EPISODE 13 Ted Roosevelt (Part 1): The Rough Rider and His Demons

“You must still have chaos in yourself to be able to give birth to a dancing star” Friedrich Nietzsche

“History as well as life itself is complicated—neither life nor history is an enterprise for those who seek simplicity and consistency.”

Jared Diamond

He was the first American to receive a brown belt in Judo. 

He won the largest percentage of the vote ever by a third-party candidate.

He once took a bullet to the chest shot at point blank range, and rather than going to the hospital went to deliver a 90 minute speech. 

He survived tragedies that would break lesser men.

He spent his life fighting against the inner demons trying to destroy him. 

He was a perfect embodiment of what Nietzsche probably had in mind when he wrote, “You must still have chaos in yourself to be able to give birth to a dancing star." 

He was a warmonger with a diplomatic tact. He was a hunter and an environmentalist. He was a nerd and an athlete. He flirted with white supremacist ideas and yet was very progressive about race by the standards of his day. He was a big proponent of personal responsibility and supported quasi-Socialist policies.

Love him or hate him, he was larger than life.

He was Theodore Roosevelt.

In this episode:

-A sickly child discovers the joys of the strenuous life

-Defeating fear by facing fear

-Having the woman you love die in your arms; into the Dakota wilderness

-“A six year old child on steroids”

-"Black care rarely sits behind a rider whose pace is fast enough"

-“Theodore had to hold on to his optimism very tight, otherwise he couldn’t get through the shadows, the darknesses, surrounding him”

-Marriage # 2

-Why telling Roosevelt “It will break you. You will yield. You are but human;” is a bad idea

-The Rough Riders

-Going to war against his own party

-How Thomas Platt’s plan to eliminate Roosevelt gave him the presidency

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