It is not the critic who counts
Nor the man who points out how
the strong man stumbles
Or where the doer of deeds
Could have done better.
The credit belongs to the man
Who is actually in the arena;
Whose face is marred by dust
And sweat and blood;
Who know great enthusiasm,
Great devotion and the triumph
of achievement.
And who, at the worst, if he fails
At least fails while daring greatly –
So that his place shall never be
With those odd and timid souls
Who know neither victory nor defeat.
Youíve never lived until youíve almost died.
For those who have had to fight for it
Life truly has a flavour
The protected shall never know.

– Theodore Roosevelt
ëCitizenship in a Republicí,
23 April 1910, the Sorbonne, Paris

Got the full text above off Andy Kirkpatrick’s site, but have seen it posted on Alistair Humphreys’ site earlier too.

Brilliant.

macho bullshit

macho bullshit

Hmm, that’s not how I read it.

My take on it was as an encouragement to get out and do something, even if you might fail or others criticise what you’re doing. Like someone taking large groups out on bike rides who gets criticised because they take hundreds of photos and lots of people are pushing, when the critic actually does far less.

you are, of course, entitled to your opinion, simon. but at least Roosevelt actually lived a life and was entitled to express this ‘macho bullshit’. from what little i know of your achievements, you’re simply going through the motions.

simon_f_barnes criticises Roosevelt. ro criticises simon_f_barnes.

It is not the critic who counts

Oh the irony 🙂

irony is fun 🙂

you’re simply going through the motions.

you’re quite right, I just lie around all the time picking fluff out of my belly button 🙁

The trouble with being well ard and getting covered with blood and sweat is the collateral damage, but then, perhaps I gave too much emphasis to the word ‘arena’ which seemed to imply to me fighting for its own sake

Youíve never lived until youíve almost died

I think suspect – I understand, but isn’t thrill seeking symptomatic of an inner failing ?

don’t really want to join this “discussion”, but you mountain bike, though are not a thrill seeker? Weird.

don’t really want to join this “discussion”, but you mountain bike, though are not a thrill seeker? Weird.

I mountain bike, but wouldn’t say that I do it for the thrills. I don’t really like going down hills fast or doing jumps and stuff. I think I’m more of an off-roadie.

I think I’m more of an off-roadie.

Eurgh! what a thing to admit.

I even have arm and leg warmers and have just got a cap for under my helmet.

I’ve got leg warmers. I wore them with boots this morning and suspect I looked pretty funny.

but you mountain bike, though are not a thrill seeker? Weird.

yes, I was aware of that slight irony…

oh, simon, don’t be so self-effacing. i’m sure you’re the pin-up boy of fluffy kittens the world over..

Oh the irony

That means kinda like iron, huh?

It’s like steel but less refined.

but isn’t thrill seeking symptomatic of an inner failing ?

Why is thrill seeking symptomatic of inner failing? I think it’s a good ermmm bit of text and it’s only about fighting and blood/sweat if you scratch the surface – it works on many more levels than that.

Sounds like a rip off of Kipling’s If if you ask me.

Sounds like a rip off of Kipling’s If if you ask me.

“A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.” ?

or

“When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains, and the women come out to cut up what remains, jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains and go to your gawd like a soldier.”

or

“The silliest woman can manage a clever man; but it needs a very clever woman to manage a fool. “

Cant find the one you mean…

Jungle Book, maybe?

Sounds like a rip off of Kipling’s If if you ask me.

Got a link to the Kipling?

If

Smee beat me to it. Gods of the copy book headings is worth checking out too. The penultimate verse applies to this place all to often:)

As to thrill seeking, I would say I prefer personal challenge and a healthy dose of suffering (ie out of the comfort zone that many people, me included, spend most of their life in)

Flawed? possibly but I have great fun doing it!

SSP

I wouldn’t ride if didn’t push myself technically HTH ;] and as Mountain biking is predominately made up of White Middle class males ( even if they call themselves vegatarian anarchists) the idea of challenge and conquering not being a vital part of it seems highly unlikely.

The man whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood…

…probably just face planted

I’m going to stick that on the “Target Tree” in the Hit the North bombhole.