Historical Quotes About Failure

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.


Download the Words coach Quotes

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *