety ....

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When you show courage in the face of adversity, you change your life and others.

The most provocative motivational speeches in the world won't settle for average and have triumphed through adversity. We are most inspired by people who have experienced difficulty and never give up.

Luck is great, but life is meant to be experienced. Sometimes the only way out of stress is through it; face struggle to overcome challenges in life. Many times battle happens to help teach us a lesson. We can either learn from that lesson or deny it.

From an evolutionary perspective , the human mind's primary goal is to keep you safe. Sometimes this leads to self-sabotage as it's just easier to stay in your comfort zone and avoid risk. However, great things never come from mediocrity. Quit settling for average and strive for extraordinary .

Below are words I've written down inspired by powerful survivors. As a motivational keynote speaker , I meet many people who have survived and thrived in misfortune.

The following is a starting point for a motivational speech to find strength in stress, conquer fear and live your dreams.

Motivational Speech Template, Never Give up on Your Dreams

Boldly go in the direction of your dreams.

Try, try, try and try again. Feed your mind ideas of success, not failure .

Remember, the only way you can fail is if you give up. Every time you fail, you come one step closer to success.

You are not scared; you are courageous. You are not weak; you are powerful. You are not ordinary; you are remarkable.

Do not back down, do not give up.

When you look back on your life, don't have regrets. Believe in yourself, belief in your future, you will find your way.

A fire burning inside you is mighty; it is waiting to burn bright. You are meant to do great things.

Following your dreams can be both terrifying and exciting.

Courage is facing fear. Fear of failure holds most people back. You are not most people.

Persist and persuade others about your plans, as they are real. Nobody can do this but you. Nobody will get in the way of our dreams.

Most people master the obvious; you create something that wasn't there before. It's bold, it's beautiful, and it's you.

Give it your best, and your dreams will come to life. Success is yours.

Go for your dreams; it is your turn.

..............................................

The best motivational speech is personalised; take these words and alter them for your audience. Most people thrive on inspiration, and we don't get enough. It's the repetition of words that foster action and purpose.

For more inspiration from the man who inspired me the most in life, funny keynote speaker , Bill Clennan, Check out his inspirational poem, The Reward is Within.

Keynote Plenary Speakers ideas to kickstart a speech

Topics: motivational speaker , funny motivational speaker , inspiration , success , Featured , Topmotivationalspeakers , keynotespeakers , nevergiveuponyourdreams , virtual keynote speaker , webinar speaker , female keynote speaker , wellness keynote speaker

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Overcoming Hard Times Poems

Published: October 2019

Poems About Perseverance And Overcoming Challenges

Each one of us will face hard times at some point in life. Sometimes the hardships come for a short season, and other times they seem to last longer than anticipated. Even though those moments feel like they are going to break us, we each have incredible strength that can push us forward. Having the determination and mindset to persevere can make all the difference.

Even though the struggles in life are not fun, and we wish we could do without them, they help develop our character. They teach us lessons we would not learn when things are pleasant. Each struggle we overcome is one more that shows us we can make it through anything. We hope these poems inspire you to find the courage to keep fighting whatever you are facing at the moment. Get ready to put the past behind you and embrace the future .

28 Poems About Perseverance And Overcoming Challenges

By Rudyard Kipling

Famous Poem

Rudyard Kipling was an English poet who lived from 1865-1936. He also wrote many children's stories. The poem's line, "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same," is written on the wall of the players' entrance at Wimbledon.

in Famous Inspirational Poems

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too:

Go To Complete Poem

I was never an avid reader nor appreciated poetry most of my life. My dad sent me this poem for my 28th birthday, printed along with a lovely card. Living many miles away from him I often...

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Touched by the poem? Share your story! (32)

By William Ernest Henley

We are the master of our destiny. We are responsible for our own happiness. This famous inspirational poem charges us to accept responsibility for our lives no matter our circumstances. Invictus in Latin means unconquered. William Ernest Henley (1849-1903), an English Poet, had one of his legs amputated at the age of 17. The poem, which he wrote while healing from the amputation, is a testimony to his refusal to let his handicap disrupt his life. Indeed, he led a meaningful life as a poet and editor until he passed away at age 53.

Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.

Once I was a good student. I have always been an obedient and gentle person. Then I failed in my life for the first time in the year 2002. Something happened and I fell right from the top and...

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (7)

Good Timber

By Douglas Malloch

Douglas Malloch (1877-1938), known as the "Lumbermen's Poet," compares good men to good timber in this famous metaphorical poem. The message of this poem is that people, like trees, grow and reach their true potential by overcoming adversity. It is only through struggles, like a tree fighting through forest growth to reach the sun, that we grow and discover our true potential. Malloch lived in Michigan where he grew up amongst logging camps and lumber yards. He wrote his first published poem when he was still a boy; it was published in the Detroit News.

The tree that never had to fight For sun and sky and air and light, But stood out in the open plain And always got its share of rain,

Poetry is a passionate way of expressing our innermost thoughts, emotions, spirit, and love, amongst other things. As I read this poem, I thought of a very humble gentleman who lost his...

See It Through

By Edgar A. Guest

Many of the poems by Edgar Guest (1881-1959) are encouraging and share important life lessons. In this poem, he shares powerful advice about standing strong in the face of trials and dark days. The poetic technique of repetition is used at the end of each stanza with the line, “See it through.” That brings the reader's attention to the themes of courage and perseverance.

When you’re up against a trouble, Meet it squarely, face to face; Lift your chin and set your shoulders, Plant your feet and take a brace.

I was feeling down, discouraged, confused and all sorts of unpleasant ways today. Going through a failed marriage, raising two young boys by myself, but moreover struggling with my own...

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (6)

Mother To Son

By Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes was a prominent writer during the Harlem Renaissance. In this poem, a mother uses the metaphor of life being like a staircase to give advice to her son. While there are difficult times, you must keep moving like you would while walking up a staircase.

in Famous Family Poems

Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters,

I was not a very good student when I was in school. I did the minimal amount of work required, retained little and barely paid attention. In 1965, my 8th grade English teacher read MOTHER TO...

The Will To Win

By Berton Braley

When we want something, we must be willing to fight for it. We must put in the necessary work and make sacrifices to achieve our goals. Berton Braley (1882-1966) was an American poet who completed high school in only two years.

If you want a thing bad enough To go out and fight for it, Work day and night for it, Give up your time and your peace and

I like how I became motivated to proceed with caution concerning my worldly desire. I do not want my faith and hope to be misplaced. When my will is invoked by deep feelings of want for...

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (1)

You Will Never See Me Fall

By Joyce Alcantara
Published by Family Friend Poems April 2008 with permission of the Author.

To my mother, Pauline. She means the world to me. She is my rock that I lean on.

in Inspirational Poems

You may see me struggle, but you won't see me fall. Regardless if I'm weak or not, I'm going to stand tall.

Poem About Never Giving Up, You Will Never See Me Fall

This is the best poem that I have ever read in my entire life. I grew up in a family where I had to see my mother being abused by my dad several times since I was five years old. I am 15...

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (31)

By Sagar Yadav
Published by Family Friend Poems December 2007 with permission of the Author.

A poem about refusing to be discouraged and refusing to be put down.

in Poems about Life Struggles

I will rise After every fall. I will rise And stand tall.

I'm from a country which is famous for its literature. And it's Iran. So we, Iranians, know what a good poem is. I really like your poem. It teaches us never give up. It teaches us if birds...

Inner Strength

By John P. Read
Published by Family Friend Poems September 2019 with permission of the Author.

Like a teacher, I believe God sets us many tests in life to prove how strong we really are. We wonder where he is when times are tough, but as we know, a teacher always stays quiet during a test.

in Courage Poems

It's only through mistakes we make We learn where we went wrong. It's only when we're far from home We realize where we belong.

Hi HOSwrites, I believe each day is a step nearer, on the road to fulfillment, and that each mistake is a lesson. They'll be many obstacles to overcome, and we may often ask where God is,...

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (4)

Your Wounds

By Lauren Jarvis-Gibson
Published by Family Friend Poems January 2021 with permission of the Author.

in Short Poems

Time doesn’t heal wounds to make you forget. It doesn’t heal wounds to

Very nicely done. I totally agree with you. I've used this same approach in my own life. I think sometime we pay more attention to what we're about to go through instead of how much you've...

I Will Prevail

By Phil Harris
Published by Family Friend Poems October 2008 with permission of the Author.

My name is Phil Harris. I am 24 years of age and I reside in Georgia. This poem is one of the best out of a book I am writing called "Inspirations in Life." I have been inspired many ways in life to never allow anyone to cause me to remember that I have a dream that I can achieve. I hope to have the whole book completed within the next month.

I have been told that I will never exceed. I have been told that I am living in a dream. I have been pushed to the side by many of my peers. I have heard of the struggles that were present before me.

This poem hits me right smack in the heart. I feel it in the depts of my soul. You see, I lost my son, my only child coming up on 9 years. He was only 20 years old. And he was such an old...

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (3)

Mt. Take Heart

Published by Family Friend Poems October 2016 with permission of the Author.

We have all been through tough times: break-ups, fights, deaths, etc. It hurts too bad or it envelopes the mind... but take heart and hope for better days. Your mountain of inflictions will soon pass.

in Hope Poems

Often we can't see The beauty in the pain. Often we can't see The treasure we gain.

This poem has really taught me how to value the thing we have and the people around us. We never know what we have got until it's all gone, so be wary that you don't lose the moon while...

By Meaghan F Sullivan
Published by Family Friend Poems March 2021 with permission of the Author.

Even when you go through so much, you can always pick yourself up. This is my story in the form of poetry, a way for me to let go. With this poem, my hope is that others can relate to it and find a place of peace to forgive your past but not forget since it is what makes you stronger.

in Bullying Poems

A letter to that girl That girl who sat by herself That girl who doubted herself That girl who was bullied

This hit home to the T. I couldn't have said it better if I wrote it myself. To whoever wrote this, I feel for what you feel, and it gives me courage to go on. Thank you for sharing it to us...

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (2)

My Water My Blood

By Mandy V. Villareal
Published by Family Friend Poems November 2006 with permission of the Author.

Regardless of the hardships that live in your past, you stand alone. You can depend on yourself and your friends to pull your life together.

in Anger Poems

Is your family still together, just like way back when? Do you stick by each other through thick and thin? Or do you hardly know the one that you call brother?

Such a beautiful poem. I know that I have parents that argue and fight all the time, but they are still together. I understand that it must be very hard for you to live with your parents like...

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (5)

You Could Have Given Up

By S.C. Lourie
Published by Family Friend Poems June 2021 with permission of the Author.

You could have given up, but you kept on going. You could have seen obstacles, but you called them adventures.

Another good one! I enjoyed it very much. And I think most of us can relate; I know I can. Thanks for sharing.

Climb Every Mountain

By Eric R. Harvey
Published by Family Friend Poems February 2019 with permission of the Author.

This poem is about the obstacles we have to overcome following the passing of a loved one or someone who is seriously ill. It is about getting through those terrible times, learning to stand and cope.

We all have a massive mountain to climb, Especially those who've lost someone dear. But climb that big mountain, we surely must, If we are going to overcome fear.

No Stories yet, You can be the first!

Touched by the poem? Share your story! (0)

By Abimbola T. Alabi
Published by Family Friend Poems April 2018 with permission of the Author.

We all have our share of struggles in life. I have mine and penned this, thinking over them.

Vagaries of this life can be Tough and hard to fathom, And yet have they conquered me? Look how far I've come.

This is definitely an inspirational poem. Everyone has challenges in life, but how we deal with them is crucial to our own well-being. My favorite stanza was the second!

Wake Up, Beautiful

By Danielle L. Stewart
Published by Family Friend Poems September 2016 with permission of the Author.

My name is Danielle, and I wrote this after losing my 6th child. Writing helps me cope.

Wake up, beautiful. Wake up from this tragedy. Breathe, Return to reality.

Time To Stop Struggling

Published by Family Friend Poems July 2008 with permission of the Author.

A poem about continuing to struggle through the most difficult of times. A poem about letting go and letting God.

Life is unfair; sometimes the misery we can't bear. This was a feeling I could never share. I am strong, strong enough to move on from this pain. I won't feel the shame; my life is not a game.

I can also relate to your story when I was 28 years old I suffered from 2 ruptured brain aneurysms. I learned later than it was a miracle of God that I had survived because 99 percent of...

Battle Scars

By Carol M. Chicane
Published by Family Friend Poems August 2016 with permission of the Author.

Hi, my name is Carol, and I really hope you guys like this poem. It is about my battle scars. I hope it gives the people who have cut or are still cutting inspiration. It has for me.

in Inspirational Poems by Teens

Be brave. You already are. Look at what you've made it through. The wounds of your past have healed.

It is a poem which infuses courage to those who have direct experience of war, making them think positively about life, forgetting the bitter past. We also faced a similar situation as a...

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My Struggle Motivational Speech by Fearless Motivation

My struggle is a motivation speech & music track, produced to inspire and to push you through any big life moment, challenge or struggle..

Download My Struggle – Motivational Speech by Fearless Motivation – Music Track on iTunes | Google Play or Amazon MP3 Script Written by: Nick Macri Speaker: Sean Jones ( Jones 2.0 )

Lyrics – My Struggle – Motivational Speech | Fearless Motivation

I’ve been down as low as a human can go. You didn’t see my struggle? You didn’t see how low I sunk? You didn’t see the pain? The despair The defeats The failures Well… I’m sorry…

You didn’t see those things because I decided to fight back. I decided one day was going to be my day One day I would be somebody One day my struggle would be my greatest story I said to myself I will use this I will use this to grow I will use this to be better I will use this to be great ONE DAY WILL BE MY DAY

I said to myself, that one day this will mean something much bigger My struggle was real My struggle was my training partner pushing me harder Pushing me to my limits Asking me   HAVE YOU GOT THE GUTS HAVE YOU GOT THE CHARACTER? HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE IT THROUGH?

And i answered… I have plenty enough Character. Desire. Determination & Heart

I GOT IT ALL I GOT PURPOSE I GOT DREAMS… and I GOT FOCUS!

And i COMMIT this very day to show EVERY OUNCE of my GREATNESS, EVERY SINGLE DAY, to ensure my fight back, my rise to the top.

YOU ARE STRONG, POWERFUL NEVER WEAK NEVER STOPPING BEFORE REACHING THE PEAK YOU ARE POWERFUL YOU ARE A MACHINE

DON’T GIVE UP… FIGHT BACK… LIVE YOUR DREAMS

I had a dream recently In the dream I had only ONE LIFE ONLY ONE life to show my true character Only ONE life to show how great I can be Only ONE life to give the world my very best We ALL HAD ONLY ONE LIFE! Can you imagine …?

Most of us forget we only got ONE LIFE ONE SHOT!!!

It could end at any moment

So WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT!

Are you going to give your BEST TODAY? Are you going to push yourself to your limits? Are you going to be as GREAT AS YOU CAN BE EVERY SINGLE DAY? Every single moment Push yourself You can be great You can HAVE IT ALL

IF EVERY DAY YOU COMMIT TO DO ONE THING THE MAJORITY ARE UNWILLING TO DO, AT THE END OF THE WEEK YOU WILL BE 7 STEPS AHEAD.

If you want to be successful, there are NO DAYS OFF No days of learning No days off not growing No days off searching FOR MORE

NO DAYS OFF GREATNESS!

One Response

Thanks for the inspiration

The 35 Greatest Speeches in History

Theodore Roosevelt giving speech during campaign.

These famous speeches lifted hearts in dark times, gave hope in despair, refined the characters of men, inspired brave feats, gave courage to the weary, honored the dead, and changed the course of history.

How did we compile this list?

Great oratory has three components: style, substance, and impact.

Style: A great speech must be masterfully constructed. The best orators are masters of both the written and spoken word, and use words to create texts that are beautiful to both hear and read.

Substance: A speech may be flowery and charismatically presented, and yet lack any true substance at all. Great oratory must center on a worthy theme; it must appeal to and inspire the audience’s finest values and ideals.

Impact: Great oratory always seeks to persuade the audience of some fact or idea. The very best speeches change hearts and minds and seem as revelatory several decades or centuries removed as when they were first given.

And now for the speeches.

Contents [ hide ]

1. Theodore Roosevelt, "Duties of American Citizenship"
2. Winston Churchill, "We Shall Fight on the Beaches"
3. Lou Gehrig, "Farewell to Baseball Address"
4. Demosthenes, "The Third Philippic"
5. Chief Joseph, "Surrender Speech"
6. John F. Kennedy, "Inauguration Address"

7. Ronald Reagan, "Address to the Nation on the Challenger"

8. "speech of alexander the great", 9. william wilberforce, "abolition speech", 10. theodore roosevelt, "the man with the muck-rake", 11. franklin delano roosevelt, "first inaugural address", 12. charles de gaulle, "the appeal of 18 june", 13. socrates, "apology", 14. george washington, "resignation speech", 15. mahatma gandhi, "quit india", 16. winston churchill, "their finest hour", 17. william faulkner, "nobel prize acceptance speech", 18. dwight d. eisenhower, "farewell address", 19. marcus tullius cicero, "the first oration against catiline", 20. ronald reagan, "remarks at the brandenburg gate", 21. pericles, "funeral oration", 22. general douglas macarthur, "farewell address to congress", 23. theodore roosevelt, "strength and decency", 24. abraham lincoln, "2nd inaugural address", 25. patrick henry, "give me liberty or give me death", 26. ronald reagan, "40th anniversary of d-day".

27. John F. Kennedy, "The Decision to Go to the Moon"

28. Frederick Douglass, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"

29. general douglas macarthur, "duty, honor, country", 30. theodore roosevelt, "citizenship in a republic", 31. winston churchill, "blood, sweat, and tears", 32. franklin delano roosevelt, "pearl harbor address to the nation", 33. jesus christ, "the sermon on the mount", 34. martin luther king jr., "i have a dream", 35. abraham lincoln, "the gettysburg address", 1. theodore roosevelt, “duties of american citizenship”.

January 26, 1883; Buffalo , New York

Given while serving as a New York assemblyman, TR's address on the "Duties of American Citizenship" delved into both the theoretical reasons why every man should be involved in politics and the practical means of serving in that capacity. Roosevelt chided those who excused themselves from politics because they were too busy; it was every man's duty to devote some time to maintaining good government.

Worthy Excerpt:

Of course, in one sense, the first essential for a man's being a good citizen is his possession of the home virtues of which we think when we call a man by the emphatic adjective of manly. No man can be a good citizen who is not a good husband and a good father, who is not honest in his dealings with other men and women, faithful to his friends and fearless in the presence of his foes, who has not got a sound heart, a sound mind, and a sound body; exactly as no amount of attention to civil duties will save a nation if the domestic life is undermined, or there is lack of the rude military virtues which alone can assure a country's position in the world. In a free republic the ideal citizen must be one willing and able to take arms for the defense of the flag, exactly as the ideal citizen must be the father of many healthy children. A race must be strong and vigorous; it must be a race of good fighters and good breeders, else its wisdom will come to naught and its virtue be ineffective; and no sweetness and delicacy, no love for and appreciation of beauty in art or literature, no capacity for building up material prosperity can possibly atone for the lack of the great virile virtues. But this is aside from my subject, for what I wish to talk of is the attitude of the American citizen in civic life. It ought to be axiomatic in this country that every man must devote a reasonable share of his time to doing his duty in the Political life of the community. No man has a right to shirk his political duties under whatever plea of pleasure or business; and while such shirking may be pardoned in those of small cleans it is entirely unpardonable in those among whom it is most common--in the people whose circumstances give them freedom in the struggle for life. In so far as the community grows to think rightly, it will likewise grow to regard the young man of means who shirks his duty to the State in time of peace as being only one degree worse than the man who thus shirks it in time of war. A great many of our men in business, or of our young men who are bent on enjoying life (as they have a perfect right to do if only they do not sacrifice other things to enjoyment), rather plume themselves upon being good citizens if they even vote; yet voting is the very least of their duties, Nothing worth gaining is ever gained without effort. You can no more have freedom without striving and suffering for it than you can win success as a banker or a lawyer without labor and effort, without self-denial in youth and the display of a ready and alert intelligence in middle age. The people who say that they have not time to attend to politics are simply saying that they are unfit to live in a free community.

Read full text of speech here .

2. Winston Churchill, “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”

June 4, 1940 ; House of Commons, London

winston churchill giving speech we shall fight on beaches

Winston Churchill, one of the greatest orators of the 20th century, was interestingly enough, like Demosthenes and other great orators before him, born with a speech impediment which he worked on until it no longer hindered him. One would never guess this from hearing Churchill's strong and reassuring voice, a voice that would buoy up Britain during some of her darkest hours.

During the Battle of France, Allied Forces became cut off from troops south of the German penetration and perilously trapped at the Dunkirk bridgehead. On May 26, a wholesale evacuation of these troops, dubbed "Operation Dynamo," began. The evacuation was an amazing effort-the RAF kept the Luftwaffe at bay while thousands of ships, from military destroyers to small fishing boats, were used to ferry 338,000 French and British troops to safety, far more than anyone had thought possible. On June 4, Churchill spoke before the House of Commons, giving a report which celebrated the "miraculous deliverance" at Dunkirk, while also seeking to temper a too rosy of view of what was on the whole a "colossal military disaster."

I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty's Government-every man of them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation. The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.

Check out my podcast with Churchill biographer Andrew Roberts .

3. Lou Gehrig, “Farewell to Baseball Address”

July 4, 1939; Yankee Stadium

lou gehrig farewell speech yankee stadium luckiest man

It seemed as if the luminous career of Lou Gehrig would go on forever. The Yankee's first baseman and prodigious slugger was nicknamed the Iron Horse for his durability and commitment to the game. Sadly, his record for suiting up for 2,130 consecutive games came to an end when at age 36, Gehrig was stricken with the crippling disease that now bears his name. On July 4, 1939, the Yankees held a ceremony to honor their teammate and friend. They retired Gehrig's number, spoke of his greatness, and presented him with various gifts, plaques, and trophies. When Gehrig finally addressed the crowd, he did not use the opportunity to wallow in pity. Instead, he spoke of the things he was grateful for and what a lucky guy he was.

Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert - also the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow - to have spent the next nine years with that wonderful little fellow Miller Huggins - then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology - the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy! Sure, I'm lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift, that's something! When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies, that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles against her own daughter, that's something. When you have a father and mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body, it's a blessing! When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed, that's the finest I know. So I close in saying that I might have had a tough break - but I have an awful lot to live for!

4. Demosthenes, “The Third Philippic”

342 B.C.; Athens, Greece

Demosthenes, master statesman and orator, loved his city-state of Athens. He cherished its way of life and abundant freedoms. And he believed in standing strong against anyone who might attempt to infringe on these privileges. This passion, unfortunately, was seldom shared by his fellow Athenians. While Philip the II of Macedon made bolder and bolder incursions into the Greek peninsula, the Athenian people seemed stuck in an apathetic stupor. For years, Demosthenes employed his powerful oratorical skills in attempts to awaken his fellow citizens from sleep to the realization of the imminent danger Philip posed. When Philip advanced on Thrace, the Athenians called an assembly to debate whether or not to finally heed the great orator's advice. Demosthenes was sick of his brethren taking liberty and the Athenian way of life for granted and he boldly called upon them to rise up and take action. After his rousing speech, the assembly all cried out, "To arms! To arms!"

It is this fate, I solemnly assure you, that I dread for you, when the time comes that you make your reckoning, and realize that there is no longer anything that can be done. May you never find yourselves, men of Athens, in such a position! Yet in any case, it were better to die ten thousand deaths, than to do anything out of servility towards Philip [or to sacrifice any of those who speak for your good]. A noble recompense did the people in Oreus receive, for entrusting themselves to Philip's friends, and thrusting Euphraeus aside! And a noble recompense the democracy of Eretria, for driving away your envoys, and surrendering to Cleitarchus! They are slaves, scourged and butchered! A noble clemency did he show to the Olynthians, who elected Lasthenes to command the cavalry, and banished Apollonides! It is folly, and it is cowardice, to cherish hopes like these, to give way to evil counsels, to refuse to do anything that you should do, to listen to the advocates of the enemy's cause, and to fancy that you dwell in so great a city that, whatever happens, you will not suffer any harm.

5. Chief Joseph, “Surrender Speech”

October 5, 1877; Montana Territory

In 1877, the military announced that the Chief Joseph and his tribe of Nez Perce had to move onto a reservation in Idaho or face retribution. Desiring to avoid violence, Chief Joseph advocated peace and cooperation. But fellow tribesmen dissented and killed four white men. Knowing a swift backlash was coming, Joseph and his people began to make their way to Canada, hoping to find amnesty there. The tribe traveled 1700 miles, fighting the pursuing US army along the way. In dire conditions, and after a five day battle, Chief Joseph surrendered to General Nelson A. Miles on Oct. 5, 1877 in the Bear Paw Mountains of Montana Territory, a mere 40 miles from the Canadian border. The Chief knew he was the last of a dying breed, and the moment of surrender was heartbreaking.

Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our Chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead, Ta Hool Hool Shute is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led on the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are - perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my Chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.

6. John F. Kennedy, “Inauguration Address”

January 20, 1961; Washington, D.C.

john f kennedy inauguration speech 1961 washington dc

Young, handsome, with a glamorous family in tow, John F. Kennedy embodied the fresh optimism that had marked the post-war decade. On January 20, 1961, Kennedy took the oath of office as the 35th President of the United States. The youngest president in United States history, he was the first man born in the 20th century to hold that office. Listening to his inaugural address, the nation felt that a new era and a "new frontier" were being ushered in.

Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort? In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility -- I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it -- and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Listen to the speech.

January 28, 1986; Washington, D.C.

ronald reagan address to nation on challenger explosion 1986

On January 28, 1986, millions of Americans, many of them schoolchildren watching from their classroom desks, tuned in to see 7 Americans, including Christa McAuliffe, a 37 year old schoolteacher and the first ever "civilian astronaut," lift off in the space shuttle Challenger. Just 73 seconds later, the shuttle was consumed in a fireball. All seven aboard perished. These were the first deaths of American astronauts while in flight, and the nation was shocked and heartbroken by the tragedy. Just a few hours after the disaster, President Ronald Reagan took to the radio and airwaves, honoring these "pioneers" and offering comfort and assurance to a rattled people.

We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers. And I want to say something to the school children of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them...... The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honoured us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.'

Check out our podcast with Ronald Regan biographer Bob Sptiz.

326 B.C.; Hydaspes River, India

alexander the great engraving color young alexander

In 335 B.C., Alexander the Great began his campaign to recapture former Greek cities and to expand his empire. After ten years of undefeated battles, Alexander controlled an empire that included Greece, Egypt, and what had been the massive Persian Empire.

That wasn't enough for Xander. He decided to continue his conquest into India. But after ten years of fighting and being away from home, his men lacked the will to take part in another battle, especially against an opponent like King Porus and his army. Alexander used the talent for oration he had developed while studying under Aristotle to infuse his men with the motivation they needed to continue on, to fight and to win.

I could not have blamed you for being the first to lose heart if I, your commander, had not shared in your exhausting marches and your perilous campaigns; it would have been natural enough if you had done all the work merely for others to reap the reward. But it is not so. You and I, gentlemen, have shared the labour and shared the danger, and the rewards are for us all. The conquered territory belongs to you; from your ranks the governors of it are chosen; already the greater part of its treasure passes into your hands, and when all Asia is overrun, then indeed I will go further than the mere satisfaction of our ambitions: the utmost hopes of riches or power which each one of you cherishes will be far surpassed, and whoever wishes to return home will be allowed to go, either with me or without me. I will make those who stay the envy of those who return.

Check out the AoM podcast about the life of Alexander the Great.

May 12, 1789; House of Commons, London

william wilberfoce black and white illustration abolition speech

When William Wilberforce, a member of the British Parliament, converted to Christianity, he began to earnestly seek to reform the evils he found within himself and the world around him. One of the glaring moral issues of the day was slavery, and after reading up on the subject and meeting with anti-slavery activists, Wilberforce became convinced that God was calling him to be an abolitionist. Wilberforce decided to concentrate on ending the slave trade rather than slavery itself, reasoning that the abolition of one would logically lead to the demise of the other. On May 12, 1789, Wilberforce made his first speech on the abolition of the slave trade before the House of Commons. He passionately made his case for why the trade was reprehensible and needed to cease. Wilberforce introduced a bill to abolish the trade, but it failed, a result he would become quite familiar with in the ensuing years. Yet Wilberforce never gave up, reintroducing the bill year after year, and the Slave Trade Act was finally passed in 1807.

When I consider the magnitude of the subject which I am to bring before the House-a subject, in which the interests, not of this country, nor of Europe alone, but of the whole world, and of posterity, are involved: and when I think, at the same time, on the weakness of the advocate who has undertaken this great cause-when these reflections press upon my mind, it is impossible for me not to feel both terrified and concerned at my own inadequacy to such a task. But when I reflect, however, on the encouragement which I have had, through the whole course of a long and laborious examination of this question, and how much candour I have experienced, and how conviction has increased within my own mind, in proportion as I have advanced in my labours;-when I reflect, especially, that however averse any gentleman may now be, yet we shall all be of one opinion in the end;-when I turn myself to these thoughts, I take courage-I determine to forget all my other fears, and I march forward with a firmer step in the full assurance that my cause will bear me out, and that I shall be able to justify upon the clearest principles, every resolution in my hand, the avowed end of which is, the total abolition of the slave trade.

April 14, 1906; Washington, D.C.

theodore roosevelt political cartoon muck raking scandal

Theodore Roosevelt was president during the Progressive Era, a time of great enthusiasm for reform in government, the economy, and society. TR himself held many progressive ideals, but he also called for moderation, not extremism. The "Man with a Muck-rake" in Pilgrim's Progress never looked heavenward but instead constantly raked the filth at his feet. TR thus dubbed the journalists and activists of the day who were intent on exposing the corruption in society as "muckrakers." He felt that they did a tremendous amount of good, but needed to mitigate their constant pessimism and alarmist tone. He worried that the sensationalism with which these exposes were often presented would make citizens overly cynical and too prone to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

To assail the great and admitted evils of our political and industrial life with such crude and sweeping generalizations as to include decent men in the general condemnation means the searing of the public conscience. There results a general attitude either of cynical belief in and indifference to public corruption or else of a distrustful inability to discriminate between the good and the bad. Either attitude is fraught with untold damage to the country as a whole. The fool who has not sense to discriminate between what is good and what is bad is well-nigh as dangerous as the man who does discriminate and yet chooses the bad. There is nothing more distressing to every good patriot, to every good American, than the hard, scoffing spirit which treats the allegation of dishonesty in a public man as a cause for laughter. Such laughter is worse than the crackling of thorns under a pot, for it denotes not merely the vacant mind, but the heart in which high emotions have been choked before they could grow to fruition.

March 4, 1933; Washington, D.C.

franklin delano roosevelt fdr inauguration speech 1933

Franklin Delano Roosevelt handily beat incumbent Herbert Hoover in the 1932 presidential election. The country was deep into the Great Depression, and the public felt that Hoover did not fully sympathize with their plight and was not doing enough to alleviate it. No one was quite clear on what FDR's plan was, but as in today's election season, "change" was enough of an idea to power a campaign. In his First Inaugural Address, Roosevelt sought to buoy up the injured psyche of the American people and present his case for why he would need broad executive powers to tackle the Depression.

I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our Nation impels. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself-nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.

Read the full text here .

June 18, 1940; London

charles de gaulle 1940 appeal of june 18

In June of 1940, it was clear that France was losing their country to the German invasion. Refusing to sign an armistice, Prime Minister Paul Reynaud was forced to resign. He was succeeded by Marshal Philippe Petain who made clear his intention to seek an accommodation with Germany. Disgusted with this decision, General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French Forces, escaped to England on June 15. De Gaulle asked for, and obtained permission from Winston Churchill to make a speech on BBC radio. De Gaulle exhorted the French to not give up hope and to continue the fight against the German occupation and the Vichy Regime.

But has the last word been said? Must hope disappear? Is defeat final? No! Believe me, I who am speaking to you with full knowledge of the facts, and who tell you that nothing is lost for France. The same means that overcame us can bring us victory one day. For France is not alone! She is not alone! She is not alone! She has a vast Empire behind her. She can align with the British Empire that holds the sea and continues the fight. She can, like England, use without limit the immense industry of the United States. This war is not limited to the unfortunate territory of our country. This war is not over as a result of the Battle of France. This war is a worldwide war. All the mistakes, all the delays, all the suffering, do not alter the fact that there are, in the world, all the means necessary to crush our enemies one day. Vanquished today by mechanical force, in the future we will be able to overcome by a superior mechanical force. The fate of the world depends on it.

399 B.C.; Athens

Socrates is perhaps the greatest teacher in the history of the Western world. He wandered around Athens engaging in dialogues with his fellow citizens that focused on discovering the truth of all things . He taught his pupils that the "unexamined life is not worth living."

The Athenians saw Socrates as a threat, especially to the Athenian youth. Socrates acquired quite a following among the young men of Athens. He taught these impressionable minds to question everything, even Athenian authority. Eventually, Socrates was arrested and put on trial for corrupting the youth, not believing the gods, and creating new deities.

The "Apology" is Socrates' defense to these charges. Instead of crying and pleading for mercy, Socrates accepts his charges and attempts to persuade the jury with reason. He argued that it was his calling from the gods to seek knowledge and that it was through his questions he uncovered truth. To not fulfill his calling would be blasphemy. In the end, Socrates lost and was sentenced to death by hemlock. Socrates accepted this fate willingly and without grudge against his condemners, thus dying as a martyr for free thinking.

Some one will say: Yes, Socrates, but cannot you hold your tongue, and then you may go into a foreign city, and no one will interfere with you? Now I have great difficulty in making you understand my answer to this. For if I tell you that to do as you say would be a disobedience to the God, and therefore that I cannot hold my tongue, you will not believe that I am serious; and if I say again that daily to discourse about virtue, and of those other things about which you hear me examining myself and others, is the greatest good of man, and that the unexamined life is not worth living, you are still less likely to believe me.

Check out our article on the philosophy of Plato .

December 23, 1784; Annapolis, Maryland

george washington resignation speech painting 1784

As the Revolutionary War drew to a close, there was much speculation that George Washington, then Major General and Commander-in-Chief, would follow in the footsteps of former world leaders by making a grab for supreme power. Some even wished he would do so, hoping he would become the king of a new nation. Yet Washington knew that such a move would wither the fragile beginnings of the new republic. Looking to the Roman general Cincinnatus an exemplar, Washington rejected the temptations of power and resigned his position as Commander-in-Chief. Choosing the right is almost never easy, and as Washington read his speech in front of the Continental Congress, the great statesman trembled so much that he had to hold the parchment with two hands to keep it steady. "The spectators all wept, and there was hardly a member of Congress who did not drop tears. His voice faltered and sunk, and the whole house felt his agitations." When finished, Washington bolted from the door of the Annapolis State House, mounted his horse, and galloped away into the sunset.

While I repeat my obligations to the Army in general, I should do injustice to my own feelings not to acknowledge in this place the peculiar Services and distinguished merits of the Gentlemen who have been attached to my person during the War. It was impossible the choice of confidential Officers to compose my family should have been more fortunate. Permit me Sir, to recommend in particular those, who have continued in Service to the present moment, as worthy of the favorable notice and patronage of Congress. I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my Official life, by commending the Interests of our dearest Country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the superintendence of them, to his holy keeping. Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theater of Action; and bidding an Affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my Commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.

Check out my podcast about the self-education of George Washington.

August 8, 1942; India

mahatma gandhi portrait smiling gandhi photo

While the battle for freedom and democracy raged across the world, the people of India were engaged in their own fight for liberty. For almost a century, India had been under the direct rule of the British crown, and many Indians had had enough. Mahatma Gandhi and the National Indian Congress pushed for a completely non-violent movement aimed at forcing Britain to "Quit India." Gandhi, pioneer of the tactics of non-violent civil disobedience, called for their use on August 8, 1942 with the passing of the Quit India Resolution demanding complete independence from British rule.

I believe that in the history of the world, there has not been a more genuinely democratic struggle for freedom than ours. I read Carlyle's French Resolution while I was in prison, and Pandit Jawaharlal has told me something about the Russian revolution. But it is my conviction that inasmuch as these struggles were fought with the weapon of violence they failed to realize the democratic ideal. In the democracy which I have envisaged, a democracy established by non-violence, there will be equal freedom for all. Everybody will be his own master. It is to join a struggle for such democracy that I invite you today. Once you realize this you will forget the differences between the Hindus and Muslims, and think of yourselves as Indians only, engaged in the common struggle for independence.

June 18, 1940; House of Commons, London

winston churchill head shot great speeches wwii

On May 10, 1940, the Germans began their invasion of France. On June 14 Paris fell. In a matter of days, France would surrender and England would stand as Europe's lone bulwark against the twin evils of Fascism and Nazism. At this critical moment, Churchill gave his third and final speech during the Battle of France, once again imparting words meant to bring hope in this dark hour.

What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'

Check out my podcast about how Churchill led during the Blitz.

December 10, 1950; Stockholm, Sweden

william faulkner nobel prize acceptance speech 1950

A true master of the written word, William Faulkner did not often make public his gift for the spoken variety. So there was some interest as to what he would say when accepting the Nobel Peace Prize for his "powerful and artistically unique contribution to the modern American novel." The year was 1950, the Soviet Union had tapped the potential of the atomic bomb, and the atmosphere in the the United States crackled with the fear of them using it. Faulkner challenged poets, authors, and all mankind to think beyond the questions of "When will I be blown up?" and instead continue to "create out of the materials of the human spirit something which did not exist before."

I decline to accept the end of man. It is easy enough to say that man is immortal because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged and faded from the last worthless rock hanging tideless in the last red and dying evening, that even then there will still be one more sound: that of his puny inexhaustible voice, still talking. I refuse to accept this. I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. The poet's, the writer's, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poet's voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail.

January 17, 1961; Washington, D.C.

dwight d eisenhower farewell address 1961

The 1950's were a time of ever increasing military spending, as the United States sought to fight communism abroad and prevent it at home. As President Dwight D. Eisenhower left office, more than half of the federal budget was allocated for defense purposes. Eisenhower, former General of the Army, was certainly not opposed to the use of military power to keep the peace. Still, he saw fit to use his "Farewell Address" to warn the nation of the dangers posed by the "military-industrial complex," referring to the relationship between the armed forces, the government, and the suppliers of war materials. Eisenhower was wary of the large role defense spending played in the economy, and understood the political and corporate corruption that could result if the public was not vigilant in checking it.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex . The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

63 BC; Rome

cicero speech first oration against cataline 63 bc

Lucius Sergius Catilina (Catiline to his friends) was a very jealous man. Having once run against Cicero for the position of consul and lost, he became determined to win the next election by any devious method necessary. Plan A was to bribe people to vote for him, and when that didn't work, he decided to go for bust and simply knock Cicero off on election day. This plan was ferreted out by the ever vigilant Cicero, the election was postponed, and the Senate established marital law. When the election finally was held, the murderer-cum-candidate was surprisingly trounced at the polls. Now it was time for Catiline's Plan C: raise an army of co-conspirators, create insurrection throughout Italy, overthrow the government, and slice and dice as many Senators as they could get their coo -ky hands on. But Cicero was again one step ahead and discovered the plan. He called the Senate together for a meeting at the Temple of Jupiter in the Capitol, an orifice only used in times of great crisis. Catiline, who seriously didn't know when he was not welcome, decided to crash the party. With his archenemy in attendance, Cicero began his Catiline Orations, a series of speeches covering how he saved Rome from rebellion, the guilt of Catiline, and the need to whack he and his cronies.

I wish, O conscript fathers, to be merciful; I wish not to appear negligent amid such danger to the state; but I do now accuse myself of remissness and culpable inactivity. A camp is pitched in Italy, at the entrance of Etruria, in hostility to the republic; the number of the enemy increases every day; and yet the general of that camp, the leader of those enemies, we see within the walls-aye, and even in the senate-planning every day some internal injury to the republic. If, O Catiline, I should now order you to be arrested, to be put to death, I should, I suppose, have to fear lest all good men should say that I had acted tardily, rather than that any one should affirm that I acted cruelly. But yet this, which ought to have been done long since, I have good reason for not doing as yet; I will put you to death, then, when there shall be not one person possible to be found so wicked, so abandoned, so like yourself, as not to allow that it has been rightly done. As long as one person exists who can dare to defend you, you shall live; but you shall live as you do now, surrounded by my many and trusty guards, so that you shall not be able to stir one finger against the republic; many eyes and ears shall still observe and watch you, as they have hitherto done, tho you shall not perceive them.

June 12, 1987; Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

ronald reagan speech 1987 berlin wall brandenburg gate

Since the end of World War II, Germany had been a divided country, the West free and democratic, the East under authoritarian communist control. When President Reagan took office, he was committed not only to uniting that country, but to bringing down the entire "Evil Empire." While the importance of Reagan's role in successfully doing so is endlessly debated, it beyond dispute that he exerted some influence in bringing the Cold War to an end. There is no more memorable and symbolic moment of this influence then when Reagan stood at the Berlin wall, the most visible symbol of the "Iron Curtain," and challenged Gorbachev to "tear down this wall!"

We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Listen to speech.

431 BC; Athens

pericles funeral oration 431 bc marble bust

Pericles, master statesman, orator, and general, was truly, as Thuciydies dubbed him, "the first citizen of Athens." Pericles was a product of the Sophists and had been personally tutored by the great philosopher Anaxagoras. His study with the Sophists made Pericles a highly persuasive orator. Through his speeches, he galvanized Athenians to undertake an enormous public works project that created hundreds of temples, including the Pantheon.

Pericles' gift of oration was put to the test during the epic battles of the Peloponnesian War, a civil war between Athens and Sparta. His speeches inspired Athenians to fight to become the number one power in Greece. In February of 431 B.C., Athens had their annual public funeral to honor all those who died in war. Pericles was asked to give the traditional funeral oration. Rather than focus his speech on enumerating the conquests of Athens' fallen heroes, Pericles instead used his funeral oration to laud the glory of Athens itself and inspire the living to make sure the soldiers had not died in vain.

Over 2,000 years later, Pericles' funeral oration inspired Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address." Like Pericles, Lincoln was a leader during a time of civil war. Like Pericles, Lincoln focused on exhorting the living to live their lives in a way that would make the sacrifice of fallen warriors worthwhile.

So died these men as became Athenians. You, their survivors, must determine to have as unfaltering a resolution in the field, though you may pray that it may have a happier issue. And not contented with ideas derived only from words of the advantages which are bound up with the defense of your country, though these would furnish a valuable text to a speaker even before an audience so alive to them as the present, you must yourselves realize the power of Athens, and feed your eyes upon her from day to day, till love of her fills your hearts; and then, when all her greatness shall break upon you, you must reflect that it was by courage, sense of duty, and a keen feeling of honor in action that men were enabled to win all this, and that no personal failure in an enterprise could make them consent to deprive their country of their valor, but they laid it at her feet as the most glorious contribution that they could offer.

April 19, 1951, Washington; D.C.

general douglas macarthur saluting troops

During the Korean War, General MacArthur and President Truman clashed over the threat posed by the Chinese People's Liberation Army and their incursion into Korea. MacArthur continually pressed Truman for permission to bomb bases in Manchuria, believing the war needed to be extended in area and scope. Truman refused the General's requests, arguing that directly drawing China into the war would arouse the Soviet Union to action. MacArthur continued to press his case, and Truman, accusing the General of insubordination, made the decision to relieve MacArthur of his command. After serving for 52 years and in three wars, the General's military career was over. MacArthur returned to the United States and gave this farewell address to Congress.

I am closing my 52 years of military service. When I joined the Army, even before the turn of the century, it was the fulfillment of all of my boyish hopes and dreams. The world has turned over many times since I took the oath on theplain at West Point, and the hopes and dreams have long since vanished, but I still remember the refrain of one of the most popular barrack ballads of that day which proclaimed most proudly that "old soldiers never die; they just fade away." And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Good Bye.

theodore roosvelt portrait with eyeglasses

Roosevelt was an advocate of having many children and making sure the next generation would continue to uphold the great virtues of civilization. He was always concerned that young men not be coddled or cowardly, and grow up to live rugged, strenuous, and thoroughly manly lives. But he also strongly believed that being ruggedly manly and being refined in mind and spirit were not incompatible and should in fact go hand and hand. In this speech, he exhorts young men to pursue virtuous manliness. Amen, brother, amen.

It is peculiarly incumbent upon you who have strength to set a right example to others. I ask you to remember that you cannot retain your self-respect if you are loose and foul of tongue, that a man who is to lead a clean and honorable life must inevitably suffer if his speech likewise is not clean and honorable. Every man here knows the temptations that beset all of us in this world. At times any man will slip. I do not expect perfection, but I do expect genuine and sincere effort toward being decent and cleanly in thought, in word, and in deed. As I said at the outset, I hail the work of this society as typifying one of those forces which tend to the betterment and uplifting of our social system. Our whole effort should be toward securing a combination of the strong qualities with those qualities which we term virtues. I expect you to be strong. I would not respect you if you were not. I do not want to see Christianity professed only by weaklings; I want to see it a moving spirit among men of strength. I do not expect you to lose one particle of your strength or courage by being decent. On the contrary, I should hope to see each man who is a member of this society, from his membership in it become all the fitter to do the rough work of the world; all the fitter to work in time of peace; and if, which may Heaven forfend, war should come, all the fitter to fight in time of war. I desire to see in this country the decent men strong and the strong men decent, and until we get that combination in pretty good shape we are not going to be by any means as successful as we should be. There is always a tendency among very young men and among boys who are not quite young men as yet to think that to be wicked is rather smart; to think it shows that they are men. Oh, how often you see some young fellow who boasts that he is going to "see life," meaning by that that he is going to see that part of life which it is a thousandfold better should remain unseen!

March 4, 1865; Washington, D.C.

abraham lincoln 2nd inauguration address 1865 photo

The Union's victory was but a month away as Abraham Lincoln began his second term as president of a bitterly ruptured United States. Like the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln keeps this speech only as long as needful. While there are those who still debate whether the Civil War was truly fought over slavery or not, Lincoln certainly believed so. To him, slavery was a great national sin, and the blood shed during the war was the atoning sacrifice for that evil.

He does not relish the prospect of coming victory; instead, he appeals to his countrymen to remember that the war was truly fought between brothers. When the war was over and the Confederacy forced to return to the Union, Lincoln was prepared to treat the South with relative leniency. He did not believe secession was truly possible, and thus the South had never truly left the Union. Reconstruction would not mean vengeance, but the return home of a terribly errant son.

Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

March 23, 1775; Richmond , VA

patrick henry give me liberty or give me death speech

For a decade, revolutionary sentiments had been brewing in Virginia and Patrick Henry had always been in the thick of it, stirring the pot. Henry became particularly enflamed by the Stamp Act of 1764, which prompted him to give his so-called "treason speech," spurring the Burgesses to pass the Virginia Resolves banning the act. Tensions between the colonies and the Crown continued to build, and in 1775, Massachusetts patriots began making preparations for war. Henry believed that Virginia should follow suit. At a meeting held in St. John's Church in Richmond, Henry presented resolutions to make ready Virginia's defenses. Seeking to persuade his fellow delegates of the urgency of his message, he gave a rousing and memorable speech, climaxing is that now famous line, "Give me liberty of give me death!"

The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable -- and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come! It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, "Peace! Peace!" -- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!

June 6, 1984; Pointe du Hoc, France

ronald reagan 40th anniversary of d-day speech 1984

What the Army Rangers did on D-Day at Pointe Du Hoc is a tale every man worth his salt should be familiar with. Pointe du Hoc was a sheer 100 foot cliff located in-between Omaha and Utah beaches. Perched atop the cliff sat six casemates capable of being manned, armed, and taking out the men on the beaches. As the Germans fired upon them, the Rangers scaled the cliff using ropes and ladders, found the guns (which had been moved from the casemates) and destroyed them. Without reinforcements for two days, the Rangers alone held their position and fended off German counterattacks. These skirmishes proved deadly; only 90 of the original 225 Ranger landing force survived.

On the 40 th anniversary of D-Day, President Reagan gave a moving tribute to these men, many of whom were present at the occasion.

These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war. Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender's poem. You are men who in your 'lives fought for life...and left the vivid air signed with your honor'... Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet you risked everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith, and belief; it was loyalty and love. The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge -- and pray God we have not lost it -- that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

27. John F. Kennedy, " The Decision to Go to the Moon"

May 25, 1961; Houston, TX

john f kennedy moon announcement speech 1961

On April 12, 1961, the Soviets launched the first man into space. Khrushchev used this triumph as prime evidence of communism's superiority over decadent capitalism. Embarrassed, the United States feared it was falling behind the Soviet Union and losing the "space race." After consulting with political and NASA officials, Kennedy decided it was time for America to boldly go where no man had gone before by putting a man on the moon. The feat would not only catapult the nation over the Soviet Union, but also allow man to more fully explore the mysteries of space. And this mission would be accomplished by the end of the 1960's. When was the last time a president had the cajones to publicly issue a straightforward, ambitious goal and set a timeline for its success?

There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

July 5, 1852; Rochester, NY

frederick douglass portrait photo later years goatee

Frederick Douglass, former slave, abolitionist, and engineer on the underground railroad, was a popular speaker on the anti-slavery circuit. He traveled thousands of miles each year, giving hundreds of speeches. Yet the money he earned from lecturing was not enough to become financially comfortable, and he and his family struggled. Douglass was disillusioned by the repercussions of the Fugitive Slave Act, and his abolitionist leanings grew more strident and bold. If the citizens of Rochester, New York had expected to be flattered by Douglass when they asked him to speak on the Fourth, they were soon disavowed of that idea. Douglass took the opportunity to defiantly point out the ripe hypocrisy of a nation celebrating their ideals of freedom and equality while simultaneously mired in the evil of slavery. While the speech surely made even the most liberal audience members squirm; nonetheless, the crowed let loose in "universal applause" when Douglass finished.

I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you this day rejoice are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence bequeathed by your fathers is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. Youmay rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today?

Read what books had the biggest influence on Frederick Douglass.

May 12, 1962; West Point, New York

General Douglas MacArthur Duty, Honor, Country west point

General Douglas MacArthur, General of the Army and a man who fought in three wars, knew something of "Duty, Honor, Country." In 1962, MacArthur was in the twilight of his life and came to West Point to accept the Sylvanus Thayer Award and participate in his final cadet roll call. His address reflects upon and celebrates the brave and courageous men who came before, men he personally led, men who embodied "Duty, Honor, Country."

There are many great speeches in this list, but I hope you will pause to read the entirety of this one. Picking an excerpt was quite difficult, as so many of the passages are inspiring. A must read for all men.

You are the leaven which binds together the entire fabric of our national system of defense. From your ranks come the great captains who hold the nation's destiny in their hands the moment the war tocsin sounds. The Long Gray Line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses thundering those magic words: Duty, Honor, Country . This does not mean that you are war mongers. On the contrary, the soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato, that wisest of all philosophers: "Only the dead have seen the end of war." The shadows are lengthening for me. The twilight is here. My days of old have vanished, tone and tint. They have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears, and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday. I listen vainly, but with thirsty ears, for the witching melody of faint bugles blowing reveille, of far drums beating the long roll. In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield. But in the evening of my memory, always I come back to West Point. Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country .

April 23, 1910; Paris , France

theodore roosvelt portrait full body next to giant globe

At the end of Theodore Roosevelt's second term in office, he set out to tour Africa and Europe, hoping to allow his successor, President Taft, to step into the enormous shoes TR had left and become his own man. After a safari in Africa, he traveled throughout Europe. While in France, he was invited to speak at the historic University of Paris. Roosevelt used the opportunity to deliver a powerful address on the requirements of citizenship, the characteristics which would keep democracies like France and the United States robust and strong. This speech is famous for the "man in the arena" quote, but the entire speech is an absolute must read.

Let the man of learning, the man of lettered leisure, beware of that queer and cheap temptation to pose to himself and to others as a cynic, as the man who has outgrown emotions and beliefs, the man to whom good and evil are as one. The poorest way to face life is to face it with a sneer. There are many men who feel a kind of twister pride in cynicism; there are many who confine themselves to criticism of the way others do what they themselves dare not even attempt. There is no more unhealthy being, no man less worthy of respect, than he who either really holds, or feigns to hold, an attitude of sneering disbelief toward all that is great and lofty, whether in achievement or in that noble effort which, even if it fails, comes to second achievement. A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticise work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life's realities - all these are marks, not as the possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. They mark the men unfit to bear their part painfully in the stern strife of living, who seek, in the affection of contempt for the achievements of others, to hide from others and from themselves in their own weakness. The rÃ´le is easy; there is none easier, save only the rÃ´le of the man who sneers alike at both criticism and performance. It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

May 13, 1940; House of Commons, London

winston churchill blood sweat and tears 1940

Winston Churchill's first speech to the House of Commons as Britain's new Prime Minister got off to an auspicious start. His welcome to that assembly was quite tepid, while outgoing PM Neville Chamberlain was enthusiastically applauded (the world did not yet know just how disastrous his appeasement policies would prove and did not trust Churchill). But Churchill's first speech, the first of three powerful oratories he gave during the Battle of France, would prove that England was in more than capable hands. A seemingly unstoppable Hitler was advancing rapidly across Europe, and Churchill wasted no time in calling his people to arms. While TR had actually been the first to utter the phrase, "blood, sweat and tears," it was Churchill's use of these words that would leave an inedible and inspiring impression upon the world's mind.

Worthy Excerpt

I say to the House as I said to ministers who have joined this government, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I say it is to wage war by land, sea, and air. War with all our might and with all the strength God has given us, and to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs - Victory in spite of all terrors - Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.

December 8, 1941; Washington, D.C.

franklin delano roosevelt fdr pearl harbor speech 1941

The attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, shocked the United States to its core, outraging a nation that had hoped to stay out of the mounting turmoil in Asia and Europe. Overnight, the country united in desire to enter the war. The day after the attacks, FDR addressed the nation in a brief, but electrifying speech, declaring war on Japan and giving assurance that the United States would attain victory.

Be sure to listen to the audio of the speech. Imagine every American family, rattled and worried, listening around the radio to what their president would say. They knew their whole world was about to change forever. Listen to the reaction of Congress as they applaud and cheer FDR's words. The emotion is so very real and palatable; it truly transports you back to that critical moment in time.

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives: yesterday, December 7, 1941- a date which will live in infamy -the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan..... But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us. Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces-with the unbounding determination of our people-we will gain the inevitable triumph-so help us God.

33 A.D.; Jerusalem

jesus christ sermon on the mount painting

Whether one believes that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God or simply a wise teacher, it is impossible to deny the impact of perhaps the world's most famous speech: The Sermon on the Mount. No speech has been more pondered, more influential, or more quoted. It introduced a prayer now familiar the world over and uttered in trenches, churches, and bedsides around the globe. It introduced a code of conduct billions of believers have adopted as their lofty, if not not always attainable, goal. While much of the sermon has roots in Jewish law, the advice given in the Beatitudes represented a dramatic and radical departure from the eye for an eye system of justice known in the ancient world. The standards of behavior outlined in the sermon have given believers and non-believers alike plenty to contemplate and discuss in the two thousand years since it was given.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

See Matthew Chapter 5-7 for full text.

August 28, 1963; Washington, D.C.

martin luther king jr i have a dream speech 1963

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech" is hands down one of the greatest, if not the greatest, pieces of oratory in American history. King's charisma, skills in rhetoric, and passion, place him in a league of his own. A century after slavery ended, a century after African-Americans were promised full equality, black children were being hosed down in the streets, spat upon, bused to separate schools, turned away from restaurants, and denied treatment as full human beings. In this midst of this egregious track record, Dr. King voiced a clear, compelling message of hope, a dream that things would not always be as they were, and that a new day was coming.

Many people have seen excerpts of the speech, but a surprisingly number of adults my age I have never sat down and watched the speech in its entirety. I challenge you to do just that. It is just as electrifying and moving today as it was in 1963.

I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification - one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father's died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!"

Listen to the speech here .

November 19, 1863; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

272 words. 3 minutes long. Yet, the Gettysburg Address is unarguably one of the greatest pieces of rhetoric in American history. Dr. J Rufus Fears (one of the great modern orators) argues that the Gettysburg Address, along with the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, form the three founding documents of American freedom. And I have to agree.

The Battle of Gettysburg left 8,000 men dead. The bodies were too numerous to bury properly and many were at first placed in shallow graves. Weeks after the battle, heads and arms were sticking up through the ground and the smell of rotting flesh was sickening.

Money was raised for a proper reburial, and it was decided that the new cemetery should be dedicated, to sweeten the air of Gettysburg, to solemnize this place of death. As was traditional, a great orator, in this case, Edward Everett, was asked to give a solemn and grand speech as a memorial to the fallen men. Lincoln was asked 2 months later, almost as a causal afterthought. He was to add a few remarks to Everett's, a function much like the man with the ceremonial scissors who cuts the ribbon. Legends has it that Lincoln's remarks were the product of pure inspiration, penned on the back of an envelope on the train chugging its way to the soon-to-be hallowed grounds of Gettysburg.

On the day of the dedication, Everett kept the crowd enthralled for a full two hours. Lincoln got up, gave his speech, and sat down even before the photographer had finished setting up for a picture. There was a long pause before anyone applauded, and then the applause was scattered and polite.

Not everyone immediately realized the magnificence of Lincoln's address. But some did. In a letter to Lincoln, Everett praised the President for his eloquent and concise speech, saying, "I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes."

And of course, in time, we have come to fully appreciate the genius and beauty of the words spoken that day. Dr. Fears argues that Lincoln's address did more than memorialize the fallen soldiers at Gettysburg; it accomplished nothing short of transforming the entire meaning of the Civil War. There were no details of the battle mentioned in the speech, no mentioning of soldier's names, of Gettysburg itself, of the South nor the Union, states rights nor secession. Rather, Lincoln meant the speech to be something far larger, a discourse on the experiment testing whether government can maintain the proposition of equality. At Gettysburg, the Constitution experienced a transformation. The first birth has been tainted by slavery. The men, of both North and South, lying in the graves at Gettysburg had made an atoning sacrifice for this great evil. And the Constitution would be reborn, this time living up to its promises of freedom and equality for all.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate - we cannot hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

A man is holding a piece of paper and writing with invisible ink.

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Speech on Life

Speech on Life for Students in English

Life is a precious gift. It is the sum of one's work, journey, dreams, joys, sorrows, successes, and battles for change. Life is more of a journey than a destination. It must be lived peacefully and happily. Seeking the meaning and purpose of life is the biggest search in the life of a man, and the questions about the meaning of human life are age-old. Life, however, still has some attractive elements, offering one a ray of hope and positivity, each passing day.

We have individuals, families, relatives, and friends who make our lives unique, worth living, and make us feel that our lives are special. Our lives are challenging, but those challenges are what make it worth living.

Short One Minute Speech On Life Is A Gift

God has given us the most precious gift; it is life. It is up to us how to use it. It depends on us, or it depends on our behavior. Therefore, this is a very relevant topic to be discussed in schools, universities, workplaces or public places. We are of course worried that our young people are now wasting their lives and time-consuming reckless behavior. Every day, we should thank God for giving us this life and another day to achieve our goals. No one is like you and will never be there, so cherish your uniqueness.

What surprises me is that I often hear people blaming God for what they don’t have and cursing their liveliness, but they do not know that their lives are valuable if they work hard to make it worthwhile. The value of life comes from such thinking. Only through the love of family and friends can life become better. We also make our lives more beautiful and fulfilling by completing our responsibilities in our family, work, community and the whole world.

Long and Short English Speech About Life for Students and Children

Long speech on life in english for students.

Good morning to all of you present here. Today, I am here to share my views on Life. Life is a continuous phase that will have to stop someday. It is all about building yourself and encouraging yourself. It is only possible to grasp life backward, so it must be lived forward. Life itself is a golden chance to inspire others while you live and also get inspired by others too. It is not the number of years you live but how well you live that matters. Our lives are still threatened by the fear of death. Sooner or later, every person has to face death, but that doesn't mean it should stop us from living life to the fullest or achieving our goals. An individual is only wise when he/she is ready to meet destiny when it comes, but he/she enjoys every little bit before that moment. Human life is an incredibly precious gift.

Every snapshot of human life provides us with an opportunity to act to build and connect. Every second opens the way for us to receive presents. The truth is that life presents us with both positive and negative situations. What is extremely important is the way we respond to it. No one, like you, is born into the universe, and no one will ever be, so honor your freedom. With lessons, struggles, heartache, and special moments, life is nothing but a journey. In the end, it will get us to our destination, our meaning in life. The road isn't always going to be a plane; in fact, we're going to face many challenges along our journeys.

Our bravery, talents, vulnerabilities, and confidence will always be checked by these challenges. We may meet obstacles along our way that will come between the paths, and we are doomed to take them. We must overcome these barriers to be on the right path. Perhaps these barriers are simply gifts in disguise, but at the moment we don't understand that. The secret of life is better understood by those who are not so intensely attached to something. The best way to cherish life is with our family and friends. Our family was the first set of people who were present since the beginning of our journey and nourished us.

Our friends are the people who chose us, out of several others, to care for and enjoy moments with. It is ultimately the affection we give and the affection we receive from our loved ones that makes life beautiful and joyous. I'll say, eventually, that we can make life worthwhile. That life can be made beautiful with the help of our family and friends. By discharging our duties in our families, at work, community and the world at large, life can be more beautiful and purposeful.

Short Speech About Life for Children

Good morning to all of you present here. Today I am here to deliver a Speech on Life. Life is valuable. It is a gift to you from God. It's so special that there's no one else like you on Earth. Existence, again, is a chance. It is a chance for good to be achieved. Therefore, it does not matter how long you live; how well you live is all that counts. And how many lives you, with love and encouragement, will affect.

Another idea is that death still shadows life. Everybody has to face it. He or she is a wise man or woman who, when it comes, is prepared to meet death. The secret of life is, surprisingly, best revealed to those who are not bound by their possessions. They are unaffected by worry and life's changing fortunes. They are individuals who do not live by adding things to life, but by weighing their lives by things they can do without.

Life is stewardship above all. It is a belief that is entrusted to you. Such an understanding of life makes you keenly aware that for all the time, talent, treasure, and opportunity you are blessed with. It is this hope which makes living life worth it. And it's family and friendships nurtured in loving relationships that make life beautiful. By understanding one's role in one's family, or one's place of work, or society at large; and playing that role well, life is also made purposeful.

Life is a journey, not a destination

Life is not a destination, but it is a journey that involves lessons, hardships, and some special moments. It will take us to our final destination, our life's purpose. The road will not always be a plane; we will face numerous challenges throughout our journey.

These difficulties will always put our bravery, strengths, flaws, and faith to the test. Along the way, we may come across obstacles that stand in the way of the path we are meant to follow.

We must overcome these challenges to stay on the right path. Sometimes these roadblocks are blessings in disguise, but we do not realize it at the time. The secret of life is best understood by people who are not extremely connected to anything.

As a result, people are clueless about their worries and changing fortunes in life. They are those who do not measure their lives in terms of materialistic stuff, but rather in terms of the people they cannot live without.

10 Lines for English Speech About Life

Life is a very precious gift granted to us by God, and we must be grateful to him for giving us such a precious gift.

Challenges are part of life, and our lives will become dull and uneasy without them.

God has given us plenty of positive things in our lives, including the beauty of nature.

We are granted positivity and satisfaction in life by trees, animals, plants, sunshine, etc.

Nature tells us that, against all the odds, we can be happy and hopeful.

We need to set certain targets and try hard and faithfully to accomplish them to make our lives valuable.

To earn blessings and good wishes from our elders and mates, we must do something good very often.

Family is an integral part of our lives, and we need to take care of them and always respect them.

Secondly, our friends are an important part of our lives, apart from family, as they support us without any conditions.

We must always acknowledge the positive things in our lives that are happening.

FAQs on Speech on Life

1. How to feel satisfied with your Life?

When one knows the meaning of life, that is, that life is not about winning or losing, but rather about living one's life to the fullest, one can be satisfied.

2. What do you mean by a decent life?

A decent life is when you see life as a gift rather than a burden, and you have more good days than bad days.

3. Why is meaningful life important?

A meaningful life ties people to a greater sense of purpose and value, allowing them to contribute positively not only to their own personal and spiritual development but also to society and human civilization as a whole. As a result, a meaningful life inspires wise choices and provides a sense of purpose.

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AI struggles to recognize toxic speech on social media. Here’s why.

Facebook says its artificial intelligence models identified and pulled down 27 million pieces of hate speech in the final three months of 2020 . In 97 percent of the cases, the systems took action before humans had even flagged the posts.

That’s a huge advance, and all the other major social media platforms are using AI-powered systems in similar ways. Given that people post hundreds of millions of items every day, from comments and memes to articles, there’s no real alternative. No army of human moderators could keep up on its own.

But a team of human-computer interaction and AI researchers at Stanford sheds new light on why automated speech police can score highly accurately on technical tests yet provoke a lot dissatisfaction from humans with their decisions. The main problem: There is a huge difference between evaluating more traditional AI tasks, like recognizing spoken language, and the much messier task of identifying hate speech, harassment, or misinformation — especially in today’s polarized environment.

“It appears as if the models are getting almost perfect scores, so some people think they can use them as a sort of black box to test for toxicity,’’ says Mitchell Gordon , a PhD candidate in computer science who worked on the project. “But that’s not the case. They’re evaluating these models with approaches that work well when the answers are fairly clear, like recognizing whether ‘java’ means coffee or the computer language, but these are tasks where the answers are not clear.”

The team hopes their study will illuminate the gulf between what developers think they’re achieving and the reality — and perhaps help them develop systems that grapple more thoughtfully with the inherent disagreements around toxic speech.

Too Much Disagreement

There are no simple solutions, because there will never be unanimous agreement on highly contested issues. Making matters more complicated, people are often ambivalent and inconsistent about how they react to a particular piece of content.

In one study, for example, human annotators rarely reached agreement when they were asked to label tweets that contained words from a lexicon of hate speech. Only 5 percent of the tweets were acknowledged by a majority as hate speech, while only 1.3 percent received unanimous verdicts. In a study on recognizing misinformation, in which people were given statements about purportedly true events, only 70 percent agreed on whether most of the events had or had not occurred.

Despite this challenge for human moderators, conventional AI models achieve high scores on recognizing toxic speech — .95 “ROCAUC” — a popular metric for evaluating AI models in which 0.5 means pure guessing and 1.0 means perfect performance. But the Stanford team found that the real score is much lower — at most .73 — if you factor in the disagreement among human annotators.

Reassessing the Models

In a new study, the Stanford team re-assesses the performance of today’s AI models by getting a more accurate measure of what people truly believe and how much they disagree among themselves.

The study was overseen by Michael Bernstein and Tatsunori Hashimoto , associate and assistant professors of computer science and faculty members of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI). In addition to Gordon, Bernstein, and Hashimoto, the paper’s co-authors include Kaitlyn Zhou , a PhD candidate in computer science, and Kayur Patel, a researcher at Apple Inc.

To get a better measure of real-world views, the researchers developed an algorithm to filter out the “noise” — ambivalence, inconsistency, and misunderstanding — from how people label things like toxicity, leaving an estimate of the amount of true disagreement. They focused on how repeatedly each annotator labeled the same kind of language in the same way. The most consistent or dominant responses became what the researchers call "primary labels," which the researchers then used as a more precise dataset that captures more of the true range of opinions about potential toxic content.

The team then used that approach to refine datasets that are widely used to train AI models in spotting toxicity, misinformation, and pornography. By applying existing AI metrics to these new “disagreement-adjusted” datasets, the researchers revealed dramatically less confidence about decisions in each category. Instead of getting nearly perfect scores on all fronts, the AI models achieved only .73 ROCAUC in classifying toxicity and 62 percent accuracy in labeling misinformation. Even for pornography — as in, “I know it when I see it” — the accuracy was only .79.

Someone Will Always Be Unhappy. The Question Is Who?

Gordon says AI models, which must ultimately make a single decision, will never assess hate speech or cyberbullying to everybody’s satisfaction. There will always be vehement disagreement. Giving human annotators more precise definitions of hate speech may not solve the problem either, because people end up suppressing their real views in order to provide the “right” answer.

But if social media platforms have a more accurate picture of what people really believe, as well as which groups hold particular views, they can design systems that make more informed and intentional decisions.

In the end, Gordon suggests, annotators as well as social media executives will have to make value judgments with the knowledge that many decisions will always be controversial.

“Is this going to resolve disagreements in society? No,” says Gordon. “The question is what can you do to make people less unhappy. Given that you will have to make some people unhappy, is there a better way to think about whom you are making unhappy?”

Related | Michael Bernstein , associate professor of Computer Science and STMicroelectronics Faculty Scholar at Stanford University, and a member of the Human-Computer Interaction group.

Related | Tatsunori Hashimoto , assistant professor of Computer Science

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Telegram CEO’s arrest in France marks escalation of governments’ struggles to curb illegal activity online

Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 23, 2016. Albert Gea/Reuters

When Russian-born billionaire Pavel Durov founded Telegram more than a decade ago, his aim was to create a messaging app that was free from censorship and government surveillance. The company would turn over user data to governments and law enforcement in only the rarest of circumstances, according to its terms of service.

That approach may have led to Mr. Durov’s arrest last weekend in France, where he is charged with being complicit in illegal activity occurring on the platform.

The charges against a high-profile tech CEO mark an escalation in the struggle between law enforcement and industry over harmful and illegal content, and the extent to which executives are responsible for the material shared on their services. Mr. Durov is not the only technology executive facing such allegations in France, which has taken an aggressive approach to the issue.

Canadian Paul Krusky is in custody in France and accused of facilitating organized crime through EncroChat , an encrypted phone company he operated. France also indicted 30 other individuals this month for their involvement with another encrypted messaging service called Sky ECC, which was founded by Vancouver-based Sky Global and became popular with drug dealers, according to Agence-France Presse .

“It is probably no coincidence that Pavel Durov’s arrest is taking place in a country where legal proceedings are already under way against two other companies offering encryption technologies,” said Guillaume Martine, a lawyer in France. “The arrest of Pavel Durov confirms that there is clearly a desire on the part of the French judicial system to attack encryption technologies and their use head-on.”

Both Mr. Durov and Mr. Krusky face similar accusations of applying unauthorized cryptographic devices or services. (In France, companies that wish to supply such services or devices are required to first file a declaration or to request authorization.) Both men are facing a slew of other allegations, including complicity in drug trafficking and money laundering.

However, there are also significant differences between the cases. Unlike apps such as Signal and WhatsApp, where conversations between users are end-to-end encrypted by default, Telegram users have to turn on the encryption feature, which isn’t available for group chats.

While Telegram is free and available for anyone to use, EncroChat required a specialized device and a subscription service. Mr. Krusky is accused by French authorities of having deliberately promoted and sold that service to known criminals, an allegation which he fully denies, according to his lawyer, Antoine Vey.

What is Telegram and why was its CEO Pavel Durov arrested in Paris?

EncroChat’s Canadian leader knowingly sold encryption service to criminals, French authorities allege

The case against Mr. Durov, in contrast, is “almost certainly” more about Telegram’s failure to co-operate with content moderation requests on the non-encrypted parts of the platform, said Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit digital rights group based in San Francisco.

Ms. Galperin noted that, in a recent interview with right-wing media personality Tucker Carlson, Mr. Durov said he is the only product manager at Telegram, and that he employs only about 30 engineers.

“Doing effective content moderation for a large platform actually requires enormous, well-trained teams of professionals, which Telegram has clearly chosen not to employ,” Ms. Galperin said.

Mr. Durov was charged on Wednesday for complicity in the spread of sexual images of children and for other crimes allegedly committed on Telegram.

He was granted bail on the condition that he pay €5-million and report to a police station twice a week, according to Reuters. He is also barred from leaving France.

Since Mr. Durov’s arrest last Saturday, some have praised him as a free-speech martyr. “#FreePavel,” Elon Musk wrote on X, the social platform he owns. U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden wrote that the arrest is “an assault on the basic human rights of speech and association,” while Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said that the arrest “looks very bad and worrying for the future of software and comms freedom in Europe.”

Mr. Durov’s Instagram account, meanwhile, which is replete with shirtless photos of the fit 39-year-old, is filled with comments of support from users.

James Donaldson, chief executive of Toronto-based information security company Copperhead, is among those who see Mr. Durov’s arrest as an attack on free speech.

“Free speech and privacy are all but eroding as time goes on,” Mr. Donaldson said via an online messaging app. “Hopefully this event will spark a larger conversation about who should be blamed for content posted by users on an app.”

France has said Mr. Durov was apprehended as part of an investigation into the distribution of child sexual-abuse material (CSAM) and drugs on Telegram, as well as complicity in organized fraud. Telegram has also allegedly refused to turn over information to aid authorities in the investigation.

“[His arrest] is not a direct threat to freedom of expression,” said Sofie Royer, a research expert at the Centre for IT and IP Law at KU Leuven university in Belgium, given that the accusations relate to alleged criminal activity on the platform.

Telegram said in a statement on X that it abides by European laws, including the Digital Services Act, and that “its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.”

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” the company said.

A participant of a one-person picket demonstrates a placard to bring attention to the arrest of Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, near the French embassy in Moscow, on Aug. 25. A slogan on the placard reads: 'Freedom for Pavel Durov.' Yulia Morozova/Reuters

Internet researchers have raised alarm about illegal activity on Telegram for some time. A report last year from the Stanford Internet Observatory found that the platform “implicitly” allows for the trading of CSAM in direct messages and private groups. Some of these groups appeared to have hundreds of thousands of users and were managed by sellers of CSAM. Such content was also found in public channels, according to the report, which said that Telegram was “failing to perform even basic content enforcement.”

Preston Byrne, managing partner of technology law firm Byrne & Storm, P.C., writes that the “laundry list” of charges against Mr. Durov mostly “relate to the French crime of complicité , which roughly equates to American aider/abettor liability” – essentially, knowingly facilitating or assisting with a crime.

In the United States, however, aiding and abetting requires “a specific intent to bring about the criminal result,” according to Mr. Byrne: “U.S. social-media companies simply failing to police their users doesn’t rise to this level, which is why U.S. social-media company CEOs don’t, as a general rule, get arrested for the crimes of their users by the American government.”

If French authorities are charging Mr. Durov on the basis of failing to police Telegram users or respond quickly to French document requests, as appears to be the case, “then this represents a dramatic escalation in the online censorship wars,” according to Mr. Byrne, who adds: “American tech entrepreneurs who run their services in accordance with American values – free speech and privacy through strong encryption, in particular – should not visit Europe, should not hire in Europe and should not host infrastructure in Europe until this situation is resolved.”

However, Ms. Galperin notes that France is far from the only country that has taken action against Telegram. Last year, Brazil temporarily suspended the app after it failed to provide information on neo-Nazi chat groups. And in 2022, Germany considered banning Telegram after the government found dozens of channels, including antisemitic conspiracy channels, that potentially violated German laws against hate speech.

“I am not sure that I would characterize France as being a place that is having more of these cases,” Ms. Galperin said. “I can name several cases in the U.S., I can talk about Brazil trying to bully platforms into better behaviour over a period of years. All governments try this.”

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