One’s name does not go down in history for not trying; it goes down in history for great achievement, or great failure. Whether one fails or achieves, if the greatest effort was given, one is great. This much can hardly be said about many. Too many people go about their lives giving a minimal effort with the hopes of skirting by the assigned or desired task. Whether they are aware of it or not, it is they who are suffering from this half hearted effort. For they will never know the feeling of hard fought achievement, nor the feeling of hard fought defeat. I believe that President Roosevelt is painting a picture in which individuals, whether they fail or succeed, are winners in their own right because at least they can say they gave an effort. How can one know if they will fail or succeed unless they apply themselves and give their best effort? Too many times people take the path most traveled because it is easier and safer; but what are the limits of these people who take the path most traveled? They themselves cannot even answer this. The limits of each and every one of us is limitless, if only we apply ourselves. …show more content…
You apply an effort and either gain achievement or failure. You gain achievement if your effort was greater than the opposing force, or you gain failure if the opposing force’s effort was too great. I believe that President Roosevelt was more about the devotion to a cause then whether one succeeds or fails. He mentions in his quote that “no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause…”. To me, he is saying that in every devotion or cause one will make errors, but this is not important. What is important is that you get up, and try