88 Best Jimmy Carter Quotes About Hope & Human Rights

While it’s no secret that Jimmy Carter is among the most overlooked and dismissed U.S. presidents of the modern era — and yet — he’s also one of the more remarkable and impactful leaders (in and out of office) of the last 50 years of American history. 

Carter’s time in the White House was short-lived and shrouded in high-profile crises; his poor showmanship and communication skills left him with poor media coverage and sub-par approval ratings. All of this largely overshadowed Carter’s presidential impact as an early adopter of climate action and his profound focus on human rights in foreign policy. Carter was the only modern U.S. president who didn’t wage war.

His post-presidency is where Carter finally earned well-deserved public praise. After losing his re-election campaign, Carter graciously accepted defeat and returned to his humble life in Georgia. He quickly got to work establishing The Carter Center, a nonprofit organization with the mission to wage peace, fight disease, and build hope. 

By and large, the organization has succeeded in that mission.

Carter and the Center committed to preventing and eradicating diseases throughout the global south, served as leaders in the advancement of human rights, and played a significant role in the impact of Habitat for Humanity.

Under his watch, Guinea worm disease has dropped from 3.5 million annual cases to only 15 total cases in 2021 —and we’ve seen significant progress in the fight against other potentially eradicable diseases like mumps, rubella, lymphatic filariasis, poliomyelitis, and cysticercosis. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Beyond his work at the Carter Center, Carter has intentionally sought to live a virtuous life. Rather than profiting from his post-presidency via high-paid speeches and gigs on corporate boards, Carter has chosen to largely make his money from selling books. (More than 30 of them to date!)

On February 18, 2023, the Carter Center released a statement saying that Carter, 98, made the decision to spend his “remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.”

Carter’s long life of service and his passion for writing about life and values have resulted in countless inspiring quotes about what it means to live a life of service and hopefulness, how to make a difference, and the role each of us can play in making our country and world a better, more humane place.

We’ve collected Jimmy Carter’s most famous quotes — as well as some of his most inspiring lesser-known quotes:

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The Best Quotes From Jimmy Carter —

Famous Quotes

“To be true to ourselves, we must be true to others.”
— Jimmy Carter, in his Inaugural Address 

“The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices.”
— Jimmy Carter

“I have one life and one chance to make it count for something... My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.”
— Jimmy Carter

“Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries.”
— Jimmy Carter

“America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense… human rights invented America.”
— Jimmy Carter, in his Farewell Address 

“We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.”
— Jimmy Carter

“You can do what you have to do, and sometimes you can do it even better than you think you can.”
— Jimmy Carter

"My position has always been, along with many other people, that any differences be resolved in a nonviolent way."
— Jimmy Carter

“We have to inspire our children and grandchildren to take on challenges and risks that at first may seem to be overwhelming, or even impossible. They need to understand that the only failure is not trying.”
— Jimmy Carter, in a speech at the 2016 meeting of the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases

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On Life

 “When I reflect upon my blessings during my very nice lifetime, I am inspired to make sure that I spend the balance of the days of my existence in a productive way.”
— Jimmy Carter

“I believe that anyone can be successful in life, regardless of natural talent or the environment within which we live. This is not based on measuring success by human competitiveness for wealth, possessions, influence, and fame, but adhering to God's standards of truth, justice, humility, service, compassion, forgiveness, and love.”
— Jimmy Carter, Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis

“Sometimes we face potential failure, and we have to remember to try anyway to find a way to reach our goal. We can overcome many global problems and build a better world if we all work together as a community”
— Jimmy Carter, in a speech at the 2016 meeting of the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases

“Earlier in my life, I thought the things that mattered were the things that you could see, like your car, your house, your wealth, your property, your office. But as I've grown older I've become convinced that the things that matter most are the things that you can't see — the love you share with others, your inner purpose, your comfort with who you are.”
— Jimmy Carter

“Failure is a reality; we all fail at times, and it's painful when we do. But it's better to fail while striving for something wonderful, challenging, adventurous, and uncertain than to say, ‘I don't want to try because I may not succeed completely.’”
― Jimmy Carter, Sources of Strength: Meditations on Scripture for a Living Faith

“We all know grandparents whose values transcend passing fads and pressures, and who possess the wisdom of distilled pain and joy.”
— Jimmy Carter

“Wherever life takes us, there are always moments of wonder.”
— Jimmy Carter

→ Read more quotes about life

→ Read more positive quotes about life and quotes about self care

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On Peace

“It is clear that global challenges must be met with an emphasis on peace, in harmony with others, with strong alliances and international consensus.”
— Jimmy Carter, The Nobel Peace Prize Lecture

“Because we are free we can never be indifferent to the fate of freedom elsewhere. Our moral sense dictates a clearcut preference for these societies which share with us an abiding respect for individual human rights. We do not seek to intimidate, but it is clear that a world which others can dominate with impunity would be inhospitable to decency and a threat to the well-being of all people.”
— Jimmy Carter

“Unless both sides win, no agreement can be permanent.”
— Jimmy Carter

“It is good to realize that if love and peace can prevail on earth, and if we can teach our children to honor nature’s gifts, the joys and beauties of the outdoors will be here forever.”
— Jimmy Carter

“It is clear that we must embrace human rights and aggressively challenge our society’s acceptance of violence, which should never be seen as normal or as the preferred means of solving problems.”
— Jimmy Carter, in a 2016 speech at the Center's annual Human Rights Defenders Forum

“Let us learn together and laugh together and work together and pray together, confident that in the end we will triumph together in the right.”
— Jimmy Carter, in his Inaugural Address

“We know that a peaceful world cannot long exist, one-third rich and two-thirds hungry.”
— Jimmy Carter

“I think the basic elevation of peace and human rights to the top of our priority list will submerge war and animosity and hatred and persecution to a very low level.”
— Jimmy Carter, in an interview for The Elders 

“The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices. God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to work together for peace. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can make these changes and we must remember, that there are many ways to accomplish our goals, together.”
— Jimmy Carter, in a speech at the 2016 meeting of the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases

→ Read more quotes about peace

→ Read more humanitarian quotes

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On Faith

“As we ask God for some blessing, we have an obligation to participate ourselves in the fulfillment of those dreams, aspirations, hopes, and ideas.”
― Jimmy Carter, Through the Year with Jimmy Carter: 366 Daily Meditations from the 39th President

“You only have to have two loves in your life: for God, and for the person in front of you at any particular time.”
― Jimmy Carter

“We should live our lives as though Christ were coming this afternoon.”
― Jimmy Carter

“In recent years, I have spoken out the best I could about the abuse of religious scriptures to promote various forms of violence, including the death penalty, discrimination and abuse of women, and unjust resort to warfare. These are direct violations of my own faith and other great religions, which are founded on love, kindness to strangers, not judging others, justice, and resolving disputes in the least violent manner.”
― Jimmy Carter, in a 2016 speech at the Center's annual Human Rights Defenders Forum

“I’m not in favor of the government mandating a prayer in school because our country was founded on the fact that no particular religious faith would have ascendance over or preferential treatment over any other.”
― Jimmy Carter

“When our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters are considered both different and inferior in the eyes of the God we worship, this belief tends to permeate society and everyone suffers.”
— Jimmy Carter, A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power

“We have a tendency to condemn people who are different from us, to define their sins as paramount and our own sinfulness as being insignificant.”
― Jimmy Carter

“We generally fail to realize is that all the major religions have the same basic principles. Everyone professes to believe in peace, professes to believe in hospitality, professes to believe in caring for those in need, professes to be generous with our time and with our money to others who are in desperate states.”
— Jimmy Carter, in an interview for The Elders 

→ Read more quotes about poverty

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On Service

“We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes — and we must. ”
— Jimmy Carter

“In our democracy, the only title higher and more powerful than that of president is the title of citizen. It is every citizen’s right and duty to help shape the future legacy of our nation.”
— Jimmy Carter, in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal

“In this great country of ours, it is inexcusable that so many children grow up in poverty and despair. The well-being of our children must be the national priority and the responsibility of every individual.”
— Jimmy Carter

“Each of us citizens, especially in a democracy, must examine ourselves — individually and as a nation — to see how we can improve. We do this not with condemnation, but constructively.”
— Jimmy Carter

“[The next] generation, including my grandchildren, can join in making our great country a superpower in all meanings of the word: an exalted example of being a champion of peace, justice, democracy, human rights, environmental quality, and generosity to those in need. This is America's destiny, which you must help to shape.”
— Jimmy Carter

→ Read more quotes about making a difference

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On the United States

“Democracy is a framework that permits a people to accommodate changing times and correct past mistakes. Since our independence, the United States has rid itself of slavery, granted women the right to vote, ended almost a century of legal racial discrimination, and [reformed election laws].”
— Jimmy Carter, in a speech from Cuba

“We must resist the polarization that is reshaping our identities around politics. We must focus on a few core truths: that we are all human, we are all Americans and we have common hopes for our communities and our country to thrive.”
— Jimmy Carter, in an op-ed in the New York Times

“My nation is hardly perfect in human rights. A very large number of our citizens are incarcerated in prison, and there is little doubt that the death penalty is imposed most harshly on those who are poor, black, or mentally ill. For more than a quarter century, we have struggled unsuccessfully to guarantee the basic right of universal health care for our people. Still, guaranteed civil liberties offer every citizen an opportunity to change these laws.”
— Jimmy Carter, in a speech from Cuba

“For American democracy to endure, we must demand that our leaders and candidates uphold the ideals of freedom and adhere to high standards of conduct.”
— Jimmy Carter, in an op-ed in the New York Times

“While citizens can disagree on policies, people of all political stripes must agree on fundamental constitutional principles and norms of fairness, civility, and respect for the rule of law. Citizens should be able to participate easily in transparent, safe, and secure electoral processes. Claims of election irregularities should be submitted in good faith for adjudication by the courts, with all participants agreeing to accept the findings. And the election process should be conducted peacefully, free of intimidation and violence.” 
— Jimmy Carter, in an op-ed in the New York Times

“Ours was the first nation to be founded on the idea that all are created equal and all deserve equal treatment under the law. Despite our missteps and shortcomings, these ideals still inspire hope among the oppressed and give us pride in being Americans.” 
— Jimmy Carter, in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal

“My prayer is that we also, the United States, become the undisputed champion of peace. Wouldn’t it be nice if every country on earth, when they have a threat of warfare, would say, ‘Why don’t we go to Washington, because the American people are dedicated to peace?’

"I pray also that we become the undisputed champion of human rights. We should restore the United Nations to its original purpose and commitment. Our hallmark should be a peaceful diplomacy.”
— Jimmy Carter, in a 2016 speech at the Center's annual Human Rights Defenders Forum‍

→ Read more death penalty quotes

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On Serving as President

“Thoughtful criticism and close scrutiny of all government officials by the press and the public are an important part of our democratic society.”
— Jimmy Carter, in his Farewell Address 

“The life of every human being on earth can depend on the experience, judgment, and vigilance of the person in the Oval Office.”
— Jimmy Carter

“Human rights is the soul of our foreign policy because human rights are the very soul of our sense of nationhood.”
— Jimmy Carter

“Everyone who has run knows that its most important value is in removing tension and allowing a release from whatever other cares the day may bring.”
— Jimmy Carter

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On War & Conflict

“War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn to live together in peace by killing each other’s children.”
— Jimmy Carter, The Nobel Peace Prize Lecture

“We cannot be both the world's leading champion of peace and the world's leading supplier of the weapons of war.”
— Jimmy Carter

 “War and good health are incompatible. There’s no way we can go [eradicate diseases] in an area that is at war.”
— Jimmy Carter

“So I think that we need to be more reluctant to go to war, and to go there only in desperate conditions when all avenues towards peace are exhausted, including good-faith discussions, either directly with our potential adversaries or through a trusted intermediary.”
— Jimmy Carter, in an interview for The Elders  

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On Leadership

“What is needed now, more than ever, is leadership that steers us away from fear and fosters greater confidence in the inherent goodness and ingenuity of humanity.”
— Jimmy Carter, in a 2016 speech at the Center's annual Human Rights Defenders Forum

“A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained.”
— Jimmy Carter

“We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.”
— Jimmy Carter

“We have learned that ‘more’ is not necessarily ‘better,’ that even our great nation has its recognized limits, and that we can neither answer all questions nor solve all problems... we must simply do our best.”
— Jimmy Carter

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On Immigration

“We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.”
— Jimmy Carter

“After 43 years of animosity, we hope that someday soon, [Cuba] can reach across the great divide that separates our two countries and say, ‘We are ready to join the community of democracies,’ and I hope that Americans will soon open our arms to you and say, ‘We welcome you as our friends.’”
— Jimmy Carter, in a speech from Cuba

“We need a fair and responsible national policy that enforces laws and protects the human rights of those on our country who are not yet citizens.”
— Jimmy Carter

“Our nation has long been a beacon of hope for those fleeing violence or persecution. [Rosalynn and I] urge Americans to open their hearts to these refugees and support them as they work to build new lives here among us. We stand with the people of Ukraine in their courageous fight for democracy and freedom.”
— Jimmy Carter

“Americans know the heart of the stranger. The colonies that became the United States were founded by refugees from religious persecution, and our religious traditions call on us to welcome the stranger.”
— Jimmy Carter, in a statement commemorating the anniversary of the Refugee Act of 1980

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On Health

“We have a moral obligation to prevent suffering wherever we can.”
— Jimmy Carter 

“I am cheered by the knowledge that there are mothers in Colombia and Ecuador and Mexico and Guatemala that never have to worry again about their families going blind from river blindness. I have to remember that there are women in Ethiopia who will never suffer from the ravages of blinding trachoma. There are millions of people in Plateau and Nasarawa States in Nigeria no longer exposed to lymphatic filariasis. And I have to remember that there will soon be no Guinea worm anywhere in the world. I think of these realities and I am energized again.”
— Jimmy Carter, in a speech at the 2016 meeting of the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases

“The awareness that health is dependent upon habits that we control makes us the first generation in history that to a large extent determines its own destiny.”
— Jimmy Carter

“I think all Americans believe in human rights. And health is an often overlooked aspect of basic human rights. And it's one that's easily corrected. The reason I say that is that many of the diseases that we treat around the world, I knew when I was a child. My mother was a registered nurse. And they no longer exist in our country.”
— Jimmy Carter

→ Read more quotes about public health

→ Read more quotes about hunger

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On the Rights of Women & Girls

“I can tell you without any equivocation that the number one abuse of human rights on Earth is the abuse of women and girls.”
— Jimmy Carter, in his TEDWomen talk

“Women are key agents of the changes we need. Women are excluded from leadership in religion, in family and community decision-making, and in legislatures and other political offices. When half of the world’s population is not consulted on important decisions and policies, it is no wonder that so many problems persist.”
— Jimmy Carter, in a 2016 speech at the Center's annual Human Rights Defenders Forum

“When women are empowered in significant numbers, in the corporate world as well as in politics and in daily life, better decisions are made and more sustainable solutions are adopted.”
— Jimmy Carter, in a 2016 speech at the Center's annual Human Rights Defenders Forum

“I have become convinced that the most serious and unaddressed worldwide challenge is the deprivation and abuse of women and girls, largely caused by a false interpretation of carefully selected religious texts and a growing tolerance of violence and warfare.”
— Jimmy Carter, A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power

“The best thing that we could do today is for the women in the powerful nations like this one, and where you come from, Europe and so forth, who have influence and who have freedom to speak and to act, to take the responsibility on yourselves to be more forceful in demanding an end to racial discrimination against girls and women all over the world.”
— Jimmy Carter, in his TEDWomen talk

“I hope that all of you will join me in being a champion for women and girls around the world and protect their human rights.”
— Jimmy Carter, in his TEDWomen talk

→ Read more quotes about hope

→ Read more quotes about optimism

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On Race & Diversity

“The test of a government is not how popular it is with the powerful and privileged few but how honestly and fairly it deals with the many who must depend on it.”
— Jimmy Carter

“We are of course a nation of differences. Those differences don't make us weak. They're the source of our strength.”
— Jimmy Carter

“No poor, rural, weak, or black person should ever again have to bear the additional burden of being deprived of the opportunity for an education, a job, or simple justice.”
— Jimmy Carter

“I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over.”
— Jimmy Carter

“People of power, privilege, and moral conscience must stand up and say ‘no more’ to a racially discriminatory police and justice system, immoral economic disparities between whites and blacks, and government actions that undermine our unified democracy. We are responsible for creating a world of peace and equality for ourselves and future generations.”
— Jimmy Carter

→ Read more quotes about humanity

→ Read more quotes about justice

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More Inspiring Jimmy Carter Quotes

“Tremendous progress can be made if we persevere through difficult challenges.”
— Jimmy Carter

“When people are intimidated about having their own opinions, oppression is at hand.”
— Jimmy Carter

“If you fear making anyone mad, then you ultimately probe for the lowest common denominator of human achievement.”
— Jimmy Carter

“In every instance that I have known of with confrontation with the government and the press, the press was always right. So keep it up.”
— Jimmy Carter

“Remember these words: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’
This vision still grips the imagination of the world. But we know that democracy is always an unfinished creation. Each generation must renew its foundations. Each generation must rediscover the meaning of this hallowed vision in the light of its own modern challenges. For this generation, ours, life is nuclear survival; liberty is human rights; the pursuit of happiness is a planet whose resources are devoted to the physical and spiritual nourishment of its inhabitants.”
— Jimmy Carter

“The more involvement that people have in choosing their own leaders and shaping their own destiny, the better off they are.”
— Jimmy Carter, in an interview for The Elders 

“To learn how to use new technology is very good, because it gives people access to each other’s thoughts and beliefs and it breaks down national barriers, religious barriers, and generic values.”
— Jimmy Carter, in an interview for The Elders 

“I’ve learned that people who are desperately poor have the same hopes, the same work ethic, and the same dreams, as you and I. They are just as dedicated and just as intelligent. When they receive the right tools and training, they will implement the solutions themselves, become empowered, and be ready to address other challenges. They want to improve their own lives, and they just need some help.”
— Jimmy Carter, in a speech at the 2016 meeting of the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases

“But I owe my deepest thanks to you, the American people, because you gave me this extraordinary opportunity to serve. We have faced great challenges together. We know that future problems will also be difficult, but I am now more convinced than ever that the United States — better than any other nation — can meet successfully whatever the future might bring.”
— Jimmy Carter