Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill (1874 –1965) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and also from 1951 to 1955. As well as being an office in the British arm, Churchill was an author and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his own historical writings, “for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values.” Below are some of the greatest quotes by Winston Churchill.

Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.

Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it.

For myself I am an optimist – it does not seem to be much use to be anything else.

Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.

To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.

Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.

If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time – a tremendous whack.

It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time.

However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.

Difficulties mastered are opportunities won.

You create your own universe as you go along.

Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong.

Good and great are seldom in the same man.

You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.

If you’re going through hell, keep going.