Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, was a man of action, courage, and profound insight. His words continue to inspire millions around the world, offering timeless lessons on leadership, perseverance, and character. This collection of 141 inspirational quotes captures the essence of his philosophy and spirit. Whether you seek motivation to overcome challenges or guidance to lead with integrity, these quotes will empower you to embrace life’s struggles and triumphs with determination.
141 Theodore Roosevelt Inspirational Quotes for Bold Action
1. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
2. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
3. “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. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.”
4. “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
5. “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
6. “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.”
7. “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”
8. “Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.”
9. “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure.”
10. “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”
11. “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”
12. “Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell ’em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.”
13. “Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.”
14. “When you play, play hard; when you work, don’t play at all.”
15. “It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.”
16. “A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
17. “The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”
18. “The best executive is one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”
19. “Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster.”
20. “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.”
21. “Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones.”
22. “The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.”
23. “Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young.”
24. “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
25. “People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.”
26. “With self-discipline, almost anything is possible.”
27. “Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time.”
28. “Courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage.”
29. “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.”
30. “Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind.”
31. “I am a part of everything that I have read.”
32. “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
33. “In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else.”
34. “A man who has never gone to school may steal a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.”
35. “Order without liberty and liberty without order are equally destructive.”
36. “Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike.”
37. “Every reform movement has a lunatic fringe.”
38. “Freedom from effort in the present merely means that there has been effort stored up in the past.”
39. “It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things.”
40. “I don’t pity any man who does hard work worth doing. I admire him.”
41. “The boy who is going to make a great man must not make up his mind merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand repulses and defeats.”
42. “The reactionary is always willing to take a progressive attitude on any issue that is dead.”
43. “What I am to be, I am becoming.”
44. “Absence and death are the same – only that in death there is no suffering.”
45. “Americans learn only from catastrophe and not from experience.”
46. “It’s not having been in the Dark House, but having left it that counts.”
47. “We need the iron qualities that go with true manhood. We need the positive virtues of resolution, of courage, of indomitable will.”
48. “Unless the man is master of his soul all other kinds of mastery amount to little.”
49. “What a man does for himself, dies with him. What a man does for his community lives long after he’s gone.”
50. “The worst of all fears is the fear of living.”
51. “Let us speak courteously, deal fairly, and keep ourselves armed and ready.”
52. “Don’t hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft.”
53. “A people without children would face a hopeless future; a country without trees is almost as helpless.”
54. “Leave it as it is. You can not improve on it. You can only mar it.”
55. “Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage.”
56. “We put crooked men who fail in jail. It is the crooked men who succeed who are a threat to this country.”
57. “A stream cannot rise larger than its source.”
58. “It is impossible to win the great prizes of life without running risks.”
59. “If I must choose between peace and righteousness, I choose righteousness.”
60. “Peace is normally a great good, and normally it coincides with righteousness.”
61. “All the resources we need are in the mind.”
62. “At sometime in our lives a devil dwells within us, causes heartbreaks, confusion and troubles, then dies.”
63. “We must remember not to judge any public servant by any one act.”
64. “A man who has never gone to school may steal a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.”
65. “The conservation of our natural resources and their proper use constitute the fundamental problem of our national life.”
66. “The man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere critic.”
67. “In the long run, the most unpleasant truth is a safer companion than a pleasant falsehood.”
68. “Black care rarely sits behind the rider whose pace is fast enough.”
69. “No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his well-being, to risk his body, to risk his life, in a great cause.”
70. “I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!”
71. “The human body has two ends on it: one to create with and one to sit on.”
72. “Some men can live up to their loftiest ideals without ever going higher than a basement.”
73. “The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.”
74. “Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster.”
75. “The best executive is one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done.”
76. “With self-discipline, almost anything is possible.”
77. “People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.”
78. “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
79. “It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance.”
80. “Freedom from effort in the present merely means that there has been effort stored up in the past.”
81. “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
82. “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
83. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
84. “Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.”
85. “When you play, play hard; when you work, don’t play at all.”
86. “Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell ’em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.”
87. “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”
88. “Order without liberty and liberty without order are equally destructive.”
89. “Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike.”
90. “Every reform movement has a lunatic fringe.”
91. “The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first.”
92. “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing.”
93. “I am a part of everything that I have read.”
94. “The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.”
95. “Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones.”
96. “A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
97. “I am only an average man but, by George, I work harder at it than the average man.”
98. “When you are asked if you can do a job, tell ’em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.”
99. “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”
100. “Order without liberty and liberty without order are equally destructive.”
101. “Some men can live up to their loftiest ideals without ever going higher than a basement.”
102. “The human body has two ends on it: one to create with and one to sit on.”
103. “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs.”
104. “No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his well-being.”
105. “It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.”
106. “I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!”
107. “A people without children would face a hopeless future; a country without trees is almost as helpless.”
108. “Leave it as it is. You can not improve on it. You can only mar it.”
109. “Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources.”
110. “We put crooked men who fail in jail. It is the crooked men who succeed who are a threat to this country.”
111. “A stream cannot rise larger than its source.”
112. “It is impossible to win the great prizes of life without running risks.”
113. “If I must choose between peace and righteousness, I choose righteousness.”
114. “Peace is normally a great good, and normally it coincides with righteousness.”
115. “All the resources we need are in the mind.”
116. “At sometime in our lives a devil dwells within us, causes heartbreaks, confusion and troubles, then dies.”
117. “We must remember not to judge any public servant by any one act.”
118. “The conservation of our natural resources and their proper use constitute the fundamental problem of our national life.”
119. “The man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere critic.”
120. “In the long run, the most unpleasant truth is a safer companion than a pleasant falsehood.”
121. “Black care rarely sits behind the rider whose pace is fast enough.”
122. “No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his well-being.”
123. “I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!”
124. “The human body has two ends on it: one to create with and one to sit on.”
125. “Some men can live up to their loftiest ideals without ever going higher than a basement.”
126. “The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.”
127. “Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster.”
128. “The best executive is one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done.”
129. “With self-discipline, almost anything is possible.”
130. “People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.”
131. “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
132. “It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance.”
133. “Freedom from effort in the present merely means that there has been effort stored up in the past.”
134. “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
135. “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
136. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
137. “Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.”
138. “When you play, play hard; when you work, don’t play at all.”
139. “Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell ’em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.”
140. “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”
141. “Absence and death are the same – only that in death there is no suffering.”
Conclusion
Theodore Roosevelt’s words remind us that success and greatness come from effort, courage, and integrity. His quotes inspire action, resilience, and a commitment to doing what is right, even in the face of adversity. Embracing his wisdom can help us lead meaningful lives and contribute positively to our communities and nations.
