"The Man in the Arena"

President Theodore Roosevelt delivered his “Citizens of the Republic” speech on April 23, 1910 following his 2 terms in office from 1901-1909 amid frustrations with the Taft administration following him. Even though Taft was a handpicked successor, Roosevelt felt as though Taft had betrayed the progressive policies and ideals he developed during his presidency. 

Out of the political spotlight for about a year, Roosevelt embarked on a European tour, detailing his beliefs on what a healthy democracy should look like. 

The man in the arena passage was a response to criticism from those not in the roles they are criticizing. In his book The Pyschology of Money, Author Morgan Housel quoted former GE CEO Jeff Immelt who said “Every job looks easy when you’re not the one doing it.” Housel continues, “...because the challenges faced by someone in the arena are often invisible to those in the crowd.”

This goes for anyone putting themselves out there, fighting the good fight, trying to do something meaningful. 

Roosevelt was passionate about individual responsibility, moral courage, and active citizenship. In Paris, he addressed the Western world by stating his beliefs that the citizens of a democracy should be strong, virtuous, and value hard work. 

The full speech is linked at the end.

“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”

It's easy to criticize from the sidelines — to offer unsolicited opinions without ever having to risk anything or do anything scary or new. Critics often operate with the comfort of hindsight and zero risk. They’re quick to judge but slow to act. The armchair expert, the backseat driver, the keyboard warrior — they speak loudly, but their words carry little weight.

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena”

The people I admire most are the ones who actually step into the arena. They may not be perfect, but they’re showing up. Putting skin in the game. Trying, failing, adjusting, and trying again. It’s vulnerable and exhausting — and still, they press forward. Among those who fight, there’s a shared respect — not for perfection, but for the courage to engage. They recognize the fight in each other, even when the world doesn’t.

“because there is no effort without error and shortcoming”

No effort is flawless. Mistakes are inevitable. They’re not signs of failure — they’re signs of effort and growth. New problems means new growth. If we experience the same problems, we’re not learning. And we learn more from our scars than from our victories. If we’re afraid to get it wrong, we’ll never get it right. So if we’re going to be in the arena, we need to let go of the idea of perfection.

“who spends himself in a worthy cause”

It’s not just about showing up -  it’s about what you show up for. Is what I’m pouring my energy into actually worth it? Will I learn, grow, help people, solve problems, improve the lives of others, or generally help the world? It doesn’t have to change the world entirely, but it should add value, even in a small way. It should be real. A worthy cause gives meaning to the struggle.

“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”

There’s no greatness without risk. But even in failure, there’s honor in trying. Playing small might protect you from failure, but it also keeps you from high achievement. I'd rather fail in pursuit of something bold than succeed at something safe and forgettable. The people who shape the world — the inventors, the builders, the leaders — they weren’t afraid to dare greatly. They knew the cost, and they stepped forward anyway.

I listened to this speech on YouTube at least once per week while training for my first Ironman and at least monthly during subsequent races. It was always a part of my pre-race routine. 

I highly recommend this passage, especially if you are in the arena and need some motivation to keep fighting. 

Full speech here. Control+F or Command+F "critic" and it'll jump right to the passage. See you in the arena.