--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not what we have that will make us…" description: "\"It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it.\" — Theodore Roosevelt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/theodore-roosevelt-218_great-nation_it-is-not-what-we-have-that-will-make-us_101207.jpg" --- # It is not what we have that will make us a great nation… ![“It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it.” quote by Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/theodore-roosevelt-218_great-nation_it-is-not-what-we-have-that-will-make-us_101207.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/theodore-roosevelt-218_great-nation_it-is-not-what-we-have-that-will-make-us_101207.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/theodore-roosevelt-218_great-nation_it-is-not-what-we-have-that-will-make-us_101207.jpg) > “It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it.” [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A nation's greatness depends not on material wealth but on how wisely and ethically that wealth is employed for the common good. **In simple terms:** Wise use of resources defines a nation. Key Takeaway Effective stewardship, material wealth. Themes leadership resource management ethics national identity Mood thoughtful optimistic Type political ethical When to use this quote - government budgeting decisions - corporate social responsibility initiatives - community development projects Key Concepts public policy social responsibility Practical Applications - Implement transparent impact assessments for public spending - Promote civic education on responsible consumption Questions to Reflect On - How should societies measure the value of resource utilization? - What mechanisms ensure ethical use of wealth? 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He is what makes us a great nation and a dangerous nation, all wrapped up in one man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-oberst-jr/lincoln-is-me-he-is-america-he-is-what-makes-us-a-great-nation-and-a/) [Bill Oberst Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-oberst-jr/) > [The Founding Fathers believed that faith in God was the key to our being a good people and America's becoming a great nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-founding-fathers-believed-that-faith-in-god-was-the-key-to-our/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [We are a great nation, which has lot to offer to the world, but to offer something to the world France has to remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/we-are-a-great-nation-which-has-lot-to-offer-to-the-world-but-to/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) ## More by Theodore Roosevelt > [No people is wholly civilized where a distinction is drawn between stealing an office and stealing a purse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/no-people-is-wholly-civilized-where-a-distinction-is-drawn-between/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [There can be no effective control of corporations while their political activity remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-can-be-no-effective-control-of-corporations-while-their/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/get-action-seize-the-moment-man-was-never-intended-to-become-an-oyster/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Argument weak; speak loudly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/argument-weak-speak-loudly/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense."... "We must treat each man on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/let-the-watchwords-of-all-our-people-be-the-old-familiar-watchwords/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [The forces that tend for evil are great and terrible, but the forces of truth and love and courage and honesty and generosity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-forces-that-tend-for-evil-are-great-and-terrible-but-the-forces/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Every reform movement has a lunatic fringe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/every-reform-movement-has-a-lunatic-fringe/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Conservation and rural-life policies are really two sides of the same policy; and down at the bottom this policy rests upon the fundamental law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/conservation-and-rural-life-policies-are-really-two-sides-of-the-same/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [It is a great mistake to think that the extremist is a better man than the moderate. Usually the difference is not that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-a-great-mistake-to-think-that-the-extremist-is-a-better-man/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [I am a strong individualist by personal habit, inheritance, and conviction; but it is a mere matter of common sense to recognize that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/i-am-a-strong-individualist-by-personal-habit-inheritance-and/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Alone of human beings the good and wise mother stands on a plane of equal honor with the bravest soldier; for she has gladly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/alone-of-human-beings-the-good-and-wise-mother-stands-on-a-plane-of/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [The greatest privilege and greatest duty for any man is to be happily married, and no other form of success or service, for either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-greatest-privilege-and-greatest-duty-for-any-man-is-to-be-happily/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [For unflagging interest and enjoyment, a household of children, if things go reasonably well, certainly all other forms of success and achievement lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/for-unflagging-interest-and-enjoyment-a-household-of-children-if/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [There can be no effective control of corporations while their political activity remains. To put an end to it will be neither a short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-can-be-no-effective-control-of-corporations-while-their-2/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [If elected, I shall see to it that every man has a square deal, no less and no more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/if-elected-i-shall-see-to-it-that-every-man-has-a-square-deal-no-less/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) [Explore all 876 Theodore Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) ## More Great nation quotes > [Entrepreneurship is the very back bone of our country and what makes us great - we are a nation of founders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lublin/entrepreneurship-is-the-very-back-bone-of-our-country-and-what-makes/) [Nancy Lublin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-lublin/) > [And I think that, at some point, I am, as John Lewis and many others, are a bridge-builder. The goal is to bring America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/and-i-think-that-at-some-point-i-am-as-john-lewis-and-many-others-are/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Tell me, why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tell-me-why-is-the-media-here-so-negative-why-are-we-in-india-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A great nation is like a great man...He thinks of his enemy as the shadow that he himself casts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tao-te-ching/a-great-nation-is-like-a-great-man-he-thinks-of-his-enemy-as-the/) [Tao Te Ching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tao-te-ching/) > [The Australian people want to help build this country into a great nation. This budget... has not realized the capacity of the Australian people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-australian-people-want-to-help-build-this-country-into-a-great/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are a great nation, which has lot to offer to the world, but to offer something to the world France has to remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/we-are-a-great-nation-which-has-lot-to-offer-to-the-world-but-to/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [Religious liberty is the salt and light that has made us the great nation we are in a whole number of ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-metaxas/religious-liberty-is-the-salt-and-light-that-has-made-us-the-great/) [Eric Metaxas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-metaxas/) > [Our country is only as strong as the men and women who serve our great nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-donalds/our-country-is-only-as-strong-as-the-men-and-women-who-serve-our/) [Byron Donalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-donalds/) > [It is fitting for a great nation to yield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/it-is-fitting-for-a-great-nation-to-yield/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“However enlightened and however skilful a central power may be, it cannot of itself embrace all the details of the existence of a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/however-enlightened-and-however-skilful-a-central-power-may-be-it/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [I had great admiration for the election of President Obama. I believe that the U.S. at that moment showed tremendous capacity to show that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dilma-rousseff/i-had-great-admiration-for-the-election-of-president-obama-i-believe/) [Dilma Rousseff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dilma-rousseff/) > [The Founding Fathers believed that faith in God was the key to our being a good people and America's becoming a great nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-founding-fathers-believed-that-faith-in-god-was-the-key-to-our/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I part of this great nation because my grandfather was born here, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He took a horse, back in 1895, and ride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicente-fox/i-part-of-this-great-nation-because-my-grandfather-was-born-here-in/) [Vicente Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicente-fox/) > [America is a great nation, but it cannot spend blood and treasure endlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-prince/america-is-a-great-nation-but-it-cannot-spend-blood-and-treasure/) [Erik Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-prince/) > [Our American liberty defines our great nation. Let us each learn and do all we can to preserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/our-american-liberty-defines-our-great-nation-let-us-each-learn-and/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) [Browse all 115 Great nation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-nation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Theodore Roosevelt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-not-what-we-have-that-will-make-us-a-great-nation-it-is-the-way/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Great nation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-not-what-we-have-that-will-make-us-a-great-nation-it-is-the-way/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/theodore-roosevelt-218_great-nation_it-is-not-what-we-have-that-will-make-us_101207.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/theodore-roosevelt-218_great-nation_it-is-not-what-we-have-that-will-make-us_101207.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/theodore-roosevelt-218_great-nation_it-is-not-what-we-have-that-will-make-us_101207.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it.” — Theodore Roosevelt", "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": "Theodore Roosevelt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is not what we have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-not-what-we-have-that-will-make-us-a-great-nation-it-is-the-way/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-not-what-we-have-that-will-make-us-a-great-nation-it-is-the-way/#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 } } ] } ```