--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there's one thing the American people…" description: "\"If there's one thing the American people aren't lacking, it is courage.\" — Ronald Reagan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/993/ronald-reagan-119_american_if-there-s-one-thing-the-american-people_233635.jpg" --- # If there's one thing the American people aren't lacking… ![“If there's one thing the American people aren't lacking, it is courage.” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/993/ronald-reagan-119_american_if-there-s-one-thing-the-american-people_233635.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/993/ronald-reagan-119_american_if-there-s-one-thing-the-american-people_233635.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/993/ronald-reagan-119_american_if-there-s-one-thing-the-american-people_233635.jpg) > “If there's one thing the American people aren't lacking, it is courage.” [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American citizens possess courage despite challenges, showing resilience and willingness to act. **In simple terms:** People have courage even in tough times. Key Takeaway Recognize and harness collective courage. Themes courage resilience citizenry Mood inspirational proud Type political motivational When to use this quote - public discourse - policy debates - community organizing Key Concepts political rhetoric national identity Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders foster courage in citizens? - What obstacles test national bravery? A Different Perspective Courage can be unevenly distributed across groups. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [He's nice enough not to want to be associated with a nasty remark but not nice enough not to make it. Lacking the courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kinsley/he-s-nice-enough-not-to-want-to-be-associated-with-a-nasty-remark-but/) [Michael Kinsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kinsley/) > [Rent control has in certain Western countries constituted, maybe, the worst example of poor planning by Governments lacking courage and vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-myrdal/rent-control-has-in-certain-western-countries-constituted-maybe-the/) [Gunnar Myrdal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-myrdal/) > [What an old maid I'm getting to be. lacking the courage to be in love with death!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-rimbaud/what-an-old-maid-i-m-getting-to-be-lacking-the-courage-to-be-in-love/) [Arthur Rimbaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-rimbaud/) > [In face of this modern nihilism, Christians are often lacking in courage. We tend to give the impression that we will hold on to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/in-face-of-this-modern-nihilism-christians-are-often-lacking-in/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [The Simpsons is the best thing on American television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-simpsons-is-the-best-thing-on-american-television/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [I wanna show that gospel, country, blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, rock 'n' roll are all just really one thing. Those are the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etta-james/i-wanna-show-that-gospel-country-blues-rhythm-and-blues-jazz-rock-n/) [Etta James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etta-james/) > [Excuse me you're a hell of a guy You know I really got a thing for American guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/excuse-me-you-re-a-hell-of-a-guy-you-know-i-really-got-a-thing-for/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [Everything that came out of Europe, every blue-eyed thing, is already an American. And as long as you and I have been over here,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/everything-that-came-out-of-europe-every-blue-eyed-thing-is-already/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“What a wonderful thing to be an American!" he said impetuously. 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Wouldn't it be possible for us just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moderata-fonte/it-really-is-something-that-men-disapprove-even-of-our-doing-things/) [Moderata Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moderata-fonte/) > [What one thing does the world need most today-apart, that is, from the all-inclusive thing we call righteousness? Aren't you inclined to agree that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/what-one-thing-does-the-world-need-most-today-apart-that-is-from-the/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [But people turn on their televisions. They turn on their televisions and they see what's happening in Iraq. The American people are not stupid.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/but-people-turn-on-their-televisions-they-turn-on-their-televisions/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [In any event, it is one thing to assert, then or now, that the Iraq war was ill-advised. It is quite another to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-silberman/in-any-event-it-is-one-thing-to-assert-then-or-now-that-the-iraq-war/) [Laurence Silberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-silberman/) > [And children, if your parents haven't been teaching you what it means to be an American, let 'em know and nail 'em on it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/and-children-if-your-parents-haven-t-been-teaching-you-what-it-means/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More by Ronald Reagan > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. 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/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-time-has-come-to-turn-to-god-and-reassert-our-trust-in-him-for/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! The only experience you gain in politics is how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/professional-politicians-like-to-talk-about-the-value-of-experience/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Where there's liberty, art succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/where-there-s-liberty-art-succeeds/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It's not that liberals aren't smart, it's just that so much of what they know isn't so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-s-not-that-liberals-aren-t-smart-it-s-just-that-so-much-of-what/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/love-your-country-not-for-her-power-or-wealth-but-for-her/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Explore all 1,244 Ronald Reagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) Browse all 7,717 American quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If there's one thing the American people aren't lacking, it is courage.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ronald Reagan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/if-there-s-one-thing-the-american-people-aren-t-lacking-it-is-courage/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/if-there-s-one-thing-the-american-people-aren-t-lacking-it-is-courage/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/993/ronald-reagan-119_american_if-there-s-one-thing-the-american-people_233635.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/993/ronald-reagan-119_american_if-there-s-one-thing-the-american-people_233635.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/993/ronald-reagan-119_american_if-there-s-one-thing-the-american-people_233635.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If there's one thing the American people aren't lacking, it is courage.” — Ronald Reagan", "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": "Ronald Reagan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If there's one thing the American...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/if-there-s-one-thing-the-american-people-aren-t-lacking-it-is-courage/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/if-there-s-one-thing-the-american-people-aren-t-lacking-it-is-courage/#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 } } ] } ```