*groan*

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I’ve never been a fan of motivational quotes and speeches. They always make me roll my eyes. This says nothing about the merit of the words, just the corniness of it. There are many good orators, but many of the quotables come from people who consider themselves orators and that’s somehow more obnoxious (as in, the type of person who would describe themselves to you as a great orator). They’re trying to be deep and often end up trying too hard.

Take this quote from Teddy Roosevelt:

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 not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, 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 he fails while daring greatly.

Sure, I agree with the spirit of it. I agree with the words. Teddy was a man of action, but I choose not to lionize him. I find people don’t pay nearly enough attention to the man and realize just how woefully inadequate he was as a statesman and president. We focus on his manliness and bluster. We let his personality overshadow his actual performance. The same way we use WWII Churchill to overlook British Empire Churchill.

Still, the quote above, worthy of being kept in your toolbox. It remains valuable, even if it had been said by Hitler or some schizophrenic in the middle of a psychotic break on the streets or an obscure cartoon character in a cancelled show.

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