Quotes and anectdotes from the wise to the foolish, and the courageous to the drunk

failure

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. 21 more views from Dale Carnegie

Don't be afraid of failure be afraid of petty success. 2 quotes from Maude Adams

Failure after long perseverance is much grander than never to have a striving good enough to be called a failure. 52 more quotes from George Eliot

Failure comes only when we forget our ideals and objectives and principles. 11 more views from Jawaharlal Nehru

Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement. 25 more wisdom & wit from C. S. Lewis

My life has been nothing but a failure. 5 quotes from Claude Monet

Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. 74 other thoughts from Winston Churchill

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. 74 more quotes from Winston Churchill

Success is 99 percent failure. 2 other thoughts from Soichiro Honda

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. 74 more thoughts from Winston Churchill

Success represents the 1% of your work which results from the 99% that is called failure. 2 more quotes from Soichiro Honda

The only failure one should fear, is not hugging to the purpose they see as best. 52 quotes from George Eliot

There is only one failure in life possible, and that is not to be true to the best one knows. 52 wisdom & wit from George Eliot

They who have conquered doubt and fear have conquered failure. 12 other wisdom & wit from James Allen

To begin to think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment. 12 other views from James Allen

To begin to think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment. 12 wisdom & wit from James Allen

We climb to heaven most often on the ruins of our cherished plans, finding our failures were successes. 13 quotes from Amos Bronson Alcott

When I was about 15... I made my first attempt as a leading lady, and was, of course, a complete failure. 2 sayings from Maude Adams

At least I have the modesty to admit that lack of modesty is one of my failings. 3 other sayings from Hector Berlioz

Don't come home a failure. 3 quotes from Ty Cobb

Failure is a word unknown to me. 5 other quotes from Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Failure is the key to success each mistake teaches us something. 4 other quotes from Morihei Ueshiba

Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough. 10 wisdom & wit from Og Mandino

Fear of failure must never be a reason not to try something. 2 quotes from Frederick Smith

He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure. 2 quotes from James Lane Allen

If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style. 8 views from Quentin Crisp

If Liberia has failed, then, it is no evidence of the failure of the Negro in government. It is merely evidence of the failure of slavery. 6 quotes from Carter G. Woodson

Students rarely disappoint teachers who assure them in advance that they are doomed to failure. 3 wisdom & wit from Sidney Hook

There's no such thing as failure - just waiting for success. 2 quotes from John Osborne

Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure. 75 other wisdom & wit from Benjamin Disraeli

We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse. 12 quotes from Rudyard Kipling

We may be personally defeated, but our principles never! 4 sayings from William Lloyd Garrison

All human actions are equivalent... and all are on principle doomed to failure. 24 wisdom & wit from Carl Sandburg

Belief in the supernatural reflects a failure of the imagination. 10 quotes from Edward Abbey

Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out. 96 other quotes from Benjamin Franklin

Failure is more frequently from want of energy than want of capital. 12 quotes from Daniel Webster

Failure is not our only punishment for laziness there is also the success of others. 6 more views from Jules Renard

I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate. 21 other quotes from George Burns

I'd rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate. 21 thoughts from George Burns

Man's sin is in his failure to live what he is. Being the master of the earth, man forgets that he is the servant of God. 4 views from Abraham Joshua Heschel

No man can be a failure if he thinks he's a success If he thinks he is a winner, then he is. 2 more quotes from Robert W. Service

The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success. 3 wisdom & wit from Paramahansa Yogananda

The world is divided into two categories: failures and unknowns. 3 other wisdom & wit from Francis Picabia

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. 25 quotes from Orison Swett Marden

There is but one cause of human failure. And that is man's lack of faith in his true Self. 40 wisdom & wit from William James

We failed, but in the good providence of God apparent failure often proves a blessing. 11 sayings from Robert E. Lee

A real failure does not need an excuse. It is an end in itself. 31 other thoughts from Gertrude Stein

Failure is impossible. 14 other quotes from Susan B. Anthony

Greatly begin. Though thou have time, but for a line, be that sublime. Not failure, but low aim is crime. 24 thoughts from James Russell Lowell

However things may seem, no evil thing is success and no good thing is failure. 26 other quotes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I have probably purchased fifty 'hot tips' in my career, maybe even more. When I put them all together, I know I am a net loser. 3 wisdom & wit from Charles M. Schwab

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. 23 wisdom & wit from Thomas A. Edison

My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure. 47 quotes from Abraham Lincoln

Not failure, but low aim, is crime. 24 quotes from James Russell Lowell

Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure. 23 other thoughts from Thomas A. Edison

The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success. 3 wisdom & wit from David Sarnoff

There are some defeats more triumphant than victories. 32 more quotes from Michel de Montaigne

You have to risk failure to succeed. The important thing is not to make one single mistake that will jeopardize the future. 3 quotes from An Wang

A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying. 7 more quotes from B. F. Skinner

Failure is only postponed success as long as courage 'coaches' ambition. The habit of persistence is the habit of victory. 3 more views from Herbert Kaufman

If you're 40 years old and you've never had a failure, you've been deprived. 7 thoughts from Gloria Swanson

It's how you deal with failure that determines how you achieve success. 3 quotes from Charlotte Whitton

My fault, my failure, is not in the passions I have, but in my lack of control of them. 6 more thoughts from Jack Kerouac

Show me a good and gracious loser and I'll show you a failure. 5 views from Knute Rockne

Success and failure are equally disastrous. 17 more quotes from Tennessee Williams

The dream is real, my friends. The failure to realize it is the only unreality. 2 quotes from Toni Cade Bambara

The most tragic paradox of our time is to be found in the failure of nation-states to recognize the imperatives of internationalism. 6 thoughts from Earl Warren

There is no such thing as darkness only a failure to see. 8 other wisdom & wit from Malcolm Muggeridge

A life which does not go into action is a failure. 7 thoughts from Arnold J. Toynbee

A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. 17 sayings from John Burroughs

A man can get discouraged many times but he is not a failure until he begins to blame somebody else and stops trying. 17 more views from John Burroughs

Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself. 11 thoughts from Charlie Chaplin

Go on failing. Go on. Only next time, try to fail better. 4 quotes from Samuel Beckett

I will not be discouraged by failure I will not be elated by success. 7 quotes from Joseph Barber Lightfoot

Indecision and delays are the parents of failure. 3 more views from George Canning

The success and the failure are not my concern, but His. 7 other quotes from Joseph Barber Lightfoot

We do not realise that we are children of eternity. If we did, then success would be no success, and failure would be no failure to us. 7 quotes from Joseph Barber Lightfoot

You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down. 3 views from Mary Pickford

A man who has never made a woman angry is a failure in life. 15 other quotes from Christopher Morley

A minute's success pays the failure of years. 22 sayings from Robert Browning

Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure. 2 sayings from George Edward Woodberry

Enjoy failure and learn from it. You can never learn from success. 22 other sayings from James Dyson

Failure has gone to his head. 10 thoughts from Wilson Mizner

Failure is an enigma. You worry about it, and it teaches you something. 22 quotes from James Dyson

Failure, it is thought, is what sells, and what people want to hear and read about. I am not so sure. 5 more thoughts from Alastair Campbell

I wasn't afraid to fail. Something good always comes out of failure. 3 sayings from Anne Baxter

In all our deeds, the proper value and respect for time determines success or failure. 21 wisdom & wit from Malcolm X

It's best to have failure happen early in life. It wakes up the Phoenix bird in you so you rise from the ashes. 3 wisdom & wit from Anne Baxter

Most of us spend the first six days of each week sowing wild oats then we go to church on Sunday and pray for a crop failure. 13 other views from Fred Allen

My father was not a failure. After all, he was the father of a president of the United States. 26 other wisdom & wit from Harry S. Truman

The man who has done his level best... is a success, even though the world may write him down a failure. 10 quotes from B. C. Forbes

The man who has won millions at the cost of his conscience is a failure. 10 views from B. C. Forbes

A failure is a man who has blundered, but is not able to cash in the experience. 59 more quotes from Elbert Hubbard

A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success. 59 sayings from Elbert Hubbard

Any man who has $10,000 left when he dies is a failure. 2 quotes from Errol Flynn

Failure in the theater is more dramatic and uglier than any other form of writing. It costs so much, you feel so guilty. 7 more quotes from Lillian Hellman

Optimism is a kind of heart stimulant - the digitalis of failure. 59 thoughts from Elbert Hubbard

Outward failure may be a manifested variant of inward success. 4 wisdom & wit from Kenneth L. Pike

Success is a public affair. Failure is a private funeral. 4 views from Rosalind Russell

The main failure of education is that it has not prepared people to comprehend matters concerning human destiny. 15 other sayings from Norman Cousins

There is no failure except in no longer trying. 59 wisdom & wit from Elbert Hubbard

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. 32 quotes from Henry Ford

It is often the failure who is the pioneer in new lands, new undertakings, and new forms of expression. 31 more quotes from Eric Hoffer

It is wise to keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final. 3 quotes from Roger Babson

Keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final. 3 quotes from Roger Babson

Mass transportation is doomed to failure in North America because a person's car is the only place where he can be alone and think. 19 views from Marshall McLuhan

My reputation grows with every failure. 115 more quotes from George Bernard Shaw

Never fret for an only son, the idea of failure will never occur to him. 115 quotes from George Bernard Shaw

There is no loneliness greater than the loneliness of a failure. The failure is a stranger in his own house. 31 sayings from Eric Hoffer

When I was young, I observed that nine out of ten things I did were failures. So I did ten times more work. 115 wisdom & wit from George Bernard Shaw

Why should anybody be interested in some old man who was a failure? 35 quotes from Ernest Hemingway

You gotta lose 'em some of the time. When you do, lose 'em right. 12 other quotes from Casey Stengel

Do not blame anybody for your mistakes and failures. 12 quotes from Bernard Baruch

Failure is success if we learn from it. 12 wisdom & wit from Malcolm Forbes

Failure sometimes enlarges the spirit. You have to fall back upon humanity and God. 5 more quotes from Charles Horton Cooley

He who risks and fails can be forgiven. He who never risks and never fails is a failure in his whole being. 11 more thoughts from Paul Tillich

Heaven knows that I have done all that a mortal could do, to save the people, and the failure was not my fault, but the fault of others. 5 quotes from Davy Crockett

It is not a disgrace to fail. Failing is one of the greatest arts in the world. 11 quotes from Charles Kettering

No man is a failure who is enjoying life. 22 views from William Feather

Our failings sometimes bind us to one another as closely as could virtue itself. 10 more quotes from Luc de Clapiers

Success is often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable. 16 wisdom & wit from Coco Chanel

Success or failure in business is caused more by the mental attitude even than by mental capacities. 15 quotes from Walter Scott

The failure of the Russian Socialist Republic will be the defeat of the proletariat of the whole world. 4 quotes from Karl Liebknecht

The guns and the bombs, the rockets and the warships, are all symbols of human failure. 24 wisdom & wit from Lyndon B. Johnson

The success or failure of a life, as far as posterity goes, seems to lie in the more or less luck of seizing the right moment of escape. 2 more sayings from Alice James

There is much to be said for failure. It is much more interesting than success. 10 quotes from Max Beerbohm

Crime and bad lives are the measure of a State's failure, all crime in the end is the crime of the community. 19 other views from H. G. Wells

Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor. 4 more thoughts from Truman Capote

Failure to accord credit to anyone for what he may have done is a great weakness in any man. 4 sayings from William Howard Taft

The great question is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with failure. 21 thoughts from Laurence J. Peter

Ambition is the last refuge of the failure. 100 more quotes from Oscar Wilde

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit. 28 quotes from Napoleon Hill

Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes. 9 sayings from John Dewey

Failure too is a form of death. 11 quotes from Graham Greene

In politics, what begins in fear usually ends in failure. 24 more wisdom & wit from Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure. 28 quotes from Napoleon Hill

Success is more dangerous than failure, the ripples break over a wider coastline. 11 quotes from Graham Greene

The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail. 28 quotes from Napoleon Hill

The time I had waited probably made the difference between success and failure. 2 more wisdom & wit from Anna Neagle

There is not a fiercer hell than the failure in a great object. 19 views from John Keats

Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another. 28 other quotes from Napoleon Hill