Theodore Roosevelt
“…who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly…”
Theodore Roosevelt, “Citizenship in a Republic,” the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
Documented source
Attribution
Theodore Roosevelt
Source
Theodore Roosevelt, “Citizenship in a Republic,” the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
In full
“…who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly…”
Status
Public domain in the United States
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About this line
Roosevelt gave this speech a year into his post-presidency, telling a packed hall what it actually costs to attempt anything real. The speech runs long; most people only know a few sentences. But the argument Roosevelt was making wasn’t about triumph. It was about the willingness to show up when the outcome isn’t guaranteed — and to keep showing up. We compressed to give you the heart of his speech. The full passage is in the source block above.
Why we carry this line
The credit goes to the one in the arena, not the critic in the stands. End of conversation.
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