Commonly, people believe that defeat is characterized by a general bustle and a feverish rush. Bustle and rush are the signs of victory, not of defeat. Victory is a thing of action. It is a house in the act of being built. Every participant in victory sweats and puffs, carrying the stones for the building of the house. But defeat is a thing of weariness, of incoherence, of boredom. And above all of futility.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–44) French Novelist, Aviator
The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.
—Edward John Phelps (1822–1900) American Lawyer, Diplomat
Failure at a task may be the result of having tackled it at the wrong time.
—Brendan Behan (1923–64) Irish Poet, Novelist, Playwright
What is defeat?—Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better.
—Wendell Phillips (1811–84) American Abolitionist, Lawyer, Orator
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
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
A man is fortunate if he encounters living examples of vice, as well as of virtue, to inspire him.
—Brendan Behan (1923–64) Irish Poet, Novelist, Playwright
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
They fail, and they alone, who have not striven.
—Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836–1907) American Writer, Poet, Critic, Editor
Mistakes and errors are the discipline through which we advance.
—William Ellery Channing (1780–1842) American Unitarian Theologian, Poet
And what if I did run my ship aground; oh, still it was splendid to sail it.
—Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) Norwegian Playwright
He that’s cheated twice by the same man is an accomplice with the cheater.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
A mistake is not a failure, but evidence that someone tried to do something.
—Unknown
Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day.
—William C. Durant (1861–1947) American Industrialist
What is to be got at to make the air sweet, the ground good under the feet, can only be got at by failure, trial, again and again and again failure.
—Sherwood Anderson (1876–1941) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
Men do not fail; they give up trying.
—Elihu Root (1845–1937) American Jurist, Statesman
A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
The most considerable difference I note among men is not in their readiness to fall into error, but in their readiness to acknowledge these inevitable lapses.
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95) English Biologist
Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.
—Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) French Sculptor
He who has never failed somewhere, that man cannot be great.
—Herman Melville (1819–91) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Poet
If you’re not failing, you’re not trying anything.
—Woody Allen (b.1935) American Film Actor, Director
To avoid an occasion for our virtues is a worse degree of failure than to push forward pluckily and make a fall.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94) Scottish Novelist
I sometimes react to making a mistake as if I have betrayed myself. My fear of making a mistake seems to be based on the hidden assumption that I am potentially perfect and that if I can just be very careful I will not fall from heaven. But a ‘mistake’ is a declaration of the way I am, a jolt to the way I intend, a reminder I am not dealing with the facts. When I have listened to my mistakes I have grown.
—Hugh Prather (b.1938) American Christian Author, Minister, Counselor
Your wealth is where your friends are.
—Plautus (Titus Maccius Plautus) (c.250–184 BCE) Roman Comic Playwright
From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
I have known men who could see through the motivations of others with the skill of a clairvoyant; only to prove blind to their own mistakes. I have been one of those men.
—Bernard M. Baruch (1870–1965) American Financier, Economic Consultant
Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
One of the reasons mature people stop learning is that they become less and less willing to risk failure.
—John W. Gardner (1912–2002) American Activist
They say President Wilson has blundered. Perhaps he has, but I notice he usually blunders forward.
—Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American Inventor, Scientist, Entrepreneur
Failure is the foundation of success, and the means by which it is achieved.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
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