50 Barack Obama Quotes Which Are Inspirational For Everyone

Barack Hussein Obama born August 4 1961, is an American politician and attorney who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the United States.

Despite the horrid racism that exists in America, and around the world, Barack has managed to rise to the top of his profession, to become the leader of the world’s foremost democracy.

His story is the American story — values from the heartland, a middle-class upbringing in a strong family, hard work and education as the means of getting ahead, and the conviction that a life so blessed should be lived in service to others.

In 2009 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. Obama has left an incredible legacy behind and is an inspiration to the entire world.

Former President Barack Obama is a magnificent orator and has delivered many memorable quotes over the years. His words, which are better known as Barack Obama quotes, have and continue to inspire entrepreneurs, leaders, and common people across the world.

We have compiled 50 Barack Obama Quotes that are inspirational for everyone.

1. Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

It is not the right thing to do if we keep waiting for someone else to make a change and make a difference in the world. We need to be responsible enough to be good citizen of our country and make the change desired. If not us then who? If not now then when?

2. The role of a citizen in a democracy does not end with your vote.

Every citizen in a democratic country needs to seize the right to vote. Even one vote can make a huge difference and turn the tables. But the role of the citizen doesn’t end there.

3. Money is not the only answer, but it makes a difference.

Money won’t bring you happiness. But for someone who lives below the poverty line, the money will provide education and a better standard of living, which will surely make a difference. Money might not be the only thing important but is crucial.

4. Focussing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realise your true potential.

In today’s fast forward world, everyone is chasing to make big bucks and to be a big shot guy in the city with a lavish life. This shows the dark side of ambition, where people don’t realise their true purpose in life. Realising their true potential will not only benefit them but also the ones associating with them, hence changing their lives.

5. The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.

There is too much brutality in the world today. Starting from hatred to racism, bullying etc. One needs to be in charge of their life, stop feeling sorry for yourself and continue moving forward with determination. There is no time for cribbing and whining.

6. If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep on walking, eventually you’ll make progress.

To succeed in life, it is important to keep moving in the right direction and be consistent. Consistency in the right direction will eventually help you make progress.

7. Understand, our police officers put their lives on the line for us every single day. They’ve got a tough job to do to maintain public safety and hold accountable those who break the law.

Police officers are the real heroes of society. They play an integral part in protecting the people of their nation, which indeed is a tough job. They put their lives at risk every single day and make sure that they punish the ones who break the law.

8. The thing about Hip-Hop today is it’s smart, it’s insightful. The way they can communicate a complex message in a very short space is remarkable.

Barack Obama has shown immense love for Hip Hop Culture which is commendable. He thinks that hip hop is very smart and can express a complex message with deep understanding in a very short space and time, which is very remarkable.

9. Fixing a broken immigration system. Protecting our kids from gun violence. Equal pay for equal work, paid leave, raising the minimum wage. All these things still matter to hardworking families; they are still the right thing to do, and I will not let up until they get done.

There are a lot of issues faced by hardworking families. Women deserve the same pay as men, paid sick leave or maternity leave, protecting their children from gun violence in school and raising the minimum wage so that they have a better standard of living. These things are important for immigrant families as well and Barack Obama wanted to make sure that he will get it done.

10. We cannot continue to rely only on our military to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.

Completely relying on the military to achieve national security objectives would be wrong, as they have to protect the country from terrorism which is a much bigger task and the protection of civilians get ignored. Barack Obama feels that a civilian national security force just as powerful, strong and well funded would do a much better job at protecting the citizens daily.

11. In the end, this is what this election’s about – do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?

When elections are conducted, it is about hoping for a better future, where all the objectives are discussed and implemented for the future of America. Elections should not be approached with people acting out of self-interest and believing that the future would be bleak, but rather hopeful towards making progress.

12. A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things

One doesn’t need to be rich, to do philanthropy work and make a difference. Even the common man can aspire to do great work for their community and bring about change. Extraordinary things can also be done by ordinary people.

13. It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.

The world we live in today wasn’t the world we lived in before. It took a lot of hard work, determination, the courage to reach where we are today. We also need to think about the future generation and make sure that we build a better future and a better world for them to live in than we live currently in.

14. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

We as citizens can make a huge difference in our day to day lives by being responsible citizen, being accountable for our actions and taking care of our neighbours and environment. We don't need to rely on others to take action, as even one person can create a stir and change the world. It’s astonishing how much difference one person can make.

15. Lincoln – they used to talk about him almost as bad as they talk about me. So democracy has never been for the faint of heart…

As politicians, one needs to be bold and courageous to run a country. It is not for the faint heart as politicians face an immense amount of criticism and hatred for running their own country. So did Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama who are considered to be the most influential presidents of all time.

16. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new.

Be curious enough to ask questions and never hesitate or be afraid to ask for help. It's better to ask for help and move forward rather than being stuck. Asking for help shows courage and strength. The ones who ask questions and ask for help are not bothered by what people will think, irrespective of the fact that they might be wrong because they want to learn something new.

17. I think when you spread the wealth around it’s good for everybody

Not everyone can afford a lavish life and quality education. But for the ones who can do the needful of doing charity and volunteer work where you can provide the necessities to the ones who can’t afford them. It’s good for your soul as well as it also benefits the ones who need them.

18. If we think we can just use the same partisan playbook where we just challenge our opponent’s patriotism to win an election, then the American people will lose. The times are too serious for this kind of politics.

If we use the same old strategy and tactics to win an election, such as by questioning our opponent’s patriotism, then we will fail to be a good leader to the people because of which the American people will lose. Serious times need drastic measures and the old, rotten type of politics won’t work.

19. Americans still believe in an America where anything’s possible – they just don’t think their leaders do.

America is one of the greatest countries and Americans believe it is a place where anything is possible. But the problem is that they don’t have faith in their leaders and don’t think their leaders feel the same way about their country, which restricts them from making progress towards a better future, a more progressive modern future.

20. I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favour of gay marriage. But when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that’s not what America’s about. Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don’t contract them.

When it comes to loving a person, you can’t prohibit someone from marrying them irrespective of their sexual orientation. If the government doesn’t see it that way, they don’t align themselves with what America is all about. America is about equality, liberty and freedom in all domains.

21. What we need in Washington is not more political tactics – we need more good ideas.

It’s a misconception that you can succeed to make a country’s progress by considering political tactics, which is not the case. We can only move forward by implementing good ideas to develop the nation.

22. There is no Black America and White America and Latino America and Asian America - There is the United States of America.

America is a country where you will find people from different parts of the world. You can’t segregate people based on colour or race. That’s not what America stands for. Occupied by Black people, White people, Latino people and Asian people and many more living in peace and harmony and accepting for who they are is what America is about.

23. It’s important to realise I was black before the election.

Before the elections, Barack Obama was an ordinary black with an ordinary life. But soon after he won the elections, the American people gave him honour and appreciation which gave him an extraordinary life, to which he is very grateful.

24. Michelle was trying to figure out, OK, if the kids get sick why is it that she’s the one who has to take time off of her job to go pick them up from school, as opposed to me? What I tried to do was to learn to be thoughtful enough and introspective enough that I wasn’t always having to be told that things were unfair.

In a marriage, it’s not the wife’s job to compromise and do all the household chores. Equality should exist in a marriage as well. It should not always be the woman who is juggling between her work, house and kids. The husband should be understanding enough and realise that it shouldn’t be explained to him that things are being unfair to his wife.

25. Hope is the bedrock of this nation; the belief that our destiny will not be written for us, but by us.

Americans believe that by laying a hopeful foundation, they will be leading towards the progress of their nation. There is no such thing as someone writing us our destiny, but we taking matters into our own hands and writing our destiny.

26. You can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time.

Everyone in their life goes through multiple failures. Make mistakes, learn from them. Failures should be a learning lesson, to teach you what you can do differently next time. You might surprise yourself by not giving up.

27. The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create.

Children are the future citizens of the nation and it belongs to them as they have the imagination to create a better future through their quality education and the willingness to make a difference.

28. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or who you love. It doesn't matter whether you're black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you're willing to try.

Irrespective of where you come from, your race, your status, your colour, your sexual orientation etc, you can still write your destiny and as long as you have the willingness to make a difference for yourself and make it big in America.

29. Women are not a special interest group. They are half of this country and they are perfectly capable of making their own choices about their health.

Women are independent and should be given the freedom to make their own decision and given the choice about their health for example in the case of abortion, which is banned in many countries. Women are not a minority and should not be treated like they are helpless and are not strong enough or smart enough to make their own choice about their health.

30. Although the principle of equality has always been self-evident, it has never been self-executing.

Equality is something the 21st-century desires and craves. It has always been obvious why there is a need for equality in society as there will no discrimination against one another. But one finds it hard to execute it themselves in their personal lives and remains to be a victim of inequality. One needs to take charge and fight against inequality.

31. I don’t oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war.

There is a reason why war used to take place is to gain other territories resources, rivalries, to control wealth etc. But there are times when war occurs due to reasons such as terrorism, religious differences and revenge which can be avoided by the peace treaty between the two countries to protect the civilians of the nation.

32. If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.

We need to fight our enemies and not be afraid of them. Being afraid of your enemies will give them more power over you and will succeed in defeating you. If they bring a weapon, we bring bigger weapons to fight them.

33. Progress will come in fits and starts. It’s not always a straight line. It’s not always a smooth path.

Progress is not an easy process. It’s filled with irregularities with ups and downs. It might also be a zig-zag line or maybe not even a line. It’s hard, but one needs to be consistent in their approach and not fear the sporadicity and work towards achieving the progress.

34. We want everybody to act like adults, quit playing games, realize that it’s not just my way or the highway.

As adults, it's our job to be a mature person as it is our responsibility to be good citizens and leaders for the future of our country. One needs to stop playing childish mind games and stop being stubborn about their ideologies. We need to accept other people’s opinions and consider that as well.

35. We need to internalize this idea of excellence. Not many folks spend a lot of time trying to be excellent.

Growing up we need to excel in not only academics but other co-curricular activities. As adults, we need to focus on excelling in our career, in our relationships as well as keep personal development in mind. A lot of people don’t give much importance to striving for excellence and fail to succeed in life.

36. The strongest speech against hateful speech is not repression, it is more speech

It’s hard to fight against hatred in this brutal world. One must remember to hold their heads up high and not feel repressed. Suppressing speech is not the answer. The remedy to hateful speech is by voicing out and keep talking to end hatred.

37. Love and Hope can conquer hate

Hate won’t eradicate hate. If you think you can stop hatred by being more hateful towards someone, it won’t work. It will cause even more severe conflicts. The remedy for hate is love and hope.

38. The shift to a cleaner energy economy won’t happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way. But the debate is settled. Climate change is a fact.

Climate change is a serious threat to the planet and not many political leaders and people take it seriously. There should be a conscious approach to use the resources wisely and judiciously which will take years of tough choices and decisions along the way.

39. We need to steer clear of this poverty of ambition, where people want to drive fancy cars and wear nice clothes and live in nice apartments but don’t want to work hard to accomplish these things. Everyone should try to realize their full potential.

The ones who dream about a filthy rich life, but don’t work hard towards achieving their goals, live in a bubble. Daydreaming won’t help you live the life you crave for. One needs to realize what they are truly capable of to live the life of their dreams.

40. Real men treat the janitor with the same respect as the CEO.

Everyone is equal and deserving of respect irrespective of their job. Real men are those who don’t discriminate against a person whether it’s a janitor with a low paying job or maybe a toilet cleaner. Every job has dignity.

41. Nothing in life that’s worth anything is easy.

Barack Obama quotes motivate us for life. This quote applies to all aspects of life, from your job to relationships. Anything worth having takes effort, so don't get discouraged when you're facing an uphill battle. Just be patient and keep hustling.

42. Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail.

A hammer is not the most appropriate tool for every purpose. Yet a person with only a hammer is likely to try and fix everything using their hammer, often without even considering other options. We prefer to make do with what we have rather than looking for better alternatives. Every problem can’t be a nail for us to use a hammer. Different problems, different solutions.

43. We know we can’t stop every act of violence, every act of evil in the world. But maybe we could try to stop one act of evil, one act of violence.

This Barack Obama quote means that there are too much violence and evilness out in the world, which is not possible to eradicate. But it could be stopped, by considering one problem at a time, to lessen the prospects of such violence in future.

44. If you run you stand a chance of losing, but if you don’t run you’ve already lost.

Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss if you don't even try. Be an optimist and show up. Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm, irrespective of the thought of winning or losing.

45. I think what you’re seeing is a profound recognition on the part of the American people that gays and lesbians and transgender persons are our brothers, our sisters, our children, our cousins, our friends, our co-workers, and that they’ve got to be treated like every other American. And I think that principle will win out.

There exist not just men and women, but also the LGBTQ community who are also part of the society. They could be your neighbours, family members, colleagues who deserve to be respected and loved like every other American out there.

46. If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists – to protect them and to promote their common welfare – all else is lost.

It’s the government’s job to protect and work for the welfare of the citizens towards a better future. But if the government fails to win the trust of people to do its job, there is no scope of progress.

47. We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing in our students and our schools. We must make sure that people who have the grades, the desire and the will, but not the money, can still get the best education possible.

Education is a must and should be mandatory for every individual, irrespective of whether they have money or not, but have the determination, desire, grades and the willpower to make a difference through their education. Thus, the government should focus on students and schools, as they will be the future citizens of the country.

48. Each of us deserves the freedom to pursue our own version of happiness. No one deserves to be bullied.

In today’s world, everyone has the right and the freedom to pursue their dreams and go after their definition of happiness. Never get bullied and manipulated by anyone like your family or friends into doing something which doesn’t align with what you want to do with your life.

49. If you’re a strong man, you should not feel threatened by strong women.

A real strong man who supports a woman, is with her through thick and thin, doesn’t use her weaknesses against her and loves her wholeheartedly. Strong men don’t feel intimidated by strong women who are complex, outspoken, vulnerable and aren’t afraid to speak their mind.

50. We don’t turn back. We leave no one behind. We pull each other up.

This Barack Obama quote means that Americans should be supportive of one another, marching towards the progress of their country. They should be inclusive of all people no matter their age, position, race and creed and leave no one behind. Lift weak people and make them join in living the American dream.

Barack Obama came from humble beginnings before rising to be one of the most powerful people in the world. That’s what makes all the Barack Obama quotes, which come from his experience and understanding of the world, more inspiring

We need to be reminded that when Barack Obama took the presidency in early 2009, America was in a complete mess mainly due to the financial crisis He also had to roll up his sleeve to tackle several extremely challenging tasks within and outside the country.

Above all these challenges, Barack Obama also has to deal with racism which is incredibly taxing emotionally. Despite all the haters and critics, people love Barack Obama and many miss him – especially in 2021.

These Barack Obama quotes are truly inspiring for people all around the world. They not only talk about global issues such as racism, poverty, ambition, hatred but also love, relationships, marriage, education and also the LGBTQ community. They give us hope that we are not alone in this world and there are a bunch of intelligent people who are working towards the future of the country.

As a man of talent and wisdom, his great quotes reveal his charm completely. He taught us to change, to stand up against difficult times. He inspires us to have hope and encourages us to love, to live, to chase awesome dreams.

More power to this man…..!!!

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