On April 23rd, 1910, while visiting Paris, Theodore Roosevelt delivered an extraordinary speech that it’s remembered today as an example of what is worthy in life. He compared a roman gladiator with the common citizen and said that what’s important as a man is the effort he/she puts to achieve his/her goals, no matter if they win or lose. Willingness to succeed and fighting their own battles, is what makes the difference between the brave ones and those who do not want to try just in case they fail.
Theodore Roosevelt chose to make this comparison to demonstrate that the only way to make a change in democracy is participating actively in society, taking risks, trying hard even if it’s not a victory at first, as opposed to just criticizing what others might do or say.
Roosevelt’s speech, known as “The man in the arena”, is still effective in today’s world as it shows that it’s from effort and mistakes that societies learn and become better. He also empathizes that the process itself is more important than the result, as Roosevelt said: “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, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming”.
