Man in the Arena
I recently came across a speech written by Theodore Roosevelt entitled, “Citizenship in a Republic, The Man in the Arena”. The speech was given at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910. It sought to speak of the importance of leadership and the quality and the importance of good citizenship. Citizenship requires action to bring about improvement for our fellow man. If one chooses not to act but rather only to criticize, nothing is gained by society and accordingly, there is no improvement.
“Let the men of learning, the man of lettered leisure, beware of that queer and cheap temptation to pose to himself and others as the cynic, as the man who has outgrown emotions and beliefs, the man to whom good and evil are as one. The poorest way to face life is to face it with a sneer. There are many men who feel a kind of twisted pride in cynicism; there are many who confine themselves to criticism of the way others do what they themselves dare not even attempt. There is no more unhealthy being, no man less worthy of respect, than he who either really holds, or feigns to hold, an attitude of sneering disbelief toward all that is great and lofty, whether in achievement or in that noble effort which, even if it fails, comes second to achievement. A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticize work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life’s realities—all these are marks, not, as the possessor would fain think, of superiority, but of weakness. They mark the men unfit to bear their part manfully in the stern strife of living, who seek, in the affectation of contempt for the achievements of others, to hide from others and from themselves their own weaknesses. The role is easy; there is none easier, save only the role of the man who sneers alike at both criticism and performance.
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 errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do deeds; who knows with great enthusiasms, the great devotions; 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 fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
I am moved by these statements in many ways. At Caritas, staff and volunteers work tirelessly to help those that are in need. They are the ones in the arena providing a refuge to assist the residents with the time they need to learn where their weaknesses stem from and then, provide a nurturing environment to help them gain the necessary strength to rebuild their lives. Critics quickly point out what is wrong with these individuals, the “system” and society and yet do nothing to bring about change. Change can and does come through action.
If our society is to grow and evolve, we must learn to get involved. Change comes from the efforts of those that believe in a cause and follow through with their actions. Caritas has and will continue to work in the community to bring about change but it needs help from people that believe in the program and the change that can be brought through it.
I invite everyone reading this to think about where they fit in. Are you a doer or a critic? Are you prepared to get into the arena or do you sit on the side lines and criticize? Stop and think what you accomplish sitting by the sidelines. As a single individual it is difficult to bring about change. In numbers, we are able to accomplish a great deal. In addition, we send a strong message when we unite. The message is to the residents, their families, society and government. It is a simple message of mutual respect and love that places the interests of the weaker members of society ahead of our own. By working together, we lose very little if anything but we all gain a stronger, more wholesome and functional society.
