---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People will love him (Theodore Roosevelt)…"
description: "\"People will love him (Theodore Roosevelt) for the enemies he has made.\" — Doris Kearns Goodwin"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/doris-kearns-goodwin-1951_enemies_people-will-love-him-theodore-roosevelt_46925.png"
---

#  People will love him (Theodore Roosevelt) for the enemies…

![“People will love him (Theodore Roosevelt) for the enemies he has made.” quote by Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/doris-kearns-goodwin-1951_enemies_people-will-love-him-theodore-roosevelt_46925.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/doris-kearns-goodwin-1951_enemies_people-will-love-him-theodore-roosevelt_46925.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/doris-kearns-goodwin-1951_enemies_people-will-love-him-theodore-roosevelt_46925.png)

> “People will love him (Theodore Roosevelt) for the enemies he has made.”

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People often admire leaders for the opposition they generate, seeing conflict as proof of impact.

**In simple terms:** Admiration through opposition

Key Takeaway

Controversy signals influence

Themes

Power Leadership Conflict Perception Legacy

Mood

Defiant Reflective

Type

Aphorism Political quote

When to use this quote

- Political campaigns
- Corporate leadership
- Social movements

Key Concepts

Charisma Opposition Public Image

Practical Applications

- Brand positioning
- Leadership coaching

Questions to Reflect On

- What does it mean to be liked for your enemies?
- How does conflict shape reputation?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/)

## Related quotes

> [“Yet there was no doubt that Theodore Roosevelt was peculiarly qualified to be President of all the people. Few, if any Americans could match…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-morris/yet-there-was-no-doubt-that-theodore-roosevelt-was-peculiarly/)

[Edmund Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-morris/)

> [When Theodore Roosevelt was in the White House, he confessed that if he could be right 75 percent of the time, he would reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/when-theodore-roosevelt-was-in-the-white-house-he-confessed-that-if/)

[Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/)

> [I often ask myself: "What would Theodore Roosevelt do?" One can never know, of course. The ultimate contribution of consequential leaders is often their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-strock/i-often-ask-myself-what-would-theodore-roosevelt-do-one-can-never/)

[James M Strock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-strock/)

> [Theodore Roosevelt is of singular interest, because he was, in many evident ways, a self-created figure. He transformed his life into performance art. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-strock/theodore-roosevelt-is-of-singular-interest-because-he-was-in-many/)

[James M Strock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-strock/)

> [The government is us; WE are the government, you and I."- Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-government-is-us-we-are-the-government-you-and-i-theodore/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [William McKinley has surely been underrated - in no small part because he was succeeded by a memorable leader, Theodore Roosevelt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-strock/william-mckinley-has-surely-been-underrated-in-no-small-part-because/)

[James M Strock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-strock/)

> [ We shouldn't let the Republicans off the hook. Theodore Roosevelt, we learned from Jeff Cowan's new book, was just as bad as certainly \[Louis\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-rosen/we-shouldn-t-let-the-republicans-off-the-hook-theodore-roosevelt-we/)

[Jeffrey Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-rosen/)

> [Arguably there's no school for any high position of leadership. That said, Theodore Roosevelt was remarkably well prepared for the presidency. He had held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-strock/arguably-there-s-no-school-for-any-high-position-of-leadership-that/)

[James M Strock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-strock/)

> [When I began work on my first book, The River of Doubt, which tells the story of Theodore Roosevelts 1914 descent of an unmapped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candice-millard/when-i-began-work-on-my-first-book-the-river-of-doubt-which-tells-the/)

[Candice Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candice-millard/)

> [Theodore Roosevelt was always getting himself in hot water by talking before he had to commit himself upon issues not well-defined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/theodore-roosevelt-was-always-getting-himself-in-hot-water-by-talking/)

[Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/)

> [Theodore Roosevelt is among the most captivating of presidents in our time, but his administration is often underestimated. Roosevelt's successes in domestic and international…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-strock/theodore-roosevelt-is-among-the-most-captivating-of-presidents-in-our/)

[James M Strock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-strock/)

> [Everyone knows that Theodore Roosevelt was able to wring so much life out of each day, every hour, every minute. And yet, when one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-strock/everyone-knows-that-theodore-roosevelt-was-able-to-wring-so-much-life/)

[James M Strock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-strock/)

> [U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt has been described as founder of the Bull Moose Party, the man who led his troops up San Juan Hill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/u-s-president-theodore-roosevelt-has-been-described-as-founder-of-the/)

[Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/)

> [Theodore Roosevelt is a natural choice for leadership education. Along with many other observers, I believe he was among the greatest of leaders to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-strock/theodore-roosevelt-is-a-natural-choice-for-leadership-education-along/)

[James M Strock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-strock/)

> [Curiously, for all the outpourings of scholarship on Theodore Roosevelt, no one had written a book focused directly on his leadership approach, working in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-strock/curiously-for-all-the-outpourings-of-scholarship-on-theodore/)

[James M Strock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-strock/)

## More by Doris Kearns Goodwin

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [What I think I've learned is that you're never going to get it all right, and you can't obsess about having a fact wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/what-i-think-i-ve-learned-is-that-you-re-never-going-to-get-it-all/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [I wish we could go back to the time when the private lives of our public figures were relevant only if they directly affected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-wish-we-could-go-back-to-the-time-when-the-private-lives-of-our/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [“This extreme treatment was among the proliferating regimens developed in response to the stunning increase in nervous disorders diagnosed around the turn of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/this-extreme-treatment-was-among-the-proliferating-regimens-developed/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [“I could carve out of a banana a judge with more backbone than that,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-could-carve-out-of-a-banana-a-judge-with-more-backbone-than-that/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [“And Lincoln, as would be evidenced throughout his presidency, was a master of timing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/and-lincoln-as-would-be-evidenced-throughout-his-presidency-was-a/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [“Don’t hit till you have to; but, when you do hit, hit hard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/don-t-hit-till-you-have-to-but-when-you-do-hit-hit-hard/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [“After ministering each day to the hundreds of young men who had endured ghastly wounds, submitted to amputations without anesthesia, and often died without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/after-ministering-each-day-to-the-hundreds-of-young-men-who-had/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [The value that I found in interviewing was for an educational experience, just to know that history itself is subjective, that you can't say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/the-value-that-i-found-in-interviewing-was-for-an-educational/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [Excitement about things became a habit, a part of my personality, and the expectation that I should enjoy new experiences often engendered the enjoyment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/excitement-about-things-became-a-habit-a-part-of-my-personality-and/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [“All the cartoonists at heart liked him, and there was seldom or never anything bitter or really unfriendly in their portrayals of him; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/all-the-cartoonists-at-heart-liked-him-and-there-was-seldom-or-never/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [I think that's still what the American Dream means: that with perseverance, with hard work, you can become something, that the classes won't prevent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-think-that-s-still-what-the-american-dream-means-that-with/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [I shall always be grateful for this curious love of history, allowing me to spend a lifetime looking back into the past, allowing me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-shall-always-be-grateful-for-this-curious-love-of-history-allowing/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [“Simon Cameron: “I loved my brother, as only the poor and lonely can love those with whom they have toiled and struggled up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/simon-cameron-i-loved-my-brother-as-only-the-poor-and-lonely-can-love/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [When I look at what a writer owes to the reader, it's critical to know that everything you're writing about is not made up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/when-i-look-at-what-a-writer-owes-to-the-reader-it-s-critical-to-know/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

[Explore all 196 Doris Kearns Goodwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

## More Enemies quotes

> [“Never let your Enemies become your Advocates.” by A. K. Hasan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-hasan/never-let-your-enemies-become-your-advocates-by-a-k-hasan/)

A.K. Hasan

> [I don't see why we and the Chinese should have to be enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-don-t-see-why-we-and-the-chinese-should-have-to-be-enemies/)

[Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/)

> [“If it takes night to make day, pain to know pleasure, black to make white, then doesn't it stand to reason that the depth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snyder/if-it-takes-night-to-make-day-pain-to-know-pleasure-black-to-make/)

Michael Snyder

> [“Enemies Teach. Friends Preach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapan-ghosh/enemies-teach-friends-preach/)

[Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/)

> [Your greatest weapon is your enemies mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddha/your-greatest-weapon-is-your-enemies-mind/)

[Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddha/)

> [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/)

[Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/)

> [Sometimes even paranoids have enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delmore-schwartz/sometimes-even-paranoids-have-enemies/)

[Delmore Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delmore-schwartz/)

> [When a husband brings his wife flowers for no reason, there's a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-mcgee/when-a-husband-brings-his-wife-flowers-for-no-reason-there-s-a-reason/)

Molly McGee

> [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/)

[Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/)

> [“Anyone who is portraying Israel as a friend is a servant of Israel. I warn some sides against turning enemies into friends and friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sayed-hassan-nasrallah/anyone-who-is-portraying-israel-as-a-friend-is-a-servant-of-israel-i/)

[Sayed Hassan Nasrallah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sayed-hassan-nasrallah/)

> [No accurate thinker will judge another person by that which the other person's enemies say about him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/no-accurate-thinker-will-judge-another-person-by-that-which-the-other/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [Whoever will not love his enemies cannot know the Lord and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/whoever-will-not-love-his-enemies-cannot-know-the-lord-and-the/)

[Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/)

> [I play basketball hard-nosed and if you're not on my team, during that 48 minutes we're enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-barnes/i-play-basketball-hard-nosed-and-if-you-re-not-on-my-team-during-that/)

[Matt Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-barnes/)

> [“Enemies are people who's story you haven't heard, or who's face you haven't seen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irene-butter/enemies-are-people-who-s-story-you-haven-t-heard-or-who-s-face-you/)

Irene Butter

> [A sweet thing, perspective - a chance to see your enemies so small.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/a-sweet-thing-perspective-a-chance-to-see-your-enemies-so-small/)

[Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/)

[Browse all 1,888 Enemies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemies/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "People will love him (Theodore Roosevelt) for the enemies he has made.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Doris Kearns Goodwin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/people-will-love-him-theodore-roosevelt-for-the-enemies-he-has-made/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Enemies"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/people-will-love-him-theodore-roosevelt-for-the-enemies-he-has-made/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/doris-kearns-goodwin-1951_enemies_people-will-love-him-theodore-roosevelt_46925.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/doris-kearns-goodwin-1951_enemies_people-will-love-him-theodore-roosevelt_46925.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/doris-kearns-goodwin-1951_enemies_people-will-love-him-theodore-roosevelt_46925.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“People will love him (Theodore Roosevelt) for the enemies he has made.” — Doris Kearns Goodwin",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Doris Kearns Goodwin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "People will love him (Theodore Roosevelt)...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/people-will-love-him-theodore-roosevelt-for-the-enemies-he-has-made/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/people-will-love-him-theodore-roosevelt-for-the-enemies-he-has-made/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
