A good marksman may miss. – Thomas Fuller He that has much to do will do something wrong.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
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 that’s cheated twice by the same man is an accomplice with the cheater.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
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
He who has never failed somewhere, that man cannot be great.
—Herman Melville (1819–91) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Poet
There’s nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you.
—Woody Hayes (1913–87) American Sportsperson
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
He is foolish to blame the sea who shipwrecked twice.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
Man errs as long as he struggles.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
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 action of a fool cannot serve as a precedent.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Losers have tons of variety. Champions take pride in just learning to hit the same old boring winners.
—Vic Braden (b.1929) American Sportsperson, Author
They say President Wilson has blundered. Perhaps he has, but I notice he usually blunders forward.
—Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American Inventor, Scientist, Entrepreneur
Your wealth is where your friends are.
—Plautus (Titus Maccius Plautus) (c.250–184 BCE) Roman Comic Playwright
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
To stumble twice against the same stone is a Proverbial disgrace.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
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
Failure is delay, but not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead-end street.
—William Arthur Ward (1921–94) American Author
The psychotherapist learns little or nothing from his successes. They mainly confirm him in his mistakes, while his failures, on the other hand, are priceless experiences in that they not only open up the way to a deeper truth, but force him to change his views and methods.
—Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) Swiss Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher
A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
He is always right who suspects that he makes mistakes.
—Spanish Proverb
How to succeed: try hard enough. How to fail: Try too hard.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
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
An error is simply a failure to adjust immediately from a preconception to an actuality.
—John Cage (1912–92) American Composer
What is defeat?—Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better.
—Wendell Phillips (1811–84) American Abolitionist, Lawyer, Orator
Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.
—Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) French Sculptor
There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they’re necessary to reach the places we’ve chosen to go.
—Richard Bach (b.1936) American Novelist, Aviator
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
The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.
—Edward John Phelps (1822–1900) American Lawyer, Diplomat
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
Failure is often God’s own tool for carving some of the finest outlines in the character of his children; and, even in this life, bitter and crushing failures have often in them the germs of new and quite unimagined happiness.
—Thomas Hodgkin (1798–1866) English Physician, Pathologist
It is only an error of judgment to make a mistake, but it argues an infirmity of character to adhere to it when discovered. The Chinese say, “The glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall.”
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
The progress of rivers to the ocean is not so rapid as that of man to error.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Defeat should never be a source of discouragement, but rather a fresh stimulus.
—Robert South (1634–1716) English Theologian, Preacher
One who fears failure limits his activities. Failure is only the opportunity more intelligently to begin again.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
Failure is a school in which the truth always grows strong.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
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
Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes. Genuine ignorance is profitable because it is likely to be accompanied by humility, curiosity, and open-mindedness; whereas ability to repeat catch-phrases, cant terms, familiar propositions, gives the conceit of learning and coats the mind with varnish waterproof to new ideas.
—John Dewey (1859–1952) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Educator
No man is a failure who is enjoying life.
—William Feather (1889–1981) American Publisher, Author
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
Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
Many a man never fails because he never tries.
—Norman MacEwen (1881–1953) British Military Leader
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
Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
—Rita Mae Brown (b.1944) American Writer, Feminist
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
A failure establishes only this, that our determination to succeed was not strong enough.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
The errors of great men are venerable because they are more fruitful than the truths of little men.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
The greatest general is he who makes the fewest mistakes.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
Losses are comparative, imagination only makes them of any moment.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
Mistakes and errors are the discipline through which we advance.
—William Ellery Channing (1780–1842) American Unitarian Theologian, Poet