47 John Wayne Quotes that Define Strength and Honor
Discover John Wayne’s timeless wisdom through his memorable quotes. His words embody strength, courage, and honor, reflecting the legendary actor’s enduring legacy.
John Wayne, the iconic American actor and cultural symbol, is celebrated not only for his legendary film roles but also for his memorable quotes that embody strength, courage, and rugged individualism. Known for his distinctive voice and commanding presence, Wayne’s words reflect his bold and straightforward approach to life. His quotes often capture the essence of resilience and honor, offering timeless wisdom and a glimpse into the values he cherished. Dive into his quotes to experience the enduring legacy of one of Hollywood’s most enduring legends.
John Wayne Quotes
- “When you stop fighting, that’s death.” ~ John Wayne, The Shootist (1976)
- “Life is tough, but it’s tougher if you’re stupid.” ~ John Wayne, The Shootist (1976)
- “You’re short on ears and long on mouth.” ~ John Wayne, The Shootist (1976)
- “Courage is being scared to death… and saddling up anyway.” ~ John Wayne, True Grit (1969)
- “Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday.” ~ John Wayne
- “I’m responsible only for what I say, not what you understand.” ~ John Wayne, The Searchers (1956)
- “A man deserves a second chance, but keep an eye on him.” ~ John Wayne
- “All battles are fought by scared men who’d rather be some place else.” ~ John Wayne
- “I won’t be wronged. I won’t be insulted. I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people and I require the same from them.” ~ John Wayne, The Quiet Man (1952)
- “I have tried to live my life so that my family would love me and my friends respect me. The others can do whatever the hell they please.” ~ John Wayne
- “I’m the stuff men are made of.” ~ John Wayne
- “A man’s got to have a code, a creed to live by.” ~ John Wayne, The Big Trail (1930)
- “I define manhood simply: men should be tough, fair, and courageous, never petty, never looking for a fight, but never backing down from one either.” ~ John Wayne
- “What’s the secret of success? Right decisions. How do you make right decisions? Experience. How do you get experience? Wrong decisions.” ~ John Wayne, The Alamo (1960)
- “When you come against trouble, it’s never half as bad if you face up to it.” ~ John Wayne, The Long Voyage Home (1940)
- “I’d like to know why the well-educated idiots keep apologizing for lazing and complaining people who think the world owes them a living.” ~ John Wayne
- “Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday.” ~ John Wayne
- “If everything isn’t black and white, I say, ‘Why the hell not?’” ~ John Wayne, Rio Bravo (1959)
- “Everybody that I was in school with had an uncle or father in the law, and I started to realize that I was going to end up writing briefs for about ten years for these fellows who I thought I was smarter than. And I was kind of losing my feeling for that.” ~ John Wayne
- “The worst part of it has been, I think, the adverse effect on family life. It kills off family conversation. And it’s harder to get your children to read books. I became a confirmed reader when I was growing up in Glendale. I’ve loved reading all my life. Now I’ve got this daughter, Aissa, a very bright young lady — but it is a hard job to get her to read. Television’s just too easy.” ~ John Wayne
- “I’m not the sort to back away from a fight. I don’t believe in shrinking from anything. It’s not my speed; I’m a guy who meets adversities head on.” ~ John Wayne
- “I suppose my best attribute, if you want to call it that, is sincerity. I can sell sincerity because that’s the way I am.” ~ John Wayne
- “Talk low, talk slow and don’t say too much.” ~ John Wayne
- “Real art is basic emotion. If a scene is handled with simplicity – and I don’t mean simple – it’ll be good, and the public will know it.” ~ John Wayne
- “I was sure I’d set the world on fire, and it was hard for a young feller like me to realize the truth – that I hadn’t set the world on fire, and I was totally unprepared to handle the consequences if ‘The Big Trail’ had been a success and launched me as a star.” ~ John Wayne
- “All I’m for is the liberty of the individual.” ~ John Wayne
- “In westerns, you meet a hardy bunch of characters. There is no jealousy on such pictures.” ~ John Wayne
- “I’d read up on the history of our country and I’d become fascinated with the story of the Alamo. To me it represented the fight for freedom, not just in America, but in all countries.” ~ John Wayne, The Alamo (1960)
- “When you come to see a picture of mine, I want you to know that I’m not going to do anything that will make you uncomfortable. I want you to know that you won’t be disappointed in me.” ~ John Wayne, The Quiet Man (1952)
- “I never have really become accustomed to the ‘John.’ Nobody ever really calls me John… I’ve always been Duke or Marion or John Wayne. It’s a name that goes well together, and it’s like one word – John Wayne.” ~ John Wayne
- “All the screen cowboys behaved like real gentlemen. They didn’t drink, they didn’t smoke. When they knocked the bad guy down, they always stood with their fists up, waiting for the heavy to get back on his feet. I decided I was going to drag the bad guy to his feet and keep hitting him.” ~ John Wayne, Stagecoach (1939)
- “Nothing is so discouraging to an actor than to have to work for long hours upon hours in brightly lighted interior sets.” ~ John Wayne
- “I was ashamed to admit I was hipped to the idea of acting. That’s why I started in with the props.” ~ John Wayne
- “Nobody should come to the movies unless he believes in heroes.” ~ John Wayne, The Alamo (1960)
- “In my acting, I have to identify with something in the character. The big tough boy on the side of right—that’s me.” ~ John Wayne, The Searchers (1956)
- “Never apologize and never explain – it’s a sign of weakness.” ~ John Wayne, The Quiet Man (1952)
- “I’ve always followed my father’s advice: he told me, first to always keep my word and, second, to never insult anybody unintentionally. If I insult you, you can be goddamn sure I intend to. And, third, he told me not to go around looking for trouble.” ~ John Wayne
- “A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.” ~ John Wayne, The Alamo (1960)
- “A goal, a love, and a dream give you total control over your body and your life.” ~ John Wayne, The Green Berets (1968)
- “I would like to be remembered, well … the Mexicans have a phrase, ‘Feo fuerte y formal’. Which means he was ugly, strong and had dignity.” ~ John Wayne, The Shootist (1976)
- “A man who won’t stand for what he believes isn’t a man!” ~ John Wayne, The Alamo (1960)
- “Life is getting up one more time than you’ve been knocked down.” ~ John Wayne, The Green Berets (1968)
- “A man ought to do what he thinks is right.” ~ John Wayne, True Grit (1969)
- “Get off your butt and join the Marines.” ~ John Wayne, The Green Berets (1968)
- “There’s right and there’s wrong. Y’gotta do one or the other, do the other and you may be walking around, but you’re dead as a beaver hat.” ~ John Wayne, The Shootist (1976)
- “Hurry it up. We’re burning daylight!” ~ John Wayne, The Alamo (1960)
- “You can take everything a man has as long as you leave him his dignity.” ~ John Wayne, The Shootist (1976)
