Why “The Man In The Arena” Quote Is So Important
“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 thought weʻd start off with one of my favorite quotes to date. When I first heard it back in my college days at Mizzou, Iʻm not sure it completely sunk in. Iʻve come back to it a recently and feel a whole new connection with it. In this culture, it is so prevalent too. The internet makes it so easy to say negative things behind a screen, words we probably wouldnʻt say to someoneʻs face. Thatʻs not bravery… itʻs insecurity.
The credit belongs to the man in the arena! The one who puts themself out there. And I love how Roosevelt emphasizes the failure and paints this picture, “who comes short again and again”. This hit home for me because as a beach volleyball player there is a lot of failure. And yet, it is so worth it and Iʻll work hard for it everyday because I love it.
And lastly, I absolutely love the words used. They are not your average words. Listen - “whose face is marred by dust… who strive valiantly… who knows great enthusiasms… if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly… so his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls…” Whew. Can you imagine being a cold and timid soul who?! I certainly canʻt. The point is - go out and try. Donʻt be the critic who judges others for things he/she does not have the courage to do him/herself. Be bold and fail. Fail so hard it hurts. Success will come - sometimes in ways we never expected.
Did this quote bring up any specific memory or time for you? Do you relate to it right now? How does it make you feel? Ponder, self-reflect and share if it feels right :)
