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
A mistake is not a failure, but evidence that someone tried to do something.
—Unknown
It is human to err, but it is devilish to remain willfully in error.
—Augustine of Hippo (354–430) Roman-African Christian Philosopher
Failure is not sweet, but it need not be bitter.
—Unknown
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
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
Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
—Rita Mae Brown (b.1944) American Writer, Feminist
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
He only is exempt from failures who makes no effort.
—Richard Whately (1787–1863) English Philosopher, Theologian
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
To lose is to learn.
—Unknown
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
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
Disappointments are to the soul what a thunder-storm is to the air.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
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
Intelligence is not to make no mistakes, but quickly to see how to make them good.
—Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) German Poet, Playwright, Theater Personality
Life is not life unless you make mistakes.
—Joan Collins (b.1933) English Actress
The best brewer sometimes makes bad beer.
—German Proverb
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
It is defeat that turns bone to flint, and gristle to muscle, and makes men invincible, and formed those heroic natures that are now in ascendency in the world.—Do not then be afraid of defeat.—You are never so near to victory as when defeated in a good cause.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
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
He is always right who suspects that he makes mistakes.
—Spanish Proverb
Failure at a task may be the result of having tackled it at the wrong time.
—Brendan Behan (1923–64) Irish Poet, Novelist, Playwright
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
There are some defeats more triumphant than victories.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
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
From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
Your wealth is where your friends are.
—Plautus (Titus Maccius Plautus) (c.250–184 BCE) Roman Comic Playwright
War is a series of catastrophes that results in victory.
—Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929) French Head of State, Physician, Publisher, Political leader
We need to teach the highly educated man that it is not a disgrace to fail and that he must analyze every failure to find its cause. He must learn how to fail intelligently, for failing is one of the greatest arts in the world.
—Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American Inventor, Entrepreneur, Businessperson