The Man In the Arena

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

"The Man In the Arena" is a passage from "Citizenship in a Republic" -- a speech given by the former President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne in Paris, France on April 23, 1910. It is sometimes referred to as "The Man in the Arena".

Someone who tries to succeed or to overcome difficulties, using whatever courage, skill, or tenacity he/she can, and doesn't sit on the sidelines simply watching, is sometimes referred to as "the man in the arena."

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