--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History will not judge our endeavors--and…" description: "\"History will not judge our endeavors--and a government cannot be selected--merely on the basis of color or creed or even party affiliation. Neither wil..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/john-f-kennedy-246_affiliation_history-will-not-judge-our-endeavors-and_212906.jpg" --- # History will not judge our endeavors--and a government… ![“History will not judge our endeavors--and a government cannot be selected--merely on the basis of color or creed or even party affiliation. Neither will competence and loyalty and stature, while essential to the utmost, suffice in times such as these.” quote by John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/john-f-kennedy-246_affiliation_history-will-not-judge-our-endeavors-and_212906.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/john-f-kennedy-246_affiliation_history-will-not-judge-our-endeavors-and_212906.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e5/john-f-kennedy-246_affiliation_history-will-not-judge-our-endeavors-and_212906.jpg) > “History will not judge our endeavors--and a government cannot be selected--merely on the basis of color or creed or even party affiliation. Neither will competence and loyalty and stature, while essential to the utmost, suffice in times such as these.” [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership must be judged by merit and actions, not by identity or affiliation; competence and loyalty alone are insufficient in crisis. **In simple terms:** Judge leaders by deeds, not background. Key Takeaway Prioritize merit and integrity. Themes leadership ethics diversity crisis management Mood thoughtful serious Type political ethical When to use this quote - hiring decisions - policy formulation - team building - public trust Key Concepts meritocracy social cohesion political legitimacy Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions ensure fair assessment? - What safeguards prevent tokenism? A Different Perspective Merit alone may not overcome entrenched biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) [Creeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creeds/) [Endeavor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endeavor/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Loyalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loyalty/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Stature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stature/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Everyone thinks the Chinese government selected me. Never ever. I was selected by Herzog and de Meuron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/everyone-thinks-the-chinese-government-selected-me-never-ever-i-was/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Whatever the political affiliation of our next President, whatever his views may be on all the issues and problems that rush in upon us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/whatever-the-political-affiliation-of-our-next-president-whatever-his/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [I hope that no American will waste his franchise and throw away his vote by voting either for me or against me solely on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/i-hope-that-no-american-will-waste-his-franchise-and-throw-away-his/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“Don't waste time defending your intentions. History will judge you by the outcomes of your actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savania-china/don-t-waste-time-defending-your-intentions-history-will-judge-you-by/) [Savania China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/savania-china/) > [It's up to history to judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pol-pot/it-s-up-to-history-to-judge/) [Pol Pot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pol-pot/) > [The decisions I made are done. And history will judge whether or not they were correct. There's no such thing as accurate short-term history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-decisions-i-made-are-done-and-history-will-judge-whether-or-not/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'm very comfortable with where history will judge me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kulongoski/i-m-very-comfortable-with-where-history-will-judge-me/) [Ted Kulongoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kulongoski/) > [History will judge me... I shall remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mobutu-sese-seko/history-will-judge-me-i-shall-remain-silent/) [Mobutu Sese Seko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mobutu-sese-seko/) > [But history will judge you, and as the years pass, you will ultimately judge yourself, in the extent to which you have used your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/but-history-will-judge-you-and-as-the-years-pass-you-will-ultimately/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [We get our ethics from our history and judge our history by our ethics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-troeltsch/we-get-our-ethics-from-our-history-and-judge-our-history-by-our-ethics/) Ernst Troeltsch > [History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/history-will-judge-us-by-the-difference-we-make-in-the-everyday-lives/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [History has to judge every man who served. I don't know how they're going to treat me. I may be the worst S.O.B. that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/history-has-to-judge-every-man-who-served-i-don-t-know-how-they-re/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [Of course, peer pressure has a strong positive component. It provides the social cohesion that allows the very development of communal affiliation. But peer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-d-hayes/of-course-peer-pressure-has-a-strong-positive-component-it-provides/) Charles D. Hayes > [The time has come to make the protection of children - all our children - a common cause that can unite us across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olara-otunnu/the-time-has-come-to-make-the-protection-of-children-all-our-children/) Olara Otunnu > [My goal has been to encourage jointness, to push people to think of affiliations rather than to operate as solo entrepreneurs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-bartlett-giamatti/my-goal-has-been-to-encourage-jointness-to-push-people-to-think-of/) [A. Bartlett Giamatti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-bartlett-giamatti/) ## More by John F. Kennedy > [“We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-shall-pay-any-price-bear-any-burden-meet-any-hardship-support-any/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [We stand today on the edge of a new frontier - the frontier of the 1960's - a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-stand-today-on-the-edge-of-a-new-frontier-the-frontier-of-the-1960/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [We will neglect our cities to our peril, for in neglecting them we neglect the nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-will-neglect-our-cities-to-our-peril-for-in-neglecting-them-we/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [We must recognize that every nation determines its policies in terms of its own interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-must-recognize-that-every-nation-determines-its-policies-in-terms/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Someone always needs rescuing, yet there's only one person who ever seems to understand you. It's a lot like being Lassie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/someone-always-needs-rescuing-yet-there-s-only-one-person-who-ever/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Student loans have been helpful to many. But they offer neither incentive nor assistance to those students who, by reason of family or other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/student-loans-have-been-helpful-to-many-but-they-offer-neither/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Great crises produce great men, and great deeds of courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/great-crises-produce-great-men-and-great-deeds-of-courage/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [There comes a point where you see no evidence that the carrot and diplomacy are working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/there-comes-a-point-where-you-see-no-evidence-that-the-carrot-and/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Suspicion on one side breeds suspicion on the other, and new weapons beget counter-weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/suspicion-on-one-side-breeds-suspicion-on-the-other-and-new-weapons/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [We have some of the most influential Members of Congress here today, and I do hope that we can get this appropriation for these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-have-some-of-the-most-influential-members-of-congress-here-today/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Disarmament without checks is but a shadow - and a community without law is but a shell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/disarmament-without-checks-is-but-a-shadow-and-a-community-without/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [This is one country. It has become one country because all of us and all the people who came here had an equal chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/this-is-one-country-it-has-become-one-country-because-all-of-us-and/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of a final moment; but it is no less a magnificent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/the-courage-of-life-is-often-a-less-dramatic-spectacle-than-the/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/washington-is-a-city-of-southern-efficiency-and-northern-charm/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Peace does not rest in the charters and covenants alone. It lies in the hearts and minds of all people. So let us not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/peace-does-not-rest-in-the-charters-and-covenants-alone-it-lies-in/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) [Explore all 824 John F. Kennedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) ## More Affiliation quotes > [My goal has been to encourage jointness, to push people to think of affiliations rather than to operate as solo entrepreneurs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-bartlett-giamatti/my-goal-has-been-to-encourage-jointness-to-push-people-to-think-of/) [A. Bartlett Giamatti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-bartlett-giamatti/) > [The time has come to make the protection of children - all our children - a common cause that can unite us across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olara-otunnu/the-time-has-come-to-make-the-protection-of-children-all-our-children/) Olara Otunnu > [Of course, peer pressure has a strong positive component. It provides the social cohesion that allows the very development of communal affiliation. But peer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-d-hayes/of-course-peer-pressure-has-a-strong-positive-component-it-provides/) Charles D. Hayes > [ It is different \[to perform in Israel\] because it arises from very deep wells of affiliation. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/it-is-different-to-perform-in-israel-because-it-arises-from-very-deep/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [We shall say clearly that any symbol conspicuously displaying religious affiliation in school is prohibited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-pierre-raffarin/we-shall-say-clearly-that-any-symbol-conspicuously-displaying/) [Jean-Pierre Raffarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-pierre-raffarin/) > [Your race and gender don't change, but you can choose to change your political affiliation at will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/your-race-and-gender-don-t-change-but-you-can-choose-to-change-your/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [“When only one party makes a profit that's robbery when all parties make profit that's business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/when-only-one-party-makes-a-profit-that-s-robbery-when-all-parties/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [To be motivated to sit at home and study, instead of going out and playing, children need a sense of themselves over time--they need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/to-be-motivated-to-sit-at-home-and-study-instead-of-going-out-and/) [Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/) > [The Night Manager doesn't exist in the post-Cold war universe, it exists much more in the modern world, I think. There is more action.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/the-night-manager-doesn-t-exist-in-the-post-cold-war-universe-it/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [I would describe my spirituality as exactly the opposite of having a religious affiliation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-would-describe-my-spirituality-as-exactly-the-opposite-of-having-a/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Touch seems to be such an important tool for enhancing social cooperation and affiliation that we have evolved a special physical route along which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/touch-seems-to-be-such-an-important-tool-for-enhancing-social/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [The writer is the person who stands outside society, independent of affiliation and independent of influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-writer-is-the-person-who-stands-outside-society-independent-of/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [Since the moment of the United Nations' inception, untold energies have been expended by governments not only toward the exclusion of persons of principle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/since-the-moment-of-the-united-nations-inception-untold-energies-have/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [The question really is what will be the central focus of global politics in the coming decades and my argument is that cultural identities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/the-question-really-is-what-will-be-the-central-focus-of-global/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [The behavior of an individual is determined not by his racial affiliation, but by the character of his ancestry and his cultural environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-boas/the-behavior-of-an-individual-is-determined-not-by-his-racial/) [Franz Boas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-boas/) Browse all 100 Affiliation quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "History will not judge our endeavors--and a government cannot be selected--merely on the basis of color or creed or even party affiliation. Neither will competence and loyalty and stature, while essential to the utmost, suffice in times such as these.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John F. 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