Eddie Rickenbacker Quotes
Born: October 8, 1890
Eddie Rickenbacker, a World War I flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient, later became a titan of Eastern Air Lines. Yet his deepest legacy lies in the quiet resilience forged in crisis. After surviving 24 days adrift at sea, Rickenbacker emerged with a profound philosophy: peace is not the absence of struggle, but the mindful presence within it. His quotes resonate because they transform raw courage into serene wisdom, teaching that true strength is found in stillness. For those seeking mindfulness, Rickenbacker’s words are a compass, guiding the restless spirit home to its own calm center.
Eddie Rickenbacker Quotes (22)
"Courage is doing what you are afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you are scared."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"Aviation is proof that given, the will, we have the capacity to achieve the impossible."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"I can give you a six-word formula for success: Think things through - then follow through."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"The four cornerstones of character on which the structure of this nation was built are: Initiative, Imagination, Individuality and Independence."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"I shall never ask any pilot to go on a mission that I won't go on."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"Fighting in the air is not a sport. It is scientific murder."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"I would rather have a million friends than a million dollars."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"I'll fight like a wildcat until they nail the lid of my pine box down on me."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"The obviously inexperienced pilot is the game the scientific air-fighter goes after, and the majority of victories are won that way. But, on the other hand, it is the novice usually who gets the famous ace by doing at some moment the unexpected thing."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"There is a peculiar gratification in receiving congratulations from one's squadron for a victory in the air. It is worth more to a pilot than the applause of the whole outside world."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"It is the easiest thing in the world to die. The hardest is to live."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"The sensation of dying is sweet, sensuous, placid."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"I am not a labor hater."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"Sports of every sort had always appealed to me."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"The experienced fighting pilot does not take unnecessary risks. His business is to shoot down enemy planes, not to get shot down."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"Some friends are better shots than are casual enemies."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"Flying is one of the safest jobs in the Army as long as you don't drop out. If you do drop out, you are a dead man, and dropping out means, usually, that you have made a mistake or let go of your grip."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"When I look up and see the sun shining on the patch of white clouds up in the blue, I begin to think how it would feel to be up somewhere above it winging swiftly thought the clear air, watching the earth below, and the men on it, no bigger than ants."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"Never count on the crowd to take care of you."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"The excitement of automobile racing did not compare with what I knew must come with aeroplane fighting in France."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"I've cheated the Grim Reaper more times than anyone I know."
— Eddie Rickenbacker"True courage is not the brutal force of vulgar heroes, but the firm resolve of virtue and reason."
— Eddie Rickenbacker