The Man in The Arena
by Theodore
Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt’s life shows us that hard work, tenacity, and a
desire to do the right thing can get you far in life. In the most memorable
section of his “Citizenship in a Republic” speech, Roosevelt captured his life philosophy in just a
few sentences. “The Man in the Arena” tells us that the man we should praise is
the man who’s out there fighting the big battles, even if those battles end in
defeat. In our day, when cynicism and aloof detachment are considered hip and
cool, TR reminds us that glory and honor come to those “who spend themselves in
a worthy cause.”
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.
I heard about this quote from Dr Brene Brown at her TED Talk. I am a strong believer in going to front line of actions if that is my mission in life. I find this quote my companion in my present journey of life...
