Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) was an American humanitarian and diplomat. She was the first lady from 1933 until 1945, longer than any other president’s wife. She was an active advocate for human and civil rights and an early icon of the women’s rights movement.
Born in New York City to a prosperous family, Eleanor was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1905, she married Franklin D. Roosevelt, her fifth cousin (once removed.) After he developed poliomyelitis in 1921, Eleanor helped him deal with the ailment and became his confidante and adviser. She assumed many of his public duties when he served first as governor of New York and then as president.
As her husband’s “eyes and ears,” Eleanor oversaw government officials as well as American troops before and during World War II. She also campaigned for improved employment opportunities for women and minorities.
Eleanor served a U.S. representative to the General Assembly of the United Nations (1945–53, 1961–62.) As chairperson of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, she helped draft the Declaration of Human Rights (1948.)
Roosevelt was a prolific writer; she wrote a syndicated and influential newspaper column for over twenty years. She also wrote It’s Up to the Women (1933,) This Troubled World (1938,) The Moral Basis of Democracy (1940,) and India and the Awakening East (1953.) She is also noted for her autobiographies This Is My Story (1937,) This I Remember (1949,) and On My Own (1958.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Eleanor Roosevelt
The reason that fiction is more interesting than any other form of literature, to those who really like to study people, is that in fiction the author can really tell the truth without humiliating himself.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Books, Reading
When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Peace, Justice
A stumbling block to the pessimist is a stepping-stone to the optimist.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Perception, Attitude
Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
We have to face the fact that either all of us are going to die together or we are going to learn to live together, and if we are to live together we have to talk.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Communication
I have spent many years of my life in opposition, and I rather like the role.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Opposition, Dissent
We must preserve our right to think and differ.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Thinking
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Acceptance, Emotions, Realization, Awareness, Character, Feel, Inferiority, Self Confidence, Confidence, Self-Esteem
I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do, provided he keeps doing them until he gets a record of successful experience behind him.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Anxiety, Fear
Handle yourself, use head; Handle others, use heart.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Kindness
Remember always that you have not only the right to be an individual; you have an obligation to be one. You cannot make any useful contribution in life unless you do this.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Being Ourselves, Obligation
If you are interested, you never have to look for new interests. They come to you. When you are genuinely interested in one thing, it will always lead to something else.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Knowledge, Compassion, Life, People, Kindness, Thought, Success
No one from the beginning of time has had security.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Realistic Expectations, Conflict
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.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Act, Learn, Good, Action
He who loses money, loses much; He who loses a friend, loses much more; He who loses faith, loses all.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Hope
Every time you meet a situation, though you think at the time it is impossibility and you go through the tortures of the damned, once you have met it and lived through it, you find that forever after you are freer than you were before.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes over night. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Heroes
Somewhere along the line of development we discover what we really are and then we make our real decision for which we are responsible. Make that decision primarily for yourself because you can never really live anyone else’s lie, not even your child’s. The influence you exert is through your own life and what you become yourself.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Decision, Decisions, Live, Life, Discover
Do one thing every day that scares you.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
It isn’t enough to talk about peace, one must believe it. And it isn’t enough to to believe in it, one must work for it.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Belief, Peace
If I feel depressed, I go to work. Work is always an antidote to depression.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Habits
Perhaps nature is our best assurance of immortality.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Immortality
A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and in all things, and who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is all-knowing and therefore all of us need both love and charity.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Understanding is a two-way street.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Understanding, One liners
When you ceased to make a contribution you begin to die.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
You get more joy out of giving joy to others and should put a good deal of thought into the happiness you are able to give.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Joy
A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Water
Tomorrow is now.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Tomorrow
Do not be afraid of mistakes, providing you do not make the same one twice.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Mistakes, Failures
We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Courage
The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Life, Nature, Success, Living
The only man who makes no mistakes is the man who never does anything.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Mistakes, Failures
It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Planning, Energy
A trait no other nation seems to possess in quite the same degree that we do—namely, a feeling of almost childish injury and resentment unless the world as a whole recognizes how innocent we are of anything but the most generous and harmless intentions.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: America
The basis of world peace is the teaching which runs through almost all the great religions of the world. “Love they neighbor as thyself.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Peace
I could not, at any age, be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. The fatal thing is the rejection. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Life, How to Live, Life and Living, Living, Curiosity, Living Well
When all is said and done, and statesmen discuss the future of the world, the fact remains that people fight these wars.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Future
The war for freedom will never really be won because the price of freedom is constant vigilance over ourselves and over our Government.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Freedom
With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.
—Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics: Strength
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