--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The energy of the Kennedy years was…" description: "\"The energy of the Kennedy years was completely compelling... I had a sense of a generous society eager to change the world. Idealism was very contagiou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/howard-stringer-25310_america_the-energy-of-the-kennedy-years-was-comp_868551.jpg" --- # The energy of the Kennedy years was completely… ![“The energy of the Kennedy years was completely compelling... I had a sense of a generous society eager to change the world. Idealism was very contagious. So that's why I went to America. I didn't intend to stay.” quote by Howard Stringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/howard-stringer-25310_america_the-energy-of-the-kennedy-years-was-comp_868551.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/howard-stringer-25310_america_the-energy-of-the-kennedy-years-was-comp_868551.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/howard-stringer-25310_america_the-energy-of-the-kennedy-years-was-comp_868551.jpg) > “The energy of the Kennedy years was completely compelling... I had a sense of a generous society eager to change the world. Idealism was very contagious. So that's why I went to America. I didn't intend to stay.” [Howard Stringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-stringer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Kennedy era felt hopeful and generous, inspiring a desire to change the world. **In simple terms:** Idealism was contagious. Key Takeaway Seek purpose in community. Themes idealism hope social change Mood optimistic inspired Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - nonprofit work - policy advocacy - entrepreneurship - volunteering Key Concepts generosity optimism civic duty Questions to Reflect On - What drives you to contribute to society? - How do you sustain hope in setbacks? A Different Perspective Idealism can fade under pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Change the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-the-world/) [Changing the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-the-world/) [Compelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compelling/) [Contagious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contagious/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Energy Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy-kennedy-926905/) [Generous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous/) [Idealism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealism/) [Idealism Contagious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealism-contagious-926902/) [Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kennedy/) [Kennedy Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kennedy-years-926903/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Idealism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-idealism-926904/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [We need to do for clean energy what Kennedy did for space in the original Apollo Project: Set a bold vision that will light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-inslee/we-need-to-do-for-clean-energy-what-kennedy-did-for-space-in-the/) [Jay Inslee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-inslee/) > [I covered Kennedy when she was three years old and the darling daughter of President Kennedy who doted on her and whose mother did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-thomas/i-covered-kennedy-when-she-was-three-years-old-and-the-darling/) [Helen Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-thomas/) > [ There was the Missile Crisis, but one can't attribute to the \[J.F.\] Kennedy years anything like the problems that \[Franklin\] Roosevelt stood over and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/there-was-the-missile-crisis-but-one-can-t-attribute-to-the-j-f/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [There have been two periods in my lifetime when the excitement of government and of public issues drew to Washington many of the bright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-graham/there-have-been-two-periods-in-my-lifetime-when-the-excitement-of/) [Katharine Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-graham/) > [If you want to accomplish something in the world, idealism is not enough - you need to choose a method that works to achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/if-you-want-to-accomplish-something-in-the-world-idealism-is-not/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“It is not materialism that is the chief curse of the world, but idealism. 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How will you infect others at work today?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-kjerulf/remember-research-shows-that-emotions-are-contagious-how-will-you/) [Alexander Kjerulf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-kjerulf/) > [“And being at school was awful in the beginning. Every new class I had was like a new chance for kids to “not stare”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/and-being-at-school-was-awful-in-the-beginning-every-new-class-i-had/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“It was nice to meet you,” I say loudly in a more formal tone than I used when we were alone. And then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-christine-parker/it-was-nice-to-meet-you-i-say-loudly-in-a-more-formal-tone-than-i/) [Amy Christine Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-christine-parker/) > [They say hitting is contagious, but I think defense is, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-crawford/they-say-hitting-is-contagious-but-i-think-defense-is-too/) [Brandon Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-crawford/) > [It's a great historical joke that when the Spanish met the Aztecs, it was a blind date made in serve-you-right heaven. At the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/it-s-a-great-historical-joke-that-when-the-spanish-met-the-aztecs-it/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [Enthusiasm is by far the highest paid quality on earth, probably because it is one of the rarest; yet it is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bettger/enthusiasm-is-by-far-the-highest-paid-quality-on-earth-probably/) [Frank Bettger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-bettger/) > [The only activity a cynic will find contagious is yawning, that is, with other people, at other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-activity-a-cynic-will-find-contagious-is-yawning-that-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) ## More by Howard Stringer > [You will see a 3-D movie in a movie theater for the shared experience of it - or for a date, and so on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-stringer/you-will-see-a-3-d-movie-in-a-movie-theater-for-the-shared-experience/) [Howard Stringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-stringer/) > [The hardest thing about being at Sony was not the travel; it was being divorced from the public and private life I had in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-stringer/the-hardest-thing-about-being-at-sony-was-not-the-travel-it-was-being/) [Howard Stringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-stringer/) > [Doesn't anyone here think this sounds like a vision of hell? 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Everybody else was two years older in my class, and I had curly hair and was teacher's pet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-stringer/i-was-very-short-everybody-else-was-two-years-older-in-my-class-and-i/) [Howard Stringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-stringer/) > [I get really frustrated during a crisis when I go through all the cable channels and find - very often with the exception of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-stringer/i-get-really-frustrated-during-a-crisis-when-i-go-through-all-the/) [Howard Stringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-stringer/) > [Free is not an alternative. 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And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? 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