On April 23, 1910, Theodore Roosevelt spoke at the Sorbonne in Paris. One passage became famous in the United States. “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood.” This man, “if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” His place will never be with “those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Americans still quote the passage. Richard Nixon used it, and so did Barack Obama. Cadillac built a 2015 advertisement on it that ended with “dare greatly.” Tom Brady named a documentary series Man in the Arena. In 2012 Brené Brown called her book on vulnerability Daring Greatly.