Eleanor Roosevelt Quotes

“Somehow we must be able to show people that democracy is not about words, but action.”

“Make the most of What you have, When you have it, Where you are.”

“I could never say in the morning, "I have a headache and cannot do thus and so". Headache or no headache, thus and so had to be done.”

“We need not fear any isms if our democracy is achieving the ends for which it was established.”

“Everybody wants something.”

“Do whatever comes your way to do as well as you can. Think as little as possible about yourself. Think as much as possible about other people. Dwell on things that are interesting. Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.”

“If everything was in your favor, if you did not have to surmount any great mountains, then you have nothing to be proud of. But if you feel that you have special difficulties, then you must indeed be proud of your achievement.”

“I have a great objection to seeing anyone, particularly anyone whom I care about, lose his self-control.”

“To appear to be on the inside and know more than others about what is going on is a great temptation for most people. It is a rare person who is willing to seem to know less than he does ... Somehow, people seem to feel that it is belittling to their importance not to know more than other people.”

“... any citizen should be willing to give all that he has to give his country in work or sacrifice in times of crisis.”

“There is not human being from whom we cannot learn something if we are interested enough to dig deep.”

“Criticism ... makes very little dent upon me, unless I think there is some real justification and something should be done.”

“Nothing was ever accomplished by anyone who said 'It can't be done.'”

“A guest is really good or bad because of the host or hostess who makes being a guest an easy or a difficult task.”

“How can we be such fools as to go on senselessly taking human life in this way? Why the women in every nation do not rise up and refuse to bring children into a world of this kind is beyond my understanding.”

“One of the first things we must get rid of is the idea that democracy is tantamount to capitalism.”

“I learned then that practically no one in the world is entirely bad or entirely good, and that motives are often more important than actions.”

“The only things one can admire at length are those one admires without knowing why.”

“Friends, you and me... you brought another friend... and then there were three... we started our group... our circle of friends... and like that circle... there is no beginning or end.”

“If you believe that a nation is really better off which achieves for a comparative few, those who are capable of attaining it, high culture, ease, opportunity, and that these few from their enlightenment should give what they consider best to those less favored, then you naturally belong to the Republican Party. But if you believe that people must struggle slowly to the light for themselves, then it seems to me that you are a Democrat.”

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

“All big things in human history have been arrived at slowly and through many compromises.”

“There is nothing to regret, either for those who go, or for those who stay behind — only an inheritance of good accomplishment to be lived up to by those who carry a loving memory in their hearts.”

“We need our radicals.”

“Choose a challenge instead of competence”