Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much.
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A guarded life may avoid certain wounds, but it can also avoid meaningful service. Courage accepts mixture: effort, loss, gain, and growth together.
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Roosevelt contrasts living risk with sterile safety. The line is not anti-prudence; it is anti-withdrawal from worthy endeavor simply to avoid discomfort.
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Its force is existential. Better an engaged life with scars than an untouched life with little substance.
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