I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
—Unknown
Notice the difference between what happens when a man says to himself, “I have failed three times,” and what happens when he says, “I am a failure”.
—S. I. Hayakawa (1906–92) Canadian-born American Academic, Elected Rep, Politician
Use the losses and failures of the past as a reason for action, not inaction.
—Charles J. Givens (1941–98) American Self-Help Writer
Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
Failure is the foundation of success, and the means by which it is achieved.
—Laozi (b.604BCE–d:Unknown) Chinese Philosopher
To expect defeat is nine-tenths of defeat itself.
—Francis Marion Crawford (1854–1909) Italian-born American Novelist, Writer
We pay a heavy price for our fear of failure. It is a powerful obstacle to growth. It assures the progressive narrowing of the personality and prevents exploration and experimentation. There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling. If you want to keep on learning, you must keep on risking failure—all your life.
—John W. Gardner (1912–2002) American Government Official, Political leader
The thing you fear most has no power. Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free.
—Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) American TV Personality, Businessperson, Actor
Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.
—George Edward Woodberry (1855–1930) American Literary Critic, Poet
There is something good in all seeming failures. You are not to see that now. Time will reveal it. Be patient.
—Swami Sivananda
In a total work, the failures have their not unimportant place.
—May Sarton (1912–95) American Children’s Books Writer, Poet, Novelist
It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated… it is finished when it surrenders.
—Ben Stein (b.1944) American Lawyer, Writer, Economist, Humorist
Get rid of your fear of failure, your tensions about succeeding, you will be yourself. Relaxed. You wouldn’t be driving with your brakes on. That’s what would happen.
—Anthony de Mello (1931–87) Indian-born American Theologian
Show me a completely contented person and I’ll show you a failure.
—Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American Inventor, Scientist, Entrepreneur
Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.
—Zig Ziglar (b.1926) American Author, Motivational Speaker, Author
Genius is often only the power of making continuous efforts. The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it—so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it. How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience, would have achieved success. As the tide goes clear out, so it comes clear in. In business sometimes prospects may seem darkest when really they are on the turn. A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success. There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent weakness of purpose.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
Our business in this world is not to succeed, but to continue to fail in good spirits.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94) Scottish Novelist, Poet, Short Story Writer, Author
A man’s life is interesting primarily when he has failed, I well know. For it’s a sign that he tried to surpass himself.
—Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929) French Head of State, Physician, Publisher, Political leader
The men who have done big things are those who were not afraid to attempt big things, who were not afraid to risk failure in order to gain success.
—B. C. Forbes (1880–1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher
I believe that one of life’s greatest risks is never daring to risk.
—Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) American TV Personality, Businessperson, Actor
What is defeat? — Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better.
—Wendell Phillips (1811–84) American Abolitionist, Social Activist, Lawyer, Orator
Failure too is a form of death…
—Graham Greene (1904–91) British Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer
You cannot climb the ladder of success dressed in the costume of failure.
—Zig Ziglar (b.1926) American Author, Motivational Speaker, Author
Failure sometimes enlarges the spirit. You have to fall back upon humanity and God.
—Charles Cooley (1864–1929) American Sociologist
All of us have failed to reach our dream of perfection, so I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible.
—William Faulkner (1897–1962) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
We failed, but in the good providence of God apparent failure often proves a blessing.
—Robert E. Lee (1807–70) American Military Leader, Engineer
Failure is impossible.
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906) American Civil Rights Leader
The surest way to fail is not to determine to succeed.
—Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816) Irish-born British Playwright, Poet, Elected Rep
I don’t believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process.
—Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) American TV Personality, Businessperson, Actor
I never see failure as failure, but only as the game I must play and win.
—Tom Hopkins (b.1911) English Sportsperson
A chief is a man who assumes responsibility. He says, “I was beaten”. He does not say, “My men were beaten”. Thus speaks a real man.
—Antoine De Saint-Exupery (1900–44)
Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression. Do not repeat them in the future.
—Swami Sivananda
The only real failure in life is one not learned from.
—Anthony J. D’Angelo
A man’s life is interesting primarily when he has failed — I well know. For it’s a sign that he tried to surpass himself.
—Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929) French Head of State, Physician, Publisher, Political leader
There is only one real failure possible; and that is, not to be true to the best one knows.
—Frederic William Farrar (1831–1903) British Theological Writer
Only if you have been in the deepest valley, can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.
—Richard Nixon (1913–94) American Head of State, Lawyer
We must expect to fail… but fail in a learning posture, determined no to repeat the mistakes, and to maximize the benefits from what is learned in the process.
—Ted Engstrom (1916–2006) American Christian Religious Leader
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles that one has overcome while trying to succeed.
—Booker T. Washington (1856–1915) American Educator, Author, Political leader
A failure is a man who has blundered, but is not able to cash in on the experience.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
Success requires persistence, the ability to not give up in the face of failure. I believe that optimistic explanatory style is the key to persistence.
—Martin Seligman (b.1942) American Psychologist, Author
The most important of my discoveries have been suggested to me by my failures.
—Humphry Davy (1778–1829) British Chemist, Inventor
He who has never failed somewhere, that man cannot be great.
—Herman Melville (1819–91) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Poet
Try to do to others as you would have them do to you, and do not be discouraged if they fail sometimes. It is much better that they should fail than that you should.
—Charles Dickens (1812–70)
Any effort that has self-glorification as its final endpoint is bound to end in disaster.
—Robert M. Pirsig (b.1928) American Writer, Philosopher, Author
They fail, and they alone, who have not striven.
—Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836–1907) American Poet, Novelist, Traveler, Editor
Ambition is the last refuge of the failure.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Dramatist, Short Story Writer, Journalist, Writer
Remember you will not always win. Some days, the most resourceful individual will taste defeat. But there is, in this case, always tomorrow – after you have done your best to achieve success today.
—Maxwell Maltz (1899–1975) American Surgeon, Motivational Writer
The wise man realistically accepts as part of life and builds a philosophy to meet them and make the most of them. He lives on the principle of “nothing attempted, nothing gained” and is resolved that if he fails he is going to fail while trying to succeed.
—Wilferd Arlan Peterson (1900–95) American Author
Strong people make as many and as ghastly mistakes as weak people. The difference is that strong people admit them, laugh at them, learn from them. This is how they become strong.
—Richard J. Needham (1912–96) Canadian Humorist, Columnist, Writer
Failures to heroic minds are the stepping stones to success.
—Thomas Chandler Haliburton (1796–1865) Canadian Author, Humorist, Businessperson, Judge
A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.
—B. F. Skinner (1904–90) American Psychologist, Social Philosopher, Inventor, Author
There is no such thing as a good excuse.
—Dero A. Saunders (1914–2002) American Journalist, Scholar