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Historical lessonCivicUplifting

The Strenuous Life

Theodore Roosevelt builds momentum by defining a life through the effort it requires rather than the comfort it offers.

Speaking time
10 sec
Words on this page
17

A sourced excerpt

Read it like a speaker

Make cue cards

01

Thesis excerpt

Declare the standard the rest of the speech will defend.

I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life.

Say it: Emphasize the contrast between “ease” and “strenuous life,” then pause.

Speaker’s notebook

Why it works

  1. 1The contrast gives listeners an immediate choice between two ways of living.
  2. 2The key phrase is distinctive enough to organize everything that follows.
  3. 3The speaker commits to a point instead of hiding behind general encouragement.

Details to notice

The speech’s center

Speaker or role
Theodore Roosevelt
Room
The Hamilton Club of Chicago
Ideas
CourageEffortGrowthService

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