Defeat is Raised By a Single Father

Lessons from John F Kennedy

July 18, 2025

“Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan” -John F Kennedy

In 1961, John F. Kennedy had egg on his face. The Bay of Pigs invasion was a national embarrassment, and who was to blame besides the president?

Probably a lot of people. While the Commander in Chief may make the final call, ideas and plans are never executed in a vacuum. In an alternate reality where the invasion went perfectly there wouldn’t be a single champagne glass left on the shelf in the White House.

Instead Kennedy had to fall on the sword but not before he said today’s quote. Defeat wasn’t an orphan, it was simply being fathered by a single father.