160 Exceptionalism Quotes

Following is our list of exceptionalism quotations and slogans full of insightful wisdom and perspective about american equality.

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Famous Exceptionalism Quotes

I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism. — Barack Obama

that strange conflict in the American character: we pride ourselves on being the melting pot of the world but we insist on regarding most immigrants with suspicion. — Gene Tierney

America is not just a power, it is a promise. It is not enough for our country to be extraordinary in might; it must be exemplary in meaning. — Nelson Rockefeller

American individualism, much celebrated and cherished, has developed without its essential corrective, which is belonging. — Wallace Stegner

It seems that American patriotism measures itself against an outcast group. The right Americans are the right Americans because they're not like the wrong Americans, who are not really Americans. — E. J. Hobsbawm

It seems that American patriotism measures itself against an outcast group. The right Americans are the right Americans because they're not like the wrong Americans, who are not really Americans. — Eric Hobsbawm

Americans are overreaching; overreaching is the most admirable and most American of the many American excesses. — George Will

It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. — Vladimir Putin

For other nations, utopia is a blessed past never to be recovered; for Americans it is just beyond the horizon. — Henry Kissinger

America - it is a fabulous country, the only fabulous country; it is the only place where miracles not only happen, but where they happen all the time. — Thomas Wolfe

Ours is the only country deliberately founded on a good idea. — John Gunther

Americans are far more remarkable than we give ourselves credit for. We've been so busy damning ourselves for years. We've done it all, and yet we don't take credit for it. — Ray Bradbury

There is nothing the matter with Americans except their ideals. The real American is all right; it is the ideal American who is all wrong. — G. K. Chesterton

America is the story of everyday people who did extraordinary things. A story woven deep into the fabric of our society. — Marco Rubio

Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it. — George Bernard Shaw

Short Exceptionalism Quotes

  • A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives. — Jackie Robinson
  • I've never stolen anything in my life, except maybe a couple hearts here and there. — CM Punk
  • Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another. — Paul the Apostle
  • What is love except another name for the use of positive reinforcement? Or vice versa. — B. F. Skinner
  • The rocket worked perfectly, except for landing on the wrong planet. — Wernher Von Braun
  • Digital design is like painting, except the paint never dries. — Neville Brody
  • Everything has been figured out, except how to live. — Jean-Paul Sartre
  • There is nothing permanent except change. — Heraclitus
  • You can’t be great if you don’t feel great. Make exceptional health your priority. — Robin S. Sharma
  • Nothing is more beautiful than a guitar, except, possibly two. — Frederic Chopin

Exceptionalism Image Quotes

Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion. - Democritus quote

Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion. — Democritus

Exceptionalism quote People don't realize that now is all there ever is; There is no past or future except as memory or a
People don't realize that now is all there ever is; There is no past or future except as memory or anticipation in your mind.
There is nothing new except what has been forgotten. - Marie Antoinette quote

There is nothing new except what has been forgotten. — Marie Antoinette

I've been accused of every death except the casualty list of the World War. - Al Capone quote

I've been accused of every death except the casualty list of the World War. — Al Capone

Love conquers all things except poverty and toothache. - Mae West quote

Love conquers all things except poverty and toothache. — Mae West

Exceptionalism quote People tend to make rules for others and exceptions for themselves.
People tend to make rules for others and exceptions for themselves.
I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself. - Rita Mae Brown quote

I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself. — Rita Mae Brown

Do not look for a sanctuary in anyone except yourself. - Buddha quote

Do not look for a sanctuary in anyone except yourself. — Buddha

I've never been hurt by a sea creature, except for jellyfish and sea urchins. - Peter Benchley quote

I've never been hurt by a sea creature, except for jellyfish and sea urchins. — Peter Benchley

Exceptionalism quote I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself.
I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself.
The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions. - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. quote

The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions. — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Nothing can be done except little by little. - Charles Baudelaire quote

Nothing can be done except little by little. — Charles Baudelaire

Exceptionalism quote To create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail.
To create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail.
I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched. - Edgar Allan Poe quote

I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched. — Edgar Allan Poe

A tree never hits an automobile except in self defense. - American Indian Proverbs quote

A tree never hits an automobile except in self defense. — American Indian Proverbs

Everybody knows how to raise children, except the people who have them. - P. J. O'Rourke quote

Everybody knows how to raise children, except the people who have them. — P. J. O'Rourke

Of course, clothing fashions have always been impractical, except in Tahiti. - Jacques Barzun quote

Of course, clothing fashions have always been impractical, except in Tahiti. — Jacques Barzun

Principles have no real force except when one is well-fed. - Mark Twain quote

Principles have no real force except when one is well-fed. — Mark Twain

Success is having to worry about every damn thing in the world, except money. - Johnny Cash quote

Success is having to worry about every damn thing in the world, except money. — Johnny Cash

I can resist everything except temptation. - Oscar Wilde quote

I can resist everything except temptation. — Oscar Wilde

Exceptionalism quote I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.
I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.
Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best. - Andrew Carnegie quote

Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best. — Andrew Carnegie

Nature provides exceptions to every rule. - Margaret Fuller quote

Nature provides exceptions to every rule. — Margaret Fuller

Deaf people can do anything, except hear. - Marlee Matlin quote

Deaf people can do anything, except hear. — Marlee Matlin

Exceptionalism quote Use what talent you possess; the wood would be very silent if no bird sang except those that sang be
Use what talent you possess; the wood would be very silent if no bird sang except those that sang best.
There are no ugly questions except those clothed in condescension. - John Steinbeck quote

There are no ugly questions except those clothed in condescension. — John Steinbeck

Exceptionalism quote Everything is shit except you
Everything is shit except you

British Exceptionalism Quotes

Since the introduction of inanimate mechanism into British manufactories, man, with few exceptions, has been treated as a secondary and inferior machine; and far more attention has been given to perfect the raw materials of wood and metals than those of body and mind. — Robert Owen

The British were indeed very far superior to the Americans in every respect necessary to military operations, except the revivified courage and resolution, the result of sudden success after despair. — Mercy Otis Warren

When I write I have no loyalty except to historical truth as I see it and care no more about British achievements and mistakes than any other. — A. J. P. Taylor

Exceptionalism quote There is nothing permanent except change.
There is nothing permanent except change.

The British soldier can stand up to anything except the British War Office. — George Bernard Shaw

Each section of the British Isles has its own way of laughing, except Wales, which doesn't. — Stephen Leacock

I used to go to my local pub and it was like a sanctuary, nobody dared ask for an autograph. You went in there for a ploughman's and a pint, and you went home and watched TV. Believe me, there's more to watch on British TV than American, except for CNN right now. But yeah, I miss it. — Phil Collins

Exceptionalism quote Success depends in a very large measure upon individual initiative and exertion, and cannot be achie
Success depends in a very large measure upon individual initiative and exertion, and cannot be achieved except by a dint of hard work.

I've never watched reality shows, except for the Great British Bake Off, which is magnificent. — Joss Whedon

The Americans are identical to the British in all respects except, of course, language. — Oscar Wilde

I wonder if a single thought that has helped forward the human spirit has ever been conceived or written down in an enormous room: except, perhaps, in the reading room of the British Museum. — Kenneth Clark

Everything went smoothly at the sailing events today, except for the British team. They forgot to bring limes and they all got scurvy. — Craig Ferguson

American Equality Quotes

Don't be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn't do what you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn't know what you know today. — Malcolm X

Violence is black children going to school for 12 years and receiving 6 years' worth of education. — Julian Bond

True patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual, freedom and equality not only for Americans but for all people on earth, universal brotherhood and good will, and a constant and earnest striving toward the principles and ideals on which this country was founded. — Eleanor Roosevelt

Exceptionalism quote I'm not a fan of idleness, except in small doses.
I'm not a fan of idleness, except in small doses.

I'll tell you how I'd like to be remembered: As a black man who won the heavyweight title - Who has humorous and who never looked down on those who looked up to him - A man who stood for freedom, justice and equality - And I wouldn't even mind if folks forgot how pretty I was. — Muhammad Ali

To be free . . . to walk the good American earth as equal citizens, to live without fear, to enjoy the fruits of our toil, to give our children every opportunity in life--that dream which we have held so long in our hearts is today the destiny that we hold in our hands. — Paul Robeson

Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.... The subjection of individuals will increase amongst democratic nations, not only in the same proportion as their equality, but in the same proportion as their ignorance. — Alexis de Tocqueville

Its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery . . . is his natural and normal condition. — Alexander H. Stephens

I think it is appropriate to ask whether this trend is compatible with values rooted in our nation's history, among them the high value Americans have traditionally placed on equality of opportunity. — Janet Yellen

On the road to equality there is no better place for blacks to detour around American values than in forgoing its example in the treatment of its women and the organization of its family. — Eleanor Holmes Norton

Every single American - gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender - every single American deserves to be treated equally in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of our society. It’s a pretty simple proposition. — Barack Obama

No Exception Quotes

There is no difference between communism and socialism, except in the means of achieving the same ultimate end: communism proposes to enslave men by force, socialism - by vote. It is merely the difference between murder and suicide. — Ayn Rand

We shall never be clothed with the righteousness of Christ except we first know assuredly that we have no righteousness of our own. — John Calvin

No one can believe how powerful prayer is and what it can effect, except those who have learned it by experience. Whenever I have prayed earnestly, I have been heard and have obtained more than I prayed for. God sometimes delays, but He always comes. — Martin Luther

My thing is that I don't give no person that much power over my path that I'm walking. Not one person can make or break what I'm doing, except me or God. — Nipsey Hussle

The past is no more; the future not yet. Nothing exists except the here and now. Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at our hands. — Bruce Lee

Muhammad has always been standing higher than the Christianity. He does not consider god as a human being and never makes himself equal to God. Muslims worship nothing except God and Muhammad is his Messenger. There is no any mystery and secret in it. — Leo Tolstoy

No love that a man has will only give him pleasure in return- he shall also suffer pain because of it, except for love of Allah. — Ibn Taymiyyah

I am pleased that I am able to stand here today and say with a pure heart and meaningful heart that I am against the death penalty. There is no purpose that it serves except to further the damage that death has already done. — Mamie Till

Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. — Marquis de Lafayette

Life has no limitations, except the ones you make. - Les Brown

Life has no limitations, except the ones you make. — Les Brown

Making Exception Quotes

I don’t believe in courtship.It’s a waste of time. If I love the person, I’ll tell her right away. But for you, I’ll make an exception. Just love me now, and I’ll court you forever. — Ferdinand Marcos

There's a lot of money in wars, except in the war on poverty. Can't make any bread helping the poor. — Lenny Bruce

Nothing matters except life and the love you make. — Chris Martin

Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. - Theodosius Dobzhansky

Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. — Theodosius Dobzhansky

We have more than enough to take care of everybody on earth at this time. If we have a shortage of anything, it's very easy for science to make a substitute material. There's no shortage of anything except brains in Washington. — Jacque Fresco

You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind. — Dale Carnegie

The only way that you can make the most money is to provide an exceptional valued service and charge a ton of money for it. — Alex Hormozi

The essence of immorality is the tendency to make an exception of myself. - Jane Addams

The essence of immorality is the tendency to make an exception of myself. — Jane Addams

Equality is not in the natural order of things, and the crusade to make everyone equal in every respect (except before the law) is certain to have disastrous consequences. — Murray Rothbard

The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely. — Lorraine Hansberry

Over Exception Quotes

When church is over and there's no one there to listen except the only One who matters, do you still have that same passionate joy in your spirit, just to be alone with the Living God? — Keith Green

All of our people all over the country-except the pure-blooded Indians-are immigrants or descendants of immigrants, including even those who came over here on the Mayflower. — Franklin D. Roosevelt

There is no longer a way out of our present situation except by forging a road toward our objective, violently and by force, over a sea of blood and under a horizon blazing with fire. — Gamal Abdel Nasser

After you have been unfair to him he will love you again, but he will never afterwards be quite the same boy. No one ever gets over the first unfairness; no one except Peter. — James M. Barrie

The war, with the exception of Kharkiv and Odessa, as far as the Russians are concerned is largely over. There is no intention to do anything else. — Douglas Macgregor

Anthropology is the science which tells us that people are the same the whole world over-except when they are different. — Nancy Banks-Smith

Satan has no power over us except what we allow. Moment by moment, decision by decision, step by step - will we operate in God's all powerful Truth or allow Satan to entangle us in his lies? — Lysa TerKeurst

It's funny how you can forget everything except people loving you. Maybe that's why humans find it so hard getting over love affairs. It's not the pain they're getting over, it's the love. — Melina Marchetta

Death makes no sense except to people who have passionately loved life. How can one die without having something to part from? Detachment is a negation of both life and death. Whoever has overcome his fear of death has also triumphed over life. For life is nothing but another word for this fear. — Emile M. Cioran

It is the highest impertinence and presumption, therefore, in kings and ministers to pretend to watch over the economy of private people, and to restrain their expense. They are themselves, always, and without any exception, the greatest spendthrifts in the society. — Adam Smith

American Exceptionalism Quotes

Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting. — Franklin D. Roosevelt

When any tyrant hates America and denies its exceptional role in the struggle for freedom, he recognizes his own inevitable defeat. To Russian tyranny I say the world needs more, not less, American exceptionalism. — Volodymyr Zelenskyy

I like to call the ethos I grew up with 'Oklahoma values.' But you'd be just as accurate if you said 'American values.' Except for our lack of a seacoast, Oklahoma has a little bit of just about everything that's American. — J. C. Watts

In civil and political affairs, American women take no interest or concern, except so far as they sympathize with their family and personal friends; but in all cases, in which they do feel a concern, their opinions and feelings have a consideration, equal or even superior, to that of the other sex. — Catharine Beecher

We must develop a federal program of public works, retraining, and jobs for all - so that none, white or black, will have cause to feel threatened . . . There is nothing except shortsightedness to prevent us from guaranteeing an annual minimum and livable income for every American family. — Martin Luther King, Jr.

I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit. — Theodore Roosevelt

Walking takes longer... than any other known form of locomotion except crawling. Thus it stretches time and prolongs life. Life is already too short to waste on speed. — Edward Abbey

American audiences are just the same as any other audiences. Except a bit more boring. — Sid Vicious

It seems to be a law in American life that whatever enriches us anywhere except in the wallet inevitably becomes uneconomic. — Russell Baker

American exceptionalism? Exceptional at what? Waging wars against innocent people for fake reasons? Exceptional at what? Being addicted to pharmaceutical drugs that have people's minds wasted? Exceptional at what? Eating more junk food and becoming the most obese nation on Earth? — Gerald Celente

Exception To The Rule Quotes

From the naturalistic point of view, all men are equal. There are only two exceptions to this rule of naturalistic equality: geniuses and idiots. — Mikhail Bakunin

Nature gives us all, including Prof. Lorentz, surprises. It was very quickly found that there are many exceptions to the rule of splitting of the lines only into triplets. — Pieter Zeeman

The only exception to the emotions rule is anger: controlled anger is a deadly weapon. — Tim Grover

Because I don`t think it`s true. I don`t think corruption is endemic to the process in Annapolis at all. It`s the exception, not the rule. — Brian E. Frosh

The devotion of thought to an honest achievement makes the achievement possible. Exceptions only confirm this rule, proving that failure is occasioned by a too feeble faith. — Mary Baker Eddy

Even the Founding Fathers of the U.S., nowadays considered the model of a democracy, were strictly opposed to it. Without a single exception, they thought of democracy as nothing but mob-rule. — Hans-Hermann Hoppe

There is no exception to the rule that every rule has an exception. — James Thurber

There are no exceptions to the rule that everybody likes to be an exception to the rule. — Charles Osgood

Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule. — Stephen King

I don’t read Scripture and cling to no life precepts, except perhaps to Walter Cronkite’s rules for old men, which he did not deliver over the air: Never trust a fart. Never pass up a drink. Never ignore an erection. — Roger Angell

I M The Exception Quotes

The only art I'm interested in is the art I don't understand right away. If you understand it right away it really has no use except as nostalgia. — Lawrence Weiner

I don't say: 'can't do that', 'won't do that'. I've never thought in that way about work. The genuine truth, and I do think about this a lot, is that I'm one of the least competitive people you'll ever meet. Except with myself. — Daniel Craig

I’m no good for anything except taking the world apart and putting it together again (and I manage the latter less and less frequently). — Jacques Derrida

I would be scared to go under the knife, but you know, talk to me when I'm 50. I'll try anything. Except I won't do Botox again, because I looked crazy. I looked like Joan Rivers! — Gwyneth Paltrow

I'm too shy to express my sexual needs except over the phone to people I don't know. — Garry Shandling

I'm fully aware that I am a lucky, lucky man. This Oscar belongs to all of those people around the world battling ALS. It belongs to one exceptional family, and I will be it's custodian and I promise you that I will polish him, and wait on him hand and foot. — Eddie Redmayne

I'm in favor of liberalizing immigration because of the effect it would have on restaurants. I'd let just about everybody in except the English. — Calvin Trillin

One moment I'm perfectly fine and the next I feel a wave of nausea, then panic. Then I can't catch my breath and I know I'm about to lose control and all I want to do is escape. Except that the one thing I can't escape from is the very thing I want to run away from... me. — Jenny Lawson

Everything is ironic to me. There are moments I find hysterical, but I'm probably the only one who would find that, except for a few people. — River Phoenix

Nothing's riding on this, except the First Amendment to the Constitution, freedom of the press and maybe the future of the country. Not that any of that matters, but if you guys f-k up again, I'm gonna get mad. — Ben Bradlee

You Are The Only Exception Quotes

Study nothing except in the knowledge that you already knew it. Worship nothing except in adoration of your true self. And fear nothing except in the certainty that you are your enemy's begetter and its only hope of healing. — Clive Barker

You're born absolutely free except for laws of nature, if you drink you get drunk, that's a law, if you get old you die, that's a law too; if you sit on a tack you will bleed from the ass, these are the only laws that you're born with. — Doug Stanhope

There's nothing of any importance in life — except how well you do your work. Nothing. Only that. Whatever else you are, will come from that. It's the only measure of human value. — Ayn Rand

Love is the strongest emotion any creature can feel except for hate, but hate can't hurt you. Love, and trust, and friendship, and all the other emotions humans value so much, are the only emotions that can bring pain. Only love can break a heart into so many pieces. — Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Once I thought ideas were exceptions not the rule. That is not so. Ideas are so plentiful that they ride on air. You have only to reach out and snatch one. — Rod McKuen

There are no absolutes in relationships. You can't take anything for granted. You can count on absolutely nothing but the unexpected. You only get in trouble when you start thinking that you're some kind of exception to the rule. — Emily Giffin

Men are never convinced of your reasons, of your sincerity, of the seriousness of your sufferings, except by your death. So long as you are alive, your case is doubtful; you have a right only to their skepticism. — Albert Camus

The Hebrew scriptures say it's okay to enslave anybody except your fellow Jews. It says you should enslave only your neighbors. I say to people that means Mexicans and Canadians are a bit at risk if we want to be literal about the Bible. — John Shelby Spong

You despise books; you whose lives are absorbed in the vanities of ambition, the pursuit of pleasure or indolence; but remember that all the known world, excepting only savage nations, is governed by books. — Voltaire

The mean reds are horrible. You're afraid and you sweat like hell, but you don't know what you're afraid of. Except something bad is going to happen, only you don't know what it is. — Holly Golightly

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More Exceptionalism Quotes

Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. - Gioachino Rossini quote

Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Gioachino Rossini

A tree never hits an automobile except in self defense. - Woody Allen quote

A tree never hits an automobile except in self defense. — Woody Allen

Whatever you do, always give 100%. Unless you're donating blood. - Bill Murray quote

Whatever you do, always give 100%. Unless you're donating blood. — Bill Murray

I am not interested in the past, except as the road to the future. - Gianni Versace quote

I am not interested in the past, except as the road to the future. — Gianni Versace

One can acquire everything in solitude except character. - Stendhal quote

One can acquire everything in solitude except character. — Stendhal

All things are possible, except skiing through a revolving door. - Woody Allen quote

All things are possible, except skiing through a revolving door. — Woody Allen

I ask nothing of the Jews except that they should disappear. - Hans Frank quote

I ask nothing of the Jews except that they should disappear. — Hans Frank

I'm afraid of NOTHING except being bored! - Greta Garbo quote

I'm afraid of NOTHING except being bored! — Greta Garbo

A straight path never leads anywhere except to the objective. - Andre Gide quote

A straight path never leads anywhere except to the objective. — Andre Gide

Man has demonstrated that he is master of everything -- except his own nature. - Henry Miller quote

Man has demonstrated that he is master of everything -- except his own nature. — Henry Miller

There is no failure except in no longer trying. - Elbert Hubbard quote

There is no failure except in no longer trying. — Elbert Hubbard

I don't do anything with my life except romanticize and decay with indecision. - Allen Ginsberg quote

I don't do anything with my life except romanticize and decay with indecision. — Allen Ginsberg

Anything lost, can be found again, except for time wasted A vision without action is merely a dream Action, it's the grind, it's the hustle, it's the persistence — Kevin Gates

If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude. — Colin Powell

Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed. — Saint Francis de Sales

God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours. — David Livingstone

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