When thinking of a list of famous historical quotes, millions seem to come to mind. Below are listed a few along with a translation of what that quote means in layman’s terms, and the person who said it.

And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.

John F. Kennedy; this basically means that instead of always trying to get something from your country, you should be more selfless and try and give a piece of yourself to make your country better. It is a basic lesson in selflessness that every citizen needs to learn.

Each nation feels superior to other nations. That breeds patriotism – and wars.

Dale Carnegie; this quote is telling us that every nation feels that it is the best, and this feeling of superiority over other nations not only makes everyone promote their own nation, but sometimes it causes hatred and violence between other nations. This quote is telling us that patriotism can be a good thing in moderation, but that it should not be taken out of proportion to the point where it infringes on another nation’s ability to exist.

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.

Mark Twain; this is telling us that there is a distinct difference between supporting a country and supporting a government. After all, governments have been known to drastically change throughout the years, and supporting a country does not always mean supporting its government. Twain says that we should always support our country, but if there is something wrong with the government we shouldn’t stand back and watch the country fall apart.