Famous Quotes About Failure
Failure. The word itself carries a heavy weight, conjuring images of disappointment, setback, and missed opportunities. But what if we reframed failure? What if, instead of a dead end, we saw it as a necessary detour, a stepping stone on the path to success?
Today, we take flight with the wisdom of renowned figures who embraced failure, learned from it, and soared to incredible heights. Let their words be your wings, lifting you above the fear of falling and propelling you towards your dreams.
Here are 50+ famous quotes about failure:
- “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
- “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” – Truman Capote
- “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison
- “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford
- “There is no failure except in no longer trying.” – Elbert Hubbard
- “Failure is success in progress.” – Albert Einstein
- “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.” – Buddha
- “Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.” – Morihei Ueshiba
- “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston S. Churchill
- “Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe.” – Sumner Redstone
- “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
- “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
- “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” – Michael Jordan
- “Success is not the absence of failure; it’s the persistence through failure.” – Aisha Tyler
- “Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself.” – Charlie Chaplin
- “Failure after long perseverance is much grander than never to have a striving good enough to be called a failure.” – George Eliot
- “Failure is an event, not a person. Yesterday ended last night.” – Zig Ziglar
- “Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success.” – C.S. Lewis
- “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell
- “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
- “Success is often the result of taking a misstep in the right direction.” – Al Bernstein
- “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” – Paulo Coelho
- “The phoenix must burn to emerge.” – Janet Fitch
- “Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” – Henry Ford
- “Failure is the foundation of success, and the means by which it is achieved.” – Lao Tzu
- “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.” – John Wooden
- “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” – Henry Ford
- “Success is most often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” – Coco Chanel
- “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.” – Confucius
- “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” – Bill Gates
- “It’s failure that gives you the proper perspective on success.” – Ellen DeGeneres
- “Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.” – Denis Waitley
- “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
- “There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.” – Brené Brown
- “Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.” – Orison Swett Marden
- “I failed my way to success.” – Thomas Edison
- “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
- “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” – Abraham Lincoln
- “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
- “Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.” – Chinese Proverb
- “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” – Stephen McCranie
- “Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.” – Roy T. Bennett
- “Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.” – Zig Ziglar
- “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
- “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.” – Elon Musk
- “Failure is a bend in the road, not the end of the road. Learn from failure and keep moving forward.” – Roy T. Bennett
- “Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
- “Success is not the absence of failure; it’s the persistence through failure that leads to success.” – Aisha Tyler
Embracing the Climb:
- “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela This iconic quote reminds us that falling is inevitable, but our willingness to get back up defines our journey.
- “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford The industrial titan highlights the transformative power of failure. Each misstep offers valuable lessons, equipping us for future success.
- “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 have failed by default.” – J.K. Rowling The creator of “Harry Potter” encourages us to embrace risk and learn from our mistakes, for a life devoid of them is no life at all.
Finding Strength in Setbacks:
- “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson This empowering quote emphasizes our agency. Even after failures, we hold the power to define our path and rise above limitations.
- “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison The inventor of the light bulb didn’t view his countless attempts as failures, but as stepping stones towards his ultimate success.
- “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill The former British Prime Minister emphasizes the importance of maintaining the will to try, even when faced with repeated setbacks.
Beyond the Finish Line:
- “The secret of life is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” – Japanese Proverb This simple adage emphasizes perseverance. Our journey is an ongoing cycle of falling and rising, and within that cycle lies the key to growth and achievement.
- “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” – Herman Melville The author of “Moby Dick” challenges conventional views of success, urging us to pursue our unique paths, even if they lead to setbacks.
- “True happiness lies in making others happy.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe This profound quote from “Faust” reminds us that true fulfillment often transcends personal achievement and lies in serving others and contributing to a greater good.