Americanism is a question of principle, of idealism, of character. It is not a matter of birthplace, or creed, or line of descent.
Theodore RooseveltRead
In popular government results worth while can only be achieved by men who combine worthy ideals with practical good sense.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Effective governance requires a balance of noble ideals and practical wisdom.
The quote emphasizes that in a democratic society, meaningful and valuable results can only be attained when individuals in leadership positions blend high moral standards with practical decision-making. It suggests that leaders must ideologically aspire to betterment while simultaneously applying common sense to engender real change.
Themes
GovernmentLeadershipIdealsPracticalitySense
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about political reform, one might use this quote to advocate for a balanced approach to governance.
More from Theodore Roosevelt
All quotes →It tires me to talk to rich men. You expect a man of millions, the head of a great industry, to be a man worthhearing; but as a rule they don't know anything outside their own business.
Theodore RooseveltRead
No man should receive a dollar unless that dollar has been fairly earned.
Theodore RooseveltRead
Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.
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Conservation means development as much as it does protection._x000D_ _x000D_ A man's usefulness depends upon his living up to his ideals insofar as he can.
Theodore RooseveltRead
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, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.
Theodore RooseveltRead
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