Leadership Development Wisdom from Theodore Roosevelt
The Man in the Arena
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
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NOTE: This moving passage is from Theodore Roosevelt’s speech “Citizenship in a Republic.” It was delivered at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, on April 23, 1910. Roosevelt was doing a European tour after finishing his presidency in 1909. The speech, part of a lecture series, highlighted some of my favorite themes! He talks about individual responsibility, civic engagement, and the moral duty to contribute to society. This speech is often referred to as “The Man in the Arena” because of this iconic section.
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