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About this quote

What does it mean?
Roosevelt states that only those who take no action avoid making mistakes, implying inaction is the only way to be error-free.
In plain terms
You only avoid mistakes if you never do anything.
What can you take from it?
Action inevitably leads to mistakes, but inaction prevents progress.

Where it applies

  • decision making
  • leadership
  • personal growth

Putting it to work

  • accept errors as part of work
  • prioritize action over perfection

Questions to consider

  • Is avoiding mistakes worth stopping action?
  • What value do mistakes provide?

Another view

Some mistakes can be avoided through planning and caution.

More from Theodore Roosevelt

  1. The one thing I want to leave my children is an honorable name.

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  2. The only time you really live fully is from thirty to sixty. The young are slaves to dreams; the old servants of regrets. Only the middle-aged have all their f…

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  3. The most successful politician is he who says what everybody is thinking most often and in the loudest voice.

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