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Theodore Roosevelt Quotes about Character

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The chief factor in any man's success or failure must be his own character.

The chief factor in any man's success or failure must be his own character.

Theodore Roosevelt
Success, Character, Men
Theodore Roosevelt (2012). “The Strenuous Life: Essays and Addresses”, p.130, Courier Corporation

A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.

Theodore Roosevelt
Character, Gun, Political
Theodore Roosevelt (2013). “Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt”, p.127, Simon and Schuster

Character is far more important than intellect in making a man a good citizen or successful at his calling- meaning by character not only such qualities as honesty and truthfulness, but courage, perseverance and self-reliance.

Theodore Roosevelt
Perseverance, Honesty, Character
Theodore Roosevelt, Paul H. Jeffers (1998). “The Bully Pulpit: A Teddy Roosevelt Book of Quotations”, p.21, Taylor Trade Publications

Americanism is a question of principle, of idealism, of character. It is not a matter of birthplace, or creed, or line of descent.

Theodore Roosevelt
Character, Birth Place, Principles
Theodore Roosevelt (2015). “Theodore Roosevelt on Bravery: Lessons from the Most Courageous Leader of the Twentieth Century”, p.36, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

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!

Theodore Roosevelt
Wisdom, Character, Acceptance
Theodore Roosevelt (2015). “Theodore Roosevelt on Bravery: Lessons from the Most Courageous Leader of the Twentieth Century”, p.28, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

Bodily vigor is good, and vigor of intellect is even better, but far above is character.

Theodore Roosevelt
Character, Vigor, Intellect
Theodore Roosevelt (2012). “The Strenuous Life: Essays and Addresses”, p.53, Courier Corporation

In other words, character is far more important than intellect to the race as to the individual. We need intellect, and there is no reason why we should not have it together with character; but if we must choose between the two we choose character without a moment's hesitation.

Theodore Roosevelt
Character, Race, Two
Theodore Roosevelt (1897). “The Works of Theodore Roosevelt: American ideals, with a biographical sketch by F. V. Greene. Administration”

If a man has a very decided character, has a strongly accentuated career, it is normally the case of course that he makes ardent friends and bitter enemies.

Theodore Roosevelt
Character, Men, Careers
Theodore Roosevelt (2012). “In the Words of Theodore Roosevelt: Quotations from the Man in the Arena”, p.139, Cornell University Press

There is need of a sound body, and even more need of a sound mind. But above mind and above body stands character-the sum of those qualities which we mean when we speak of a man's force and courage, of his good faith and sense of honor.

Theodore Roosevelt
Character, Mean, Men
Citizenship in a Republic - The Man in the Arena, delivered 23 April 1910, Le Sorbonne, University of Paris

I wish to say seriously to all the daily newspapers, to the Republicans, the Democrat, and Socialist parties, that they cannot, month in month out and year in and year out, make the kind of untruthful, of bitter assault that they have made and not expect that brutal, violent natures, or brutal and violent characters, especially when the brutality is accompanied by a not very strong mind; they cannot expect that such natures will be unaffected by it.

Theodore Roosevelt
Strong, Character, Media
"'It Takes More Than That to Kill a Bull Moose': The Leader and The Cause". Theodore Roosevelt's address at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, given a few minutes after getting shot by some anarchist, www.businessinsider.com. October 14, 1912.

I do. That is character!

Theodore Roosevelt
Inspirational, Character

Laws are essential emanations from the self-poised character of God; they radiate from the sun to the circling edge of creation. Verily, the mighty Lawgiver hath subjected himself unto laws.

Theodore Roosevelt
Character, Self, Law

No man can lead a public career really worth leading, no man can act with rugged independence in serious crises, nor strike at great abuses, nor afford to make powerful and unscrupulous foes, if he is himself vulnerable in his private character.

Theodore Roosevelt
Powerful, Character, Men
Theodore Roosevelt (2013). “Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt”, p.70, Simon and Schuster

Perhaps there is no more important component of character than steadfast resolution.

Theodore Roosevelt
Character, Important, Resolution
Theodore Roosevelt (2012). “The Strenuous Life: Essays and Addresses”, p.56, Courier Corporation

The effort to make financial or political profit out of the destruction of character can only result in public calamity. Gross and reckless assaults on character, whether on the stump or in newspaper, magazine, or book, create a morbid and vicious public sentiment, and at the same time act as a profound deterrent to able men of normal sensitiveness and tend to prevent them from entering the public service at any price.

Theodore Roosevelt
Book, Character, Men
The Man with the Muck-rake, delivered 14 April 1906

It is character that counts in a nation as in a man.

Theodore Roosevelt
Character, Men, Nations
Theodore Roosevelt (2012). “The Strenuous Life: Essays and Addresses”, p.102, Courier Corporation

Alike for the nation and the individual, the one indispensable requisite is character.

Theodore Roosevelt
Character, Individual, Indispensable
Theodore Roosevelt (2012). “In the Words of Theodore Roosevelt: Quotations from the Man in the Arena”, p.60, Cornell University Press

The Bad Lands grade all the way from those that are almost rolling in character to those that are so fantastically broken in form and so bizarre in color as to seem hardly properly to belong to this earth.

Theodore Roosevelt
Character, Color, Land
Theodore Roosevelt (2000). “Hunting Trips of a Ranchman and The Wilderness Hunter”, p.108, Modern Library

I am far from underestimating the importance of dividends, but I rank dividends below human character.

Theodore Roosevelt
Character, Underestimate, Importance
Theodore Roosevelt, Paul H. Jeffers (1998). “The Bully Pulpit: A Teddy Roosevelt Book of Quotations”, p.130, Taylor Trade Publications

In the great battle of life, no brilliancy of intellect, no perfection of bodily development, will count when weighed in the balance against the assemblage of virtues, active and passive, of moral qualities which we group together under the name of character.

Theodore Roosevelt
Character, Names, Perfection
Theodore Roosevelt (2015). “Theodore Roosevelt on Bravery: Lessons from the Most Courageous Leader of the Twentieth Century”, p.69, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

In speaking to you men of the greatest city of the West, men of the state which gave to the country Lincoln and Grant, men who preeminently and distinctly embody all that is most American in the American character, I wish to preach not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life.

Theodore Roosevelt
Life, Country, Character
Speech to Hamilton Club, Chicago, Ill., 10 Apr. 1899