Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.
—Denis Waitley (b.1933) American Motivational Speaker, Author
A good marksman may miss. – Thomas Fuller He that has much to do will do something wrong.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
What is defeat?—Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better.
—Wendell Phillips (1811–84) American Abolitionist, Lawyer, Orator
As long as the world is turning and spinning, we’re gonna be dizzy and we’re gonna make mistakes.
—Mel Brooks (b.1926) American Film Actor, Screenwriter, Composer, Comedian, Actor
You’re not the only one who’s made mistakes, but they’re the only things that you can truly call your own.
—Billy Joel (b.1949) American Singer, Songwriter, Musician
Don’t find fault. Find a remedy.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
It ain’t no disgrace for a man to fall, but to lie there and grunt is.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
Learn to see in another’s calamity the ills which you should avoid.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
A mistake is simply another way of doing things.
—Katharine Graham (1917–2001) American Publisher
To stumble twice against the same stone is a Proverbial disgrace.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
Learn from the mistakes of others, you can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.
—Unknown
He who has never failed somewhere, that man cannot be great.
—Herman Melville (1819–91) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Poet
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
There can be no failure to a man who has not lost his courage, his character, his self respect, or his self-confidence. He is still a King.
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.
—Dale Carnegie (1888–1955) American Self-Help Author
There are some defeats more triumphant than victories.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken.
—Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658) British Head of State, Military Leader
If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.
—John C. Maxwell (b.1947) American Christian Professional Speaker, Author, Clergyman
Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
The better a man is the more mistakes he will make for the more things he will try.
—Peter Drucker (1909–2005) Austrian-born Management Consultant
He that counts his friend’s mistakes will be abandoned by him.
—Arabic Proverb
To err is human; to admit it, superhuman.
—Doug Larson (1926–2017) American Columnist
He who is shipwrecked the second time cannot lay the blame on Neptune.
—English Proverb
Mistakes are almost always of a sacred nature. Never try to correct them. On the contrary: rationalize them, understand them thoroughly. After that, it will be possible for you to sublimate them.
—Salvador Dali (1904–89) Spanish Painter
There is only one real failure possible; and that is, not to be true to the best one knows.
—Frederic William Farrar (1831–1903) English Clergyman, Writer
I daresay one profits more by the mistakes one makes off one’s own bat than by doing the right thing on somebody’s else advice.
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
You must learn from your past mistakes, but not lean on your past successes.
—Denis Waitley (b.1933) American Motivational Speaker, Author
No man fails who does his best…
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
The faults of a superior man are like the sun and moon. They have their faults, and everyone sees them; they change and everyone looks up to them.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher