Over the years many great authors and other prestigious members of the human race have attempted to describe success. Emily Dickinson claims that, “Success is counted sweetest by those who never succeeded.” By this she means that those who have succeeded do not value success as much as those who have never attained their goal. “Do or do not, there is no try,” is an oft-quoted line from Star Wars: Episode V. In some ways Master Yoda is correct; either one succeeds or he fails, however his logic does not hold completely true. Theodore Roosevelt points out the fallacy of Master Yoda’s words in his speech “Citizenship in a Republic.” The efforts of attempting a pursuit are extremely valuable.
Roosevelt’s famous speech is often referred to as “The Man in the Arena” because one of the passages describes a gladiator fighting in front of an arena full of spectators. He begins by saying that those standing on the sidelines, watching, should get no share in the glory. While they observe they laugh at the mistakes that are made and scoff at the successes, saying, “I could have done better.” They claim to be better than the strongest man when he fails, even though they are weak and have never accomplished such feats. They have no right to criticize the competitors because they have never fought in the arena and do not know what it is like. Scared of failing, they have never tried.
The man they are mocking does not look like he is successful, even though he is in the arena making an attempt at victory. He is bruised and battered and his clothes are stained with blood, sweat, and dirt. Yet, there is something that sets him apart from his fellow competitors, who have tried and failed. After each failure he gets up and tries again. He knows something that those before him who have failed and lost heart do not. Success is rarely ever gained on the first try and ‘there is no effort without error.’ In order to succeed an effort must first be made. The man in the arena has devoted himself to trying. Each time he falls he picks himself back up again, ready to go another round, while the spectators merely watch and goad him on as if they know better than him.
Every time the man makes an error and comes back he betters himself. He learns from his mistakes. These two things are essential to why he is able to rise above his peers. After being knocked down he does not stay down. Also he does not try the same strategy each time, as if repetition would be the deciding factor. If his opponent cuts through a weak point in his defense he makes sure to shield himself better. In order to succeed one must first try.
This technique should be applied to all areas of life. Even if the first attempt is unsuccessful much value can be gained by attempting again. However, to try one must be willing to take the first step. It can be intimidating to stand up from a comfortable seat in the stands and descend into the arena. The future is not always planned out. This often immobilizes those who have the potential to succeed, but after taking the first step they find that the pathway ahead becomes clearer. Each step makes the way forward seem more obvious. That first step is essential in order to first try and to later succeed. Life does not always go as planned, but no matter what happens the man in the arena sets an example by continuing to take steps forward and try to succeed.
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