10 Jackie Kennedy Quotes That Perfectly Capture Her Signature Classiness and Composure
'I want to live my life, not record it'—and other life lessons that feel more relevant than ever
Jackie Kennedy wasn’t just the first lady, she was a true cultural icon who inspired multiple generations with her style, intelligence and advocacy. Kennedy came from a privileged upbringing and brought tastefulness to every area of her personal and professional life—and after the harrowing experience of her husband’s 1963 assassination, she became an icon of resilience, comporting herself with grace as she endured the unthinkable.
Ever since her time in the White House, Kennedy has been considered the blueprint of the ideal first lady, and while she achieved celebrity status, she never developed an ego, remaining modest yet glamorous until her death in 1994.
Here are 10 quotes that perfectly capture Jackie Kennedy’s thoughtful approach to family, etiquette and managing grief.
1. “If you bungle raising your children, I don’t think whatever else you do well matters very much.”
Jackie was a devoted mother to Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr., and she believed that it was essential for all parents to raise their children with kindness and dignity.
2. “One must not let oneself be overwhelmed by sadness.”
Kennedy suffered many devastating losses, but even as she was dealing with trauma, she was able to put on a brave face.
3. “We should all do something to right the wrongs that we see and not just complain about them.”
It’s easy to complain about the negative things we see in the world, but Kennedy sought to take action, and was a fierce advocate for historic preservation and the arts.
4. “I want to live my life, not record it.”
Given that we’re now in the age of social media and constant selfie-taking, this Kennedy quote about living in the moment feels way ahead of its time.
5. “If we don’t care about our past, we can’t have very much hope for our future.”
In a fast-paced world, people don’t often stop to consider history and context, and Kennedy saw this tendency as a major flaw.
6. “I’ll be a wife and mother first, then first lady.”
Six decades after her time in the White House, Kennedy is still credited with setting the gold standard for how a first lady should present herself, but she cared more about her family than her public-facing role.
7. “All the talk over what I wear and how I fix my hair has me amused, but it also puzzles me. What does my hairdo have to do with my husband’s ability to be president?”
As a woman in a position of power in the ’60s, Kennedy’s every move was scrutinized, and there was much conversation about how she looked, but she rightly pointed out the hypocrisy of the focus on her appearance.
8. “Even though people may be well known they still hold in their hearts the emotions of a simple person for the moments that are the most important of those we know on earth—birth, marriage, death.”
Kennedy may have been a posh public figure, but she felt that when it came to the fundamentals of life, she wasn’t so different from everyone else.
9. “All the changes in the world, for good or evil, were first brought about by words.”
In the ’70s, following the death of her second husband, Aristotle Onassis, Jackie O. became an editor, and she was a firm believer in the power of language.
10. “I think my biggest achievement is that, after going through a rather difficult time, I consider myself comparatively sane.”
After losing so many of the people closest to her, Kennedy still managed to carry herself with grace, and she’s long been a role model for the way she managed to pull through the hardest situations.
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