We will have to want peace, work for it, suffer for it, and, above all, live it in our daily lives.

Eleanor Roosevelt

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Topic: Global Peace & Development

We will have to want peace, work for it, suffer for it, and, above all, live it in our daily lives. Peace, like freedom, is not a gift bestowed upon us once and for all; it is a living thing that must be nurtured daily with understanding, tolerance, and goodwill. It requires constant effort, vigilance, and a willingness to set aside pride for the sake of the common good.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, born on October 11, 1884, and passing away on November 7, 1962, was a significant American political figure, diplomat, and activist. Her service as the First Lady of the United States from March 1933 to April 1945, alongside her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt during his four terms in office, marked her as the longest-serving First Lady of the United States. Her tenure as First Lady was just the beginning of a long and impactful career in public service, showcasing her commitment to various social and political causes.

Following her role as First Lady, Roosevelt transitioned into a diplomatic position, serving as the United States Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1952. This role significantly contributed to her reputation as a dedicated advocate for human rights. Her work in promoting human rights on an international stage was groundbreaking, bringing attention to issues that were often overlooked, and working towards creating a world where human rights were recognized and protected.

Eleanor Roosevelt's legacy is marked by her dedication to human rights, her service to her country, and her continuous advocacy for the marginalized and oppressed. Her efforts in the realm of human rights were acknowledged by President Harry S. Truman, who honored her with the title "First Lady of the World." This title not only pays tribute to her achievements in the realm of human rights but also recognizes the lasting impact she had on both national and international platforms. Through her life’s work, Roosevelt set a lasting standard for public service and remains a notable figure in American history.

(1884-1962) Universal Wisdom and Compassionate Action

Roosevelt, Eleanor. Tomorrow Is Now. Harper & Row, 1963, p. 198.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Theme: Peace

About This Eleanor Roosevelt Quotation [Commentary]

Eleanor Roosevelt begins with a clear demand: “We will have to want peace, work for it, suffer for it, and, above all, live it in our daily lives.” To “want” it is only the beginning; to “work for it” brings desire into action; to “suffer for it” accepts the cost of patience, restraint, and courage. By saying “above all” we must “live it,” Eleanor Roosevelt places daily conduct at the center. The work is not only public, political, or diplomatic. It is also found in how people speak, listen, disagree, and carry responsibility with one another.

Eleanor Roosevelt deepens this point by saying that peace, “like freedom, is not a gift bestowed upon us once and for all.” It is “a living thing” that must be “nurtured daily with understanding, tolerance, and goodwill.” Her words keep the focus on steady practice rather than noble feeling alone. “Understanding” asks people to look beyond their own position. “Tolerance” leaves room for difference. “Goodwill” resists the habit of treating others as enemies. What she calls “constant effort” and “vigilance” belongs to ordinary human relationships as much as to nations.

Her phrase “a willingness to set aside pride for the sake of the common good” gives the quotation its moral weight. Eleanor Roosevelt does not hide the sacrifice involved; she names it in “work for it” and “suffer for it.” Yet she also makes the path plain: “live it in our daily lives.” What is desired must be practiced, what is practiced must be protected, and what is protected must serve more than the self. In this union of personal restraint and shared responsibility, her words offer a clear path toward a more humane life together.

Additional Eleanor Roosevelt Quotations

“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places close to home … Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”

—Eleanor Roosevelt. Excerpt from her statement to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (March 27, 1958), often referred to as the “Where Do Universal Human Rights Begin?” speech.

“The struggle is bound to be difficult and one in which we must be firm but patient. If we adhere faithfully to our principles I think it is possible for us to maintain freedom—and to do so peacefully and without recourse to force.”

—Eleanor Roosevelt. From her speech “The Struggle for Human Rights,” delivered in Paris in 1948 as part of the human rights drafting discussions.

“If we want a free and peaceful world, if we want to make the deserts bloom and man grow to greater dignity as a human being—we can do it.”

—Eleanor Roosevelt. Tomorrow Is Now: It Is Today That We Must Create the World of the Future, Penguin, 2012, p. 159.

“It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.”

—Eleanor Roosevelt. Voice of America Broadcast, 11 Nov. 1951. Cited in 10 Inspiring Eleanor Roosevelt Quotes, United Nations Foundation, 2015.

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