On October 27, 1913, Theodore Roosevelt had the following words of wisdom in his address entitled “Character and Civilization” in Sao Paulo, Brazil:[1]
- “By character I mean the sum of those qualities, distinct from the purely intellectual qualities, which are essential to moral efficiency. Among them are resolution, courage, energy, power of self-control combined with fearlessness in taking the initiative and assuming responsibility, and a just regard for the rights of others together with unflinching determination to one’s self success no matter what obstacles and barriers have to be beaten down – these qualities, and qualities such as these, are what rise to our minds when we speak of a man or a woman as having character, in contradistinction to one who possesses only intellect. There is, moreover, one quality which perhaps, strictly speaking, is as much intellectual as moral, but which is too often wholly lacking in men of high intellectual ability, and without which real character cannot exist – namely, the fundamental gift of common sense.”
- “No other trait, in any nation, can take the place of a high average of personal character among the individuals, the men and women, who make up that nation. I am a firm believer in using the power of the people in their collective capacity—that is, through the government—to the fullest extent to further the common ineterest; and I hold that the ability thus to co-operate in effective action is one of the greatest tests of the strength of individual character in a nation.”
Reaction
Thank you, Theodore Roosevelt for these Words of Wisdom.
[1] Wednesday Wisdom, The Bully Pulpit, Theodore Roosevelt Center (Oct. 29, 2025).
