--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now, being a POW certainly doesn't…" description: "\"Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be president. But it does reveal character. This is the kind of character that civilizations from ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/fred-thompson-8900_character_now-being-a-pow-certainly-doesn-t-qualif_1538986.jpg" --- # Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be… ![“Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be president. But it does reveal character. This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders.” quote by Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/fred-thompson-8900_character_now-being-a-pow-certainly-doesn-t-qualif_1538986.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/fred-thompson-8900_character_now-being-a-pow-certainly-doesn-t-qualif_1538986.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/fred-thompson-8900_character_now-being-a-pow-certainly-doesn-t-qualif_1538986.jpg) > “Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be president. But it does reveal character. This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders.” [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership is judged by character revealed in hardship, not by titles or experiences like being a POW. **In simple terms:** Character in hardship defines leaders. Key Takeaway Cultivate integrity and resilience. Themes leadership character hardship Mood serious inspirational Type political motivational When to use this quote - political campaigns - military service - crisis management - public speaking Key Concepts politics psychology history Questions to Reflect On - How does adversity shape your decisions? - Can character be measured objectively? A Different Perspective Hardship alone doesn’t guarantee good leadership. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [POW](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pow/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) ## Related quotes > [Being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/being-a-pow-certainly-doesn-t-qualify-anyone-to-be-president/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [Most poets are mad. It doesn't qualify us for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/most-poets-are-mad-it-doesn-t-qualify-us-for-anything/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [Just because you've seen 'My Cousin Vinny' doesn't qualify you to be a federal judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/just-because-you-ve-seen-my-cousin-vinny-doesn-t-qualify-you-to-be-a/) [John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/) > [The president does not have the option of choosing which laws he will follow and which he will ignore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-scalise/the-president-does-not-have-the-option-of-choosing-which-laws-he-will/) [Steve Scalise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-scalise/) > [There's a sense of urgency that the president does not possess, that there is a 9/11 in the making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/there-s-a-sense-of-urgency-that-the-president-does-not-possess-that/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Sometimes it's important to watch what the president does rather than what he says.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/sometimes-it-s-important-to-watch-what-the-president-does-rather-than/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [No man should be allowed to be the President who does not understand hogs, or hasn't been around a manure pile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/no-man-should-be-allowed-to-be-the-president-who-does-not-understand/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [The president is the president. And every American, regardless of who you voted for, if you voted for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Donald Duck,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-e-sasse/the-president-is-the-president-and-every-american-regardless-of-who/) [Benjamin E. Sasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-e-sasse/) > [I don't get into conversations or information about anything that the president does with his personal attorney.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-grisham/i-don-t-get-into-conversations-or-information-about-anything-that-the/) [Stephanie Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-grisham/) > [Being president does seem a lot more stressful than being vice president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/being-president-does-seem-a-lot-more-stressful-than-being-vice/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Legacy is what a president does that affects later generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beschloss/legacy-is-what-a-president-does-that-affects-later-generations/) [Michael Beschloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beschloss/) > [If the president does something dastardly, the impeachment process is available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-kavanaugh/if-the-president-does-something-dastardly-the-impeachment-process-is/) [Brett Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-kavanaugh/) > [When you cover the White House, which I've done on and off, it's relatively straightforward - everything the president does is news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasie-hunt/when-you-cover-the-white-house-which-i-ve-done-on-and-off-it-s/) [Kasie Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasie-hunt/) > [“People complain the president does nothing. I say stop complaining! Think how destructive he’d be if he actually tried to do something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/people-complain-the-president-does-nothing-i-say-stop-complaining/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Abraham Lincoln did not contend that his actions were immune from Congressional correction; on the contrary, he specifically said he was acting beyond the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lee-miller/abraham-lincoln-did-not-contend-that-his-actions-were-immune-from/) [William Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lee-miller/) ## More by Fred Thompson > [We are always just one successful terrorist attack away from a nuclear disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/we-are-always-just-one-successful-terrorist-attack-away-from-a/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [You can't buy peace by just wishing it and avoiding the challenges that other nations present to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/you-can-t-buy-peace-by-just-wishing-it-and-avoiding-the-challenges/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [The University of North Carolina-Greensboro has ordered a Christian club to allow non-Christians as leaders. While we're at it, let's put high school dropouts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/the-university-of-north-carolina-greensboro-has-ordered-a-christian/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [You can't substitute promise after promise with known violators of prior promises at the expense of protecting ourselves or setting an example.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/you-can-t-substitute-promise-after-promise-with-known-violators-of/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [A new report shows that medicare and Medicaid made more than $50 Billion in bad payments during fiscal year 2011. Under Obamacare, that'll become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/a-new-report-shows-that-medicare-and-medicaid-made-more-than-50/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [After two years in Washington, I often long for the realism and sincerity of Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/after-two-years-in-washington-i-often-long-for-the-realism-and/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [Being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/being-a-pow-certainly-doesn-t-qualify-anyone-to-be-president/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [In the end, we may be hurting the very people we should be concerned about - the inner-city poor, those who already have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/in-the-end-we-may-be-hurting-the-very-people-we-should-be-concerned/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [Jay Carney told the reporters at his morning briefing that he hoped they would watch the new movie about Obama's first term 'many times.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/jay-carney-told-the-reporters-at-his-morning-briefing-that-he-hoped/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/this-business-will-get-out-of-control-it-will-get-out-of-control-and/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [But if the Chinese mainland, the PRC, attacked Taiwan, we'd be obligated to come to their aid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/but-if-the-chinese-mainland-the-prc-attacked-taiwan-we-d-be-obligated/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [A new report shows that, in Virginia, gun violence has fallen as the sale of firearms has soared to a new record. In other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/a-new-report-shows-that-in-virginia-gun-violence-has-fallen-as-the/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [China is one of the world's greatest proliferators of weapons of mass destruction to these rogue nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/china-is-one-of-the-world-s-greatest-proliferators-of-weapons-of-mass/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [So China will be having to make some choices as to whose side it wants to be on. Hopefully, this will be the beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/so-china-will-be-having-to-make-some-choices-as-to-whose-side-it/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [For example, lead paint in old houses can be a greater threat to children's health than lead that may be under some industrial site…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/for-example-lead-paint-in-old-houses-can-be-a-greater-threat-to/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) [Explore all 77 Fred Thompson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be president. But it does reveal character. This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fred Thompson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/now-being-a-pow-certainly-doesn-t-qualify-anyone-to-be-president-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/now-being-a-pow-certainly-doesn-t-qualify-anyone-to-be-president-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/fred-thompson-8900_character_now-being-a-pow-certainly-doesn-t-qualif_1538986.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/fred-thompson-8900_character_now-being-a-pow-certainly-doesn-t-qualif_1538986.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/fred-thompson-8900_character_now-being-a-pow-certainly-doesn-t-qualif_1538986.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be president. But it does reveal character. This is the…” — Fred Thompson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Fred Thompson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Now, being a POW certainly doesn't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/now-being-a-pow-certainly-doesn-t-qualify-anyone-to-be-president-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/now-being-a-pow-certainly-doesn-t-qualify-anyone-to-be-president-but/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```