"Kites rise highest against the wind - not with it"
About this Quote
As a statesman who made his name in crisis, Churchill’s intent is political as much as personal. The “wind” isn’t just fate; it’s an opponent, a public mood, an economic downturn, a war. Read in the shadow of the 20th century, it implies that national character is forged under strain, and that comfort can be a kind of gravity. It also flatters a certain civic self-image: the people who endure pressure are the ones entitled to lead when the skies clear.
The rhetoric is classic Churchill in miniature: plain, visual, and quietly combative. It dodges policy specifics and delivers a portable creed for hard moments. There’s a gamble inside it, too. Elevating headwinds can romanticize suffering or justify needless confrontation. Still, as a line meant to steady nerves in turbulent time, it’s effective because it refuses the fantasy of frictionless progress. The wind is coming either way; the question is whether you can fly with it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Perseverance |
|---|---|
| Source | Later attribution: Letters to My Lord (Gwen Hamill Yoos, 2020) modern compilationISBN: 9781098015503 · ID: maAuEAAAQBAJ
Evidence:
... Kites rise highest against the wind , not with it . -Winston Churchill Kites and airplanes rise high in the sky against the wind . And butterflies squeeze themselves out of their cocoon . And we face struggles many times in our lives ... |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Churchill, Winston. (2026, February 8). Kites rise highest against the wind - not with it. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/kites-rise-highest-against-the-wind-not-with-it-137948/
Chicago Style
Churchill, Winston. "Kites rise highest against the wind - not with it." FixQuotes. February 8, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/kites-rise-highest-against-the-wind-not-with-it-137948/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Kites rise highest against the wind - not with it." FixQuotes, 8 Feb. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/kites-rise-highest-against-the-wind-not-with-it-137948/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.








