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
I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.
—The 14th Dalai Lama (b.1935) Tibetan Buddhist Leader, Civil Rights Advocate, Author
There are few, very few, that will own themselves in a mistake, though all the world see them to be in downright nonsense.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist
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
You can actually shift your thinking in such a way as to make a wrong decision or mistake an impossibility.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
Some of the steps you take may end up being detours or out-and-out mistakes. By staying focused on your vision, though, you’ll find even those steps useful in the creating process.
—David Emerald
The Providence that watches over the affairs of men, works out their mistakes, at times, to a healthier issue than could have been accomplished by their wisest forethought.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
There is no mistake in nature.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
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 Statesman, Physician, Journalist
The world belongs to those who don’t let anxiety about screwing up keep them from moving forward.
—Unknown
Would you like me to give you a formula for … success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure… You’re thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all… You can be discouraged by failure—or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that’s where you’ll find success. On the far side.
—Thomas J. Watson, Sr. (1874–1956) American Business Executive
Not only is there little stigma attributed to going bankrupt among cutting-edge entrepreneurs, it’s even seen as a good source of business experience.
—Unknown
Risk takers: their goal in life is not to succeed, make money, be happy or be anything other than engaged.
—Unknown
Some consider setbacks a badge of honor, unmistakable proof they’re bold risk takers. Far from hiding their blunders, they brag about them.
—Unknown
Never mistake motion for action.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
Pursuing success is like chasing the horizon, and failure is an integral part of an interesting life.
—Unknown
Don’t say, “I am depressed”. If you want to say, “It is depressed,” that’s all right. If you want to say that depression is there, that’s fine; if you want to say gloominess is there, that’s fine. But not: I am gloomy. You’re defining yourself in terms of the feeling. That’s your illusion; that’s your mistake. There is a depression there right now, but let it be, leave it alone. It will pass. Everything passes, everything. Your depressions and your thrills have nothing to do with happiness. Those are swings of the pendulum. If you seek kicks or thrills, get ready for depression. Do you want your drug? Get ready for the hangover. One end of the pendulum swings over to the other.
—Anthony de Mello (1931–87) Indian-born American Theologian
To the true innovator, there’s no such thing as a mistake. Each miscue is considered part of the process, a marker on the map that says where not to go.
—Unknown
All of us have failed to reach our dream of perfection, so I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible.
—William Faulkner (1897–1962) American Novelist
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
When a junior executive lost IBM $10m on a risky venture, Tom Watson, Jr., rejected his offer to resign. “You can’t be serious,” said IBM’s head, “we’ve just spent $10m educating you!”
—Unknown
All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s possible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.
—Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) Florentine Political Philosopher
Those who take bold chances don’t think failure is the opposite of success. They believe complacency is.
—Unknown
We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success. We often discover what will do, by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery.
—Samuel Smiles (1812–1904) British Author, Reformer
If I have an art form of leadership, it is to make as many mistakes as quickly as I can in order to learn.
—Unknown
Only those who do nothing at all make no mistakes…but that would be a mistake.
—Unknown
You can never learn less; you can only learn more. The reason I know so much is because I have made so many mistakes.
—Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983) American Inventor, Philosopher
No man ever became great or good except through many and great mistakes.
—William Ewart Gladstone (1809–98) English Liberal Statesman, Prime Minister
Any man may make a mistake, but none but a fool will continue in it.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
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