8 John McCain Quotes On Patriotism

“In prison, I fell in love with my country. I had loved her before then, but like most young people, my affection was little more than a simple appreciation for the comforts and privileges most Americans enjoyed and took for granted. It wasn't until I had lost America for a time that I realized how much I loved her. ”

Senator John McCain died at age 81, leaving a legacy as a courageous war hero and savvy politician. Through his years in the military and political spotlights he maintained a reputation as a maverick, often butting against the expected and forging his own path. These quotes from John McCain illustrate what it meant for him to be an American patriot.

WATCH: Arete: Visual Word Of The Day

“Nothing in life is more liberating than to fight for a cause larger than yourself, something that encompasses you but is not defined by your existence alone.”

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity to act despite our fears.”

“Glory belongs to the act of being constant to something greater than yourself, to a cause, to your principles, to the people on whom you rely and who rely on you”

“It is your character, and your character alone, that will make your life happy or unhappy.”

"Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life."

"If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself."

"We are Americans first, Americans last, Americans always. Let us argue our differences. But remember we are not enemies, but comrades in a war against a real enemy, and take courage from the knowledge that our military superiority is matched only by the superiority of our ideals, and our unconquerable love for them."