We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice — that is, until we have stopped saying “It got lost,” and say, “I lost it.”
—Sydney J. Harris (1917–86) American Essayist, Drama Critic
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 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
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
Failure sometimes enlarges the spirit. You have to fall back upon humanity and God.
—Charles Cooley (1864–1929) American Sociologist
He only is exempt from failures who makes no effort.
—Richard Whately (1787–1863) English Philosopher, Theologian
War is a series of catastrophes that results in victory.
—Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929) French Head of State, Physician, Publisher, Political leader
When you make a mistake, don’t look back at it long. Take the reason of the thing into your mind, and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.
—Hugh Lawson White
The progress of rivers to the ocean is not so rapid as that of man to error.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Failures are divided into two classes — those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought.
—John Charles Salak
One who fears failure limits his activities. Failure is only the opportunity more intelligently to begin again.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
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
Virtually nothing comes out right the first time. Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. The only time you don’t want to fail is the last time you try something … One fails forward toward success.
—Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American Inventor, Entrepreneur, Businessperson
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
Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.
—Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) French Sculptor
Do not be afraid of mistakes, providing you do not make the same one twice.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian
There is something distinguished about even his failures; they sink not trivially but with a certain air of majesty; like a great ship, its flags flying, full of holes.
—George Jean Nathan (1882–1958) American Drama Critic, Editor
An error is simply a failure to adjust immediately from a preconception to an actuality.
—John Cage (1912–92) American Composer, Philosopher, Poet, Artist
Failure is the foundation of success, and the means by which it is achieved.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
There’s nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you.
—Woody Hayes (1913–87) American Sportsperson
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
It is often the failure who is the pioneer in new lands, new undertakings, and new forms of expression.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
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
Failure is delay, but not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead-end street.
—William Arthur Ward (1921–94) American Author
All men are liable to error, and most men are … by passion or interest, under temptation to it.
—John Locke (1632–1704) English Philosopher, Physician
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
Life is not life unless you make mistakes.
—Joan Collins (b.1933) English Actress
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
Forgiveness is a virtue of the learned. To err is human, to forgive divine.
—Subhashita Manjari Sanskrit Anthology of Proverbs
Mistakes and errors are the discipline through which we advance.
—William Ellery Channing (1780–1842) American Unitarian Theologian, Poet
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
Many a man never fails because he never tries.
—Norman MacEwen (1881–1953) British Military Leader
In all science, error precedes the truth, and it is better it should go first than last.
—Hugh Walpole (1884–1941) English Novelist, Short Story Writer, Dramatist
Defeat should never be a source of discouragement, but rather a fresh stimulus.
—Robert South (1634–1716) English Theologian
They fail, and they alone, who have not striven.
—Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836-1907) American Writer, Poet, Critic, Editor.
A man finds he has been wrong at every stage of his career, only to deduce the astonishing conclusion that he is at last entirely right.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94) Scottish Novelist
He who has never failed somewhere, that man cannot be great.
—Herman Melville (1819–91) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Poet
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
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
What can any of us do with his talent but try to develop his vision, so that through frequent failures we may learn better what we have missed in the past.
—William Carlos Williams (1883–1963) American Poet, Novelist, Cultural Historian
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
What is defeat? — Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better.
—Wendell Phillips (1811–84) American Abolitionist, Lawyer, Orator
He that’s cheated twice by the same man is an accomplice with the cheater.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
Failure really isn’t terrible if you can say to yourself, hey, I know I’m gonna be successful at what I want to do some day. Failure doesn’t become a big hangup then because it’s only temporary. If failure is absolute, then it would be a disaster, but as long as it’s only temporary you can just go and achieve almost anything.
—Jerry Della Femina (b.1936) American Advertising Executive
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
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
The action of a fool cannot serve as a precedent.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
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 Government Official, Political leader
Men do not fail; they give up trying.
—Elihu Root (1845–1937) American Jurist, Statesman
If you’re gonna be a failure, at least be one at something you enjoy.
—Sylvester Stallone (b.1946) American Actor, Film Director, Screenwriter
In the game of life it’s a good idea to have a few early losses, which relieves you of the pressure of trying to maintain an undefeated season.
—Burton Hillis (William E. Vaughan) (1915–77) American Columnist, Author
Laziness is a secret ingredient that goes into failure. But it’s only kept a secret from the person who fails.
—Robert Half
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
The man who has done his level best, and who is conscious that he has done his best, is a success, even though the world may write him down a failure.
—B. C. Forbes (1880–1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher
A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
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
If you’re not failing, you’re not trying anything.
—Woody Allen (b.1935) American Film Actor, Director
Failure is more frequently from want of energy than want of capital.
—Daniel Webster (1782–1852) American Statesman, Lawyer
And what if I did run my ship aground; oh, still it was splendid to sail it.
—Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) Norwegian Playwright
It takes as much courage to have tried and failed as it does to have tried and succeeded.
—Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906–2001) American Aviator, Author
A failure establishes only this, that our determination to succeed was not strong enough.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
—Rita Mae Brown (b.1944) American Writer, Feminist