Historical Quotes About Failure
Failure is often seen as something to avoid, but throughout history, some of the greatest thinkers, leaders, and innovators have understood its true value. Failure is not the end; it’s a stepping stone toward success. It teaches us resilience, perseverance, and growth. Here’s a collection of historical quotes about failure from renowned figures who understood that failure is a part of the path to greatness.
Historical Quotes About Failure
1. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison
2. “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
3. “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius
4. “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert F. Kennedy
5. “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford
6. “It is fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” – Bill Gates
7. “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” – Henry Ford
8. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
9. “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” – Truman Capote
10. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
11. “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” – Michael Jordan
12. “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
13. “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” – Napoleon Hill
14. “Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.” – Morihei Ueshiba
15. “Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.” – Richard Branson
16. “There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.” – Brené Brown
17. “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.” – Elon Musk
18. “The only failure is not to try.” – George Clooney
19. “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” – Elbert Hubbard
20. “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
21. “Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” – Coco Chanel
22. “It’s failure that gives you the proper perspective on success.” – Ellen DeGeneres
23. “I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right.” – Albert Einstein
24. “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” – Albert Einstein
25. “Failure is good as long as it doesn’t become a habit.” – Michael Eisner
26. “Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.” – Denis Waitley
27. “You always pass failure on your way to success.” – Mickey Rooney
28. “I don’t believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process.” – Oprah Winfrey
29. “The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.” – Lloyd Jones
30. “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
31. “Failure is success in progress.” – Albert Einstein
32. “Don’t fear failure. Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail.” – Bruce Lee
33. “If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.” – Woody Allen
34. “There is no failure except in no longer trying.” – Chris Bradford
35. “Failure is not the opposite of success; it’s part of success.” – Arianna Huffington
36. “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” – T.S. Eliot
37. “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” – Stephen McCranie
38. “Failure is nature’s plan to prepare you for great responsibilities.” – Napoleon Hill
39. “When you take risks, you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.” – Ellen DeGeneres
40. “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.” – John Wooden
41. “I’d rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate.” – George Burns
42. “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” – Richard Branson
43. “Failure after long perseverance is much grander than never to have a striving good enough to be called a failure.” – George Eliot
44. “The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.” – Paramahansa Yogananda
45. “Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.” – George Edward Woodberry
46. “Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.” – C.S. Lewis
47. “If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.” – H.G. Wells
48. “Failure happens all the time. It happens every day in practice. What makes you better is how you react to it.” – Mia Hamm
49. “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.” – B.F. Skinner
50. “There is no failure except in no longer trying.” – Elbert Hubbard
These historical quotes about failure remind us that failure is not something to fear, but rather something to embrace as part of the process of learning, growing, and achieving. It is a necessary step on the path to success, helping us build resilience, learn from our mistakes, and push forward with even greater determination. Let these quotes inspire you to see failure as a valuable teacher and a catalyst for future accomplishments.