“I have never in my life…” — Theodore Roosevelt

I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life; I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.

— Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), Address in Des Moines, Iowa (4 November 1910)

Courage and overcoming setbacks

What it means

Roosevelt admired people who met hard lives well, not those whose lives were easy. Difficulty handled with grace is worth more than comfort.

Theodore Roosevelt — President of the United States from 1901 to 1909.

Source: Address in Des Moines, Iowa (4 November 1910)
Reference: Theodore Roosevelt on Wikiquote
Checked: Wording and source taken from the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page, which cites the work given here (accessed 2026-10-11).
Copyright: Public domain: the author died in 1919.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.

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