The Man in the Arena – Teddy Roosevelt (A Powerful Speech from History)

the poorest way to face life is to face it with a sneer there are many men who feel a kind of twisted pride and cynicism there are many who confine themselves to criticism of the way others do what they themselves dare not even attempt there is no more unhealthy being no man less worthy of respect than he who either really holds or feigns to hold an attitude of sneering disbelief toward all that is great and lofty whether an achievement or in that noble effort which even if it fails comes to second achievement 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 was actually in the arena whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood who strives valiantly who airs who come 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 [Music] [Music] you