Painterly wooden pencil with a worn pink eraser lying across blank cream paper in warm light.

Original artwork, not a still

Theodore Roosevelt

The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

A defense of effort over caution argues that avoiding action entirely is the only guaranteed way to avoid error. The statement reframes mistakes as an unavoidable byproduct of engagement, implying that inaction, not failure, is the real shortcoming.

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