I viewed Brené Brown’s two videos on TED (The Power of Vulnerability and Listening to Shame), yes I know, I’m a self-confessed TED junkie – I enjoy having my brain rewired by other people’s ideas. Talk about being vulnerable! See the videos for yourself; I found them enlightening.
In one of the videos, Brené recited a quote by Theodore Roosevelt, so I just had to pause and Google. (I also need to find out about Theodore himself, must confess complete ignorance of the man).
The quote struck a chord. It’s easy to be critical, I should know, I’m an expert! I’ve also had my share of naysayers; though while I’m still flopping about in the proverbial swamp, it’s a challenge not to give the critics some credit for their insights … Nah!
Here’s the quote thanks to The Quotations Page:
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 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. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt, “Man in the Arena” Speech given April 23, 1910
