Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick, You Will Go Far
The importance of backing up the things you say in life, work, and politics.
In a letter written to Henry L. Sprague dated January 26, 1900 the then Governor of New York, Teddy Roosevelt stated…
“I have always been fond of the West African proverb: “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.’”
As Theodore Roosevelt rose in political fame from the Governor of New York to the Vice President, to then becoming President following the assassination of William McKinley, Roosevelt developed this proverb into a political philosophy known as the big stick ideology, big stick diplomacy, or big stick policy. President Roosevelt described his style of foreign policy as:
“…the exercise of intelligent forethought and of decisive action sufficiently far in advance of any likely crisis.”
The idea is simple: negotiate peacefully but have a strong arm in the instance things turn south.
There are many, many ways to how this principle applies to more things than international politics. How many times in life have you had an interaction with a…
