He was a self-made man who owed his lack of success to nobody.
—Joseph Heller (1923–99) American Novelist
I never see failure as failure, but only as the game I must play and win.
—Tom Hopkins (b.1911) English Sportsperson
Failures to heroic minds are the stepping stones to success.
—Thomas Chandler Haliburton (1796–1865) Canadian Author, Humorist, Businessperson, Judge
So many fail because they don’t get started — they don’t go. They don’t overcome inertia. They don’t begin.
—W. Clement Stone (1902–2002) American Self-help Guru, Entrepreneur
Who has never tasted what is bitter does not know what is sweet.
—German Proverb
Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something…almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.
—Steve Jobs (1955–2011) American Entrepreneur, Businessperson
Misfortunes one can endure — they come from outside, they are accidents. But to suffer for one’s own faults — Ah! there is the sting of life.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
If you perform the sacrifice of doing your duty, you do not have to do anything else. Devoted to duty, man attains perfection.
—The Bhagavad Gita Hindu Scripture
Try as we may, none of us can be free of conflict and woe. Even the greatest men have had to accept disappointments as their daily bread…. The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them. Man and society must grow together. Each individual’s efforts to discipline himself must be matched by society’s struggle to enforce the rules of law and of justice under the law.
—Bernard M. Baruch (1870–1965) American Financier, Economic Consultant
The boy who is going to make a great man must not make up his mind merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand repulses and defeats.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
All of us failed to match our dreams of perfection. So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible.
—William Faulkner (1897–1962) American Novelist
A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it.
—Alexandre Dumas, pere (1802–1870) French Novelist, Playwright
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.
—Colin Powell (b.1937) American Military Leader
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
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
I would rather fail in a cause that will ultimately triumph than to triumph in a cause that will ultimately fail
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) American Head of State
Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.
—Truman Capote (1924–84) American Novelist
The longer is the excuse, the less likely it’s the truth.
—Robert Half
Failure sometimes enlarges the spirit. You have to fall back upon humanity and God.
—Charles Cooley (1864–1929) American Sociologist
He who has never failed somewhere, that man cannot be great.
—Herman Melville (1819–91) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Poet
Sometimes the best gain is to lose.
—George Herbert (1593–1633) Welsh Anglican Poet, Orator, Clergyman
I am never a failure until I begin blaming others.
—Anonymous
Our business in this world is not to succeed, but to continue to fail in good spirits.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94) Scottish Novelist
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
Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.
—John Wooden (1910–2010) American Sportsperson
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
No one ever won a chess game by betting on each move. Sometimes you have to move backward to get a step forward.
—Amar Bose (1929–2013) American Entrepreneur
I do not fear failure. I only fear the “slowing up” of the engine inside of me which is pounding, saying, “Keep going, someone must be on top, why not you?”
—George S. Patton (1885–1945) American Military Leader
All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.
—Walt Disney (1901–66) American Entrepreneur
A failure establishes only this, that our determination to succeed was not strong enough.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American Author, Journalist, Attorney, Lecturer
Every human being who reaches the age of understanding of the purpose of money wishes for it. Wishing will not bring riches. But desiring riches with a state of mind that becomes an obsessions, then planning definite ways and means to acquire riches, and backing those plans with persistence which does not recognize failure, will bring riches.
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American Author, Journalist, Attorney, Lecturer
We must have courage to bet on our ideas, to take the calculated risk, and to act. Everyday living requires courage if life is to be effective and bring happiness.
—Maxwell Maltz (1899–1975) American Surgeon, Motivational Writer
Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!
—Walter Scott (1771–1832) Scottish Novelist, Poet, Playwright, Lawyer
It is really true what philosophy tells us, that life must be understood backwards. But with this, one forgets the second proposition, that it must be lived forwards.
—Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) Danish Philosopher, Theologian
The surest way to fail is not to determine to succeed.
—Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816) Irish-born British Playwright, Poet, Elected Rep
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
Supposing you have tried and failed again and again. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call “Failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down.
—Mary Pickford (1893–1979) American-Canadian Actor, Producer
No matter how far you have gone on a wrong road, turn back.
—Turkish Proverb
A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
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 probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Failure is more frequently from want of energy than want of capital.
—Daniel Webster (1782–1852) American Statesman, Lawyer
There is only one real failure possible; and that is, not to be true to the best one knows.
—Frederic William Farrar (1831–1903) English Clergyman, Writer
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
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
Today is a new day. You will get out of it just what you put into it … If you have made mistakes, even serious mistakes, there is always another chance for you. And supposing you have tried and failed again and again, you may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down.
—Mary Pickford (1893–1979) American-Canadian Actor, Producer
Use the losses and failures of the past as a reason for action, not inaction.
—Charles J. Givens (1941–98) American Self-Help Writer
There was never any fear for me, no fear of failure. If I miss a shot, so what?
—Michael Jordan (b.1963) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
The only real failure in life is one not learned from.
—Anthony J. D’Angelo
Rushing into action, you fail. Trying to grasp things, you lose them. Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed. Out of the hard and unusual struggle through which he is compelled to pass, he gets a strength, a confidence, that one misses whose pathway is comparatively smooth by reason of birth and race.
—Booker T. Washington (1856–1915) African-American Educationist
He only is exempt from failures who makes no effort.
—Richard Whately (1787–1863) English Philosopher, Theologian
Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
—Samuel Beckett (1906–1989) Irish Novelist, Playwright
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
Show me someone content with mediocrity and I’ll show you someone destined for failure.
—Johnnetta B. Cole (b.1936) American Anthropologist, Educator
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
Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Failure is impossible.
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906) American Civil Rights Leader
Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
You can take from every experience what it has to offer you. And you cannot be defeated if you just keep taking one breath followed by another.
—Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) American TV Personality
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
To expect defeat is nine-tenths of defeat itself.
—Francis Marion Crawford (1854–1909) Italian-born American Novelist, Writer
Failure is delay, but not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead-end street.
—William Arthur Ward (1921–94) American Author
A true friend is one who overlooks your failures and tolerates your successes.
—Doug Larson (1926–2017) American Columnist
I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot…And I missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is precisely…Why I succeed.
—Michael Jordan (b.1963) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
Failures are like skinned knees–painful, but superficial.
—Ross Perot (1930–2019) American Businessman
One fails forward toward success.
—Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American Inventor, Entrepreneur, Businessperson
Men do not fail; they give up trying.
—Elihu Root (1845–1937) American Jurist, Statesman
Many a man has finally succeeded only because he has failed after repeated efforts. If he had never met defeat he would never have known any great victory.
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
The moment avoiding failure becomes your motivation, you’re down the path of inactivity. You stumble only if you’re moving.
—Roberto Goizueta (1931–97) Cuban Businessperson
Success and failure are both difficult to endure. Along with success come drugs, divorce, fornication, bullying, travel, meditation, medication, depression, neurosis and suicide. With failure comes failure.
—Joseph Heller (1923–99) American Novelist
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
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
Failure is not the only punishment for laziness;
there is also the success of others.
—Jules Renard (1864–1910) French Writer, Diarist
When we can begin to take our failures non-seriously, it means we are ceasing to be afraid of them. It is of immense importance to learn to laugh at ourselves.
—Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923) New Zealand-born British Author
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
What is defeat? — Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better.
—Wendell Phillips (1811–84) American Abolitionist, Lawyer, Orator
Ambition is the last refuge of the failure.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail. That is the talisman, the formula, the command of right-about-face which turns us from failure towards success.
—Dorothea Brande (1893–1948) American Writer, Editor
Laziness is a secret ingredient that goes into failure. But it’s only kept a secret from the person who fails.
—Robert Half
Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterward carefully avoid.
—John Keats (1795–1821) English Poet
Many a man never fails because he never tries.
—Norman MacEwen (1881–1953) British Military Leader
The test is to recognize the mistake, admit it and correct it. To have tried to do something and failed is vastly better than to have tried to do nothing and succeeded.
—Dale Turner (1917–2006) American Priest, Columnist, Epigrammist
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
Failures are divided into two classes — those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought.
—John Charles Salak
Failure is the foundation of success, and the means by which it is achieved.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
The most important of my discoveries have been suggested to me by my failures.
—Humphry Davy (1778–1829) British Chemist, Inventor
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
You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don’t win, at least you can be satisfied that you’ve tried. If you don’t accept failure as a possibility, you don’t set high goals, and you don’t branch out, you don’t try–you don’t take the risk.
—Rosalynn Carter (b.1927) American Humanitarian, First Lady
What skill of yours has given you the must success? Use it more.
—Marty Nemko (b.1950) American Career Coach
One who fears failure limits his activities. Failure is only the opportunity more intelligently to begin again.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
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
Seven national crimes: 1. I don’t think. 2. I don’t know. 3. I don’t care. 4. I am too busy. 5. I leave well enough alone. 6. I have no time to read and find out. 7. I am not interested.
—William J. H. Boetcker (1873–1962) American Presbyterian Minister
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
—Robert F. Kennedy (1925–68) American Politician, Civil Rights Activist
Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.
—Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American Inventor, Scientist, Entrepreneur
Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.
—Babe Ruth (1895–1948) American Baseball Legend
Show me a good loser and I will show you a loser.
—Paul Newman (1925–2008) American Actor, Philanthropist
In all education the main cause of failure is staleness
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
There can be no real freedom without the freedom to fail.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
We stumble and fall constantly even when we are most enlightened. But when we are in true spiritual darkness, we do not even know that we have fallen.
—Thomas Merton (1915–68) American Trappist Monk
If I had permitted my failures, or what seemed to me at the time a lack of success, to discourage me I cannot see any way in which I would ever have made progress.
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) American Head of State, Lawyer
Finite to fail, but infinite to venture.
—Emily Dickinson (1830–86) American Poet
Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.
—Zig Ziglar (1926–2012) American Author
No man ever became great or good except through many and great mistakes.
—William Ewart Gladstone (1809–98) English Liberal Statesman, Prime Minister
His labour is a chant,
His idleness a tune;
Oh, for a bee’s experience
Of clovers and of noon.
—Emily Dickinson (1830–86) American Poet
We failed, but in the good providence of God apparent failure often proves a blessing.
—Robert E. Lee (1807–70) Confederate General during American Civil War
There is no such thing as a good excuse.
—Dero A. Saunders (1914–2002) American Journalist, Scholar
Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud.
—Sophocles (495–405 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
I have learned throughout my life as a composer chiefly through my mistakes and pursuits of false assumptions, not by my exposure to founts of wisdom and knowledge.
—Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) Russian-born American Composer, Musician
After all these years, I am still involved in the process of self-discovery. It’s better to explore life and make mistakes than to play it safe. Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.
—Sophia Loren (b.1934) Italian Actor
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.
—Sivananda Saraswati (1887–1963) Indian Hindu Spiritual Teacher
There is something good in all seeming failures. You are not to see that now. Time will reveal it. Be patient.
—Sivananda Saraswati (1887–1963) Indian Hindu Spiritual Teacher
I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
—Unknown
They fail, and they alone, who have not striven.
—Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836–1907) American Poet, Novelist, Traveler, Editor
I don’t believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process.
—Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) American TV Personality
Failure is the path of least resistance.
—J. M. Barrie (1860–1937) Scottish Novelist, Dramatist
Failure is nature’s plan to prepare you for great responsibilities.
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American Author, Journalist, Attorney, Lecturer
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
For every failure, there’s an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.
—Mary Kay Ash (1918–2001) American Entrepreneur, Businessperson
If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure.
—Dan Quayle (b.1947) American Head of State, Politician, Elected Rep
Haste in every business brings failure.
—Herodotus (c.485–425 BCE) Ancient Greek Historian
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
In a total work, the failures have their not unimportant place.
—May Sarton (1912–95) American Children’s Books Writer, Poet, Novelist
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
You cannot climb the ladder of success dressed in the costume of failure.
—Zig Ziglar (1926–2012) American Author
Show me a completely contented person and I’ll show you a failure.
—Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American Inventor, Scientist, Entrepreneur
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) French Novelist, Aviator
Failure too is a form of death…
—Graham Greene (1904–91) British Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer
Failure is success if we learn from it.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
Why is it so painful to watch a person sink? Because there is something unnatural in it, for nature demands personal progress, evolution, and every backward step means wasted energy.
—August Strindberg (1849–1912) Swedish Playwright, Novelist, Essayist
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
Would you like me to give you a formula for … success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure… You’re thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all… You can be discouraged by failure–or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that’s where you’ll find success. On the far side.
—Thomas J. Watson, Sr. (1874–1956) American Business Executive
I believe that one of life’s greatest risks is never daring to risk.
—Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) American TV Personality
To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future.
—Plutarch (c.46–c.120 CE) Greek Biographer, Philosopher
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) English Novelist