My regular readers know that Theodore Roosevelt holds a special place in my heart. When I worked in the Victorian-era building that had once been his home, his spirit still roamed the halls and played in the elevator that hadn’t existed during his time. So it is altogether fitting that I quote him from time to time.

T.R. was a frail, sickly child, and worked hard over the years to transform himself into the fine physical specimen we recognize. Tough, strong-willed, and possessed of an insatiable lust for life and a wicked sense of humor, he gave the world numerous bits of advice for success in politics, war, and life in general, such as:

“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”

– and –

“Don’t hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft!”

But perhaps he went a bit too far with this next one, which seems to have been adopted as the ethos of 21st-century strongmen such as Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un, and Donald Trump:

“If you’ve got them by the balls,
their hearts and minds will follow.”

If T.R. were to come back today and observe the current state of world affairs, do you suppose he might consider retracting that one?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/6/25