The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.

About This Quote

This quote is best understood when it is taken in context. The words of Theodore Roosevelt are even more powerful when applied to the life of Teddy Roosevelt. He said, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” That’s what he was doing when he was President of the United States.

He was making his life useful, honorable and compassionate by how he lived his life. He was making a difference in the lives of others by what he did every day.

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