[Ads-l] Quote Trace: Courage is not having the strength to go on =?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=A6_?=(Attrib. T. Roosevelt)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

On June 15, 2026, I initiated a discussion thread about the quotation
in the subject line. Jeff Prucher responded with helpful information.
Now, I have posted an article on the Quote Investigator website:

Quote Origin: Courage Is Not Having the Strength To Go On; It Is Going
On When You Don't Have the Strength
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2026/10/27/courage-strength/

The QI article concludes that Ken Harris is the leading candidate for
creator of this saying based on a 1972 citation. Theodore Roosevelt
received credit in 1997; however, QI has been unable to verify the
supporting citation; hence, this attribution remains unlikely. The
attribution to Napoleon Bonaparte also remains unsupported. Perhaps
future researchers will uncover additional evidence.

[Begin acknowledgement]
Great thanks to Steve Herman, Tim Marchman, Brendan Keefe, and Eric
Columbus whose discussion thread led QI to formulate this question and
perform this exploration. Tim Marchman found the 2012 attribution to
Napoleon. Special thanks to Jeff Prucher who pointed out the 1919 book
"Theodore Roosevelt's Letters to His Children". Prucher noted that the
quotation was absent from the 1926 and 1919 books.
[Begin acknowledgement]

Feedback welcome
Garson

On Mon, Jun 15, 2026 at 9:56 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Thanks for your efforts Jeff.

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