What I’ve Learned from Theodore Roosevelt’s ‘The Man in the Arena’
By: Aushaf Widisto
Tags: Twitter, Self, History, Advice, Theodore Roosevelt

The Man in the Arena

And now we arrive at Roosevelt’s speech:

“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.”

By the way, if you prefer an audiovisual rendition, I first found out about The Man in the Arena from this video:

Video by Nathaniel Drew on YouTube

The Man in the Arena is a fascinating take on the dichotomy of “the critic” vs. “the man of action.” While the former is safe and sheltered on the sidelines, making it’s easy for him to point out the flaw in this and that, the latter is right in the midst of the flaw struggling to fix it.

The man of action is the one slaying the dragon and rescuing the damsel. He’s the one with all the difficult tasks. He’s the one beaten close to death, thrown away, falling down — again and again. He’s also the one who always rises back up. He’s the one actually getting things done and solving problems.

Thus, in a sense, the critics don’t matter. Most critics don’t even know what they’re talking about, since they’ve never experienced the real thing. That’s not to say they’re without merit, though. Criticisms can be constructive and helpful, no doubt about that.

Still, no amount of criticism will ever be equal to the experience of actually being in the arena. Those who “criticize but don’t do” will not give you better insight than those who “criticize after having done.” This knowledge is as old as time itself, and you know it both consciously and subconsciously.

Deep down, we all admire the man in the arena. We know he’s the one actually leaving a mark on the universe, not the critics. But not all of us are brave enough to actually take on his role. Most of us choose to stay on the sidelines, where we are safe and comfortable. Where it’s easy to say and do whatever we want without any immediate danger — and that’s completely understandable.

As the saying goes: If it were easy, everyone would do it.

The arena is not for everyone, and if you are the one in the arena, take pride in it. Even if you’re not doing so hot right now, you’ve already done what many people are afraid of doing: Standing firm in the midst of danger — that simple act proves that you possess precious virtues such as courage, fortitude, and perseverance.

You experience failure more than anyone else, and that makes you better than anyone else — maybe not right now, maybe not right away, but eventually. Count on that. If you’re in the arena, you’re on the right track.