The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.
Theodore Roosevelt
In a speech given at the University of Paris in 1910, Theodore Roosevelt sang the praises of anyone who “strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again,” fervently dismissing those who stand back and critique the efforts of people attempting to do something difficult. Having ended his tenure as President of the United States in 1909, Roosevelt had faced many critics and persevered. He saw himself as a man in the arena and, as he said in his speech in Paris, felt that “[he] who spends himself in a worthy cause… shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”
