"The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life." - Theodore Roosevelt Call it a midwestern bias, but to my mind the most important quality of the American spirit is the notion of "duty-first." Moreover, the degree to which an …
Tag: theodore roosevelt
Proceed Prosperously and Reign
When in the depths of despair, When life is clearly unfair, Proceed prosperously and reign. If your vision grows dim, If your chances look slim, Proceed prosperously and reign.
All for Each and Each for All
"All for each and each for all, but only on condition that each works with might and main to so maintain himself as not to be a burden to others." - Theodore Roosevelt These high principles of which we are aware are attainable. They are not an idealistic sham designed to draw men hopelessly up …
A Successful Life
"I want to see you game, boys, I want to see you brave and manly, and I also want to see you gentle and tender. Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. Courage, hard work, self-mastery, and intelligent effort are …
The Iron Qualities
"We need the iron qualities that go with true manhood. We need the positive virtues of resolution, of courage, of indomitable will, of power to do without shrinking the rough work that must always be done." - Theodore Roosevelt One of the crying needs in the world today is for men who know how to …
It’s not the critic who counts
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things." ~ Theodore Roosevelt I realized a number of years ago that any time you spend as a critic is time that could have been …
A True Lady or Gentleman
I am inclined to agree more with Theodore Roosevelt's assessment that courtesy is "as much a mark of a gentleman" than with Honore de Balzac's less encouraging assessment of courtesy being "only a thin veneer on the general selfishness." While the latter may be more predominantly the case, the former holds in it the promise …
A Better Person
"If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month." ~ Theodore Roosevelt When you give thought to the difficulties you face in life, don't be so quick to judge, blame and condemn those around you. Look first to make sure, with 100% confidence, …
The Sour-Faced Man
"There are two things that I want you to make up your minds to: first, that you are going to have a good time as long as you live - I have no use for the sour-faced man - and next, that you are going to do something worthwhile, that you are going to work …
Work Worth Doing
"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." ~ Theodore Roosevelt How would you define work worth doing? In my mind work worth doing is anything that contributes to the betterment of mankind. It is a broad definition, I know, but mankind …
Gregory Hake 