In a world flagrant with the failures of civilization, what is there particularly immortal about our own?
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Success and failure are both difficult to endure. Along with success come drugs, divorce, fornication, bullying, travel, meditation, medication, depression, neurosis and suicide. With failure comes failure.
—Joseph Heller (1923–99) American Novelist
Try to do to others as you would have them do to you, and do not be discouraged if they fail sometimes. It is much better that they should fail than that you should.
—Charles Dickens (1812–70) English Novelist
I’m not a failure if I don’t make it… I’m a success because I tried.
—Unknown
There are no secrets to success: don’t waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence.
—Colin Powell (1937–2021) American Military Leader
Everything ultimately fails, for we die, and that is either the penultimate failure or our most enigmatical achievement.
—Edward Dahlberg (1900–77) American Novelist, Essayist, Autobiographer
Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.
—Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) American TV Personality
Do not look where you fell but where you slipped.
—Common Proverb
Everyone pushes a falling fence.
—Chinese Proverb
No man is ever whipped, until he quits—in his own mind.
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American Author, Journalist, Attorney, Lecturer
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.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
Rushing into action, you fail. Trying to grasp things, you lose them. Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.
—J. K. Rowling (b.1965) English Novelist
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
I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating.
—Sophocles (495–405 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
Failures are like skinned knees—painful, but superficial.
—Ross Perot (1930–2019) American Businessman
The timid and fearful first failures dismay,
but the stout heart stays trying by night and by day.
He values his failures as lessons that teach
The one way to get to the goal he would reach.
—Edgar Guest (1881–1959) British-born American Poet
It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
The test is to recognize the mistake, admit it and correct it. To have tried to do something and failed is vastly better than to have tried to do nothing and succeeded.
—Dale Turner (1917–2006) American Priest, Columnist, Epigrammist
You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
—Johnny Cash (1932–2003) American Country Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist
We can’t all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
Few things are impracticable in themselves; and it is for want of application, rather than of means, that men fail of success.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Failure is not the worst thing in the world—the very worst is not to try.
—Unknown
We must have courage to bet on our ideas, to take the calculated risk, and to act. Everyday living requires courage if life is to be effective and bring happiness.
—Maxwell Maltz (1899–1975) American Surgeon, Motivational Writer
Failure seldom stops you. What stops you is the fear of failure.
—Jack Lemmon (1925–2001) American Actor, Musician
Failure is delay, but not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead-end street.
—William Arthur Ward (1921–94) American Author
I would rather lose in a cause that I know some day will triumph than to triumph in a cause that I know some day will fail.
—Wendell Willkie (1892–1944) American Politician, Lawyer
Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
People fail forward to success.
—Mary Kay Ash (1918–2001) American Entrepreneur, Businessperson
Whoever admits that he is too busy to improve his methods, has acknowledged himself to be at the end of his rope. And that is always the saddest predicament which anyone can get into.
—J. Ogden Armour (1863–1927) American Businessperson
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