Accept that all of us can be hurt, that all of us can — and surely will at times — fail. Other vulnerabilities, like being embarrassed or risking love, can be terrifying, too. I think we should follow a simple rule: if we can take the worst, take the risk.
—Joyce Brothers (1927–2013) American Psychologist, Advice Columnist
And what if I did run my ship aground; oh, still it was splendid to sail it.
—Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) Norwegian Playwright
Only he who does nothing makes no mistakes.
—French Proverb
What is defeat?—Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better.
—Wendell Phillips (1811–84) American Abolitionist, Lawyer, Orator
Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake.
—Savielly Tartakower (1887–1956) Polish-French Chess Grandmaster
Don’t fear failure. — Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is glorious even to fail.
—Bruce Lee (1940–73) American Martial Artist, Actor, Philosopher
Do not be afraid of mistakes, providing you do not make the same one twice.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian
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
Your wealth is where your friends are.
—Plautus (Titus Maccius Plautus) (c.250–184 BCE) Roman Comic Playwright
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
If a man has a talent and cannot use it, he has failed. If he has a talent and uses only half of it, he has partly failed. If he has a talent and learns somehow to use the whole of it, he has gloriously succeeded, and won a satisfaction and a triumph few men ever know.
—Thomas Wolfe (1900–38) American Novelist
The action of a fool cannot serve as a precedent.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Failure is a school in which the truth always grows strong.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Men do not fail; they give up trying.
—Elihu Root (1845–1937) American Jurist, Statesman
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
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
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
A mistake is not a failure, but evidence that someone tried to do something.
—Unknown
He alone fails who gives up and lies down.
—Ralph Waldo Trine (1866–1958) American Mystic, Philosopher
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
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
Because a fellow has failed once or twice or a dozen times, you don’t want to set him down as a failure till he’s dead or loses his courage—and that’s the same thing.
—George Horace Lorimer (1867–1937) American Magazine Editor, Writer
He is always right who suspects that he makes mistakes.
—Spanish Proverb
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
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
—Chinese Proverb
There is nothing wrong with making mistakes. Just don’t respond with encores.
—Unknown
Disappointments are to the soul what a thunder-storm is to the air.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
To stumble twice against the same stone is a Proverbial disgrace.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
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