You’re not obligated to win. You’re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.
—Marian Wright Edelman (b.1939) American Civil Regrets Advocate, Humanitarian, Lawyer
Commit yourself to a dream … Nobody who tries to do something great but fails is a total failure. Why? Because he can always rest assured that he succeeded in life’s most important battle—he defeated the fear of trying.
—Robert H. Schuller (1926–2015) American Christian Televangelist, Author
Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock.
—Ben Hecht (1894–1964) American Screenwriter, Playwright
The best angle from which to approach any problem is the try-angle.
—Unknown
When people keep telling you that you can’t do a thing, you kind of like to try it.
—Margaret Chase Smith (1897–1995) American Politician
Many a man never fails because he never tries.
—Norman MacEwen (1881–1953) British Military Leader
The attempt and not the deed confounds us.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Concentrate on the essentials. We will then be accomplishing the greatest possible results with the effort expended.
—Ted Engstrom (1916–2006) American Christian Religious Leader
What old people say you cannot do, you try and find that you can. Old deeds for old people, and new deeds for new.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Every noble acquisition is attended with its risks; he who fears to encounter the one must not expect to obtain the other.
—Metastasio (1698–1782) Italian Poet, Librettist
For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.
—T. S. Eliot (1888–1965) American-born British Poet, Dramatist, Literary Critic
Any supervisor worth his salt would rather deal with people who attempt too much than with those who try too little.
—Lee Iacocca (1924–2019) American Businessperson
Set your target and keep trying until you reach it.
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American Author, Journalist, Attorney, Lecturer
Without risk, faith is an impossibility.
—Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) Danish Philosopher, Theologian
God lends a helping hand to the man who tries hard.
—Aeschylus (525–456 BCE) Greek Playwright
A winner never stops trying.
—Tom Landry (1924–2000) American Sportsperson
Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
As plants take hold, not for the sake of staying, but only that they may climb higher, so it is with men. By every part of our nature we clasp things above us, one after another, not for the sake of remaining where we take hold, but that we may go higher.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
When it becomes necessary to do a thing, the whole heart and soul should go into the measure, or not attempt it.
—Thomas Paine (1737–1809) American Nationalist, Author, Pamphleteer, Radical, Inventor
Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
—Samuel Beckett (1906–1989) Irish Novelist, Playwright
Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.
—Douglas Adams (1952–2001) English Novelist, Scriptwriter
What great things would you attempt if you knew you could not fail.
—Robert H. Schuller (1926–2015) American Christian Televangelist, Author
“I can’t” isn’t a reason to give up, it’s a reason to try harder.
—Anonymous
Most people are so busy knocking themselves out trying to do everything they think they should do, they never get around to what they want to do.
—Kathleen Winsor (1919–2003) American Novelist
Anyone who doesn’t make mistakes isn’t trying hard enough.
—Wess Roberts
Every time I catch myself saying, “Oh no, you shouldn’t try that,” I think, “Yes, I should.”
—Erica Jong (b.1942) American Novelist, Feminist
Man can have but what he strives for.
—Arabic Proverb
To know that one has never really tried—that is the only death.
—Marie Dressler (1868–1934) American-Canadian Actress
Come, my friends,
‘T is not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet