# Quotes about success and failure - Quotes: 14 - Authors: 12 - Topic page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure ## Quotes > The winds and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Topics: [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md) > Every man, however brave, who begins by worshipping violence, must end in mere timidity. Every man, however wise, who begins by worshipping success, must end in mere mediocrity. [G. Chesterton](https://www.leafyquotes.com/g-chesterton.md) · [Heretics](https://www.leafyquotes.com/g-chesterton/heretics.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/g-chesterton/heretics/every-man-however.md) Topics: [character](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/character.md), [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md) > It is well known that a vital ingredient of success is not knowing that what you're attempting can't be done. [Terry Pratchett](https://www.leafyquotes.com/terry-pratchett.md) · [Equal Rites](https://www.leafyquotes.com/terry-pratchett/equal-rites.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/terry-pratchett/equal-rites/it-is-well.md) Topics: [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md) > To succeed, planning alone is insufficient. One must improvise as well. [Isaac Asimov](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov.md) · [Foundation](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov/foundation.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov/foundation/to-succeed-planning.md) Topics: [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md) > Trantor could win even such a war, but perhaps not without paying a price that would make victory only a pleasanter name for defeat. [Isaac Asimov](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov.md) · [The Currents of Space](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov/the-currents-of-space.md) · p. 62 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov/the-currents-of-space/trantor-could-win.md) Topics: [war](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/war.md), [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md) > One fail-safe after another had let them down. Helped by the ionospheric storm, the sheer perversity of inanimate things struck again. [Arthur C. Clarke](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-c-clarke.md) · [The Fountains Of Paradise](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-c-clarke/the-fountains-of-paradise.md) · p. 223 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-c-clarke/the-fountains-of-paradise/one-fail-safe-after.md) Topics: [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md) > The theory seems to be that so long as a man is a failure he is one of God's chillun, but that as soon as he has any luck he owes it to the Devil. [H.L. Mencken](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken.md) · [A Mencken Chrestomathy](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken/a-mencken-chrestomathy.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken/a-mencken-chrestomathy/the-theory-seems.md) Topics: [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md) > A living dog is better than a dead lion. Shall a man go and hang himself because he belongs to the race of pygmies, and not be the biggest pygmy that he can? Let every one mind his own business, and endeavor to be what he was made. Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed, and in such desperate enterprises? If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Walden · p. 366 Topics: [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md), [identity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/identity.md) > No man leaves where he is and seeks a distant place unless he is in some respect a failure. [James A. Michener](https://www.leafyquotes.com/james-a-michener.md) · [Hawaii](https://www.leafyquotes.com/james-a-michener/hawaii.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/james-a-michener/hawaii/no-man-leaves.md) Topics: [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md) > Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose. [Bill Gates](https://www.leafyquotes.com/bill-gates.md) · [The Road Ahead](https://www.leafyquotes.com/bill-gates/the-road-ahead.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/bill-gates/the-road-ahead/success-is-a-lousy.md) Topics: [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md) > Despite countless hours of practice, dozens of auditions, many artistic disputes, seven demo CDs, and two radical changes in hairstyle, Arrival never arrived. It wasn't that they were bad; it was just that, as they reluctantly came to understand, they really weren't anything special. They were competent. The problem was, there were competent bands everywhere. Competence wasn't the key to stardom; you needed something else. Whatever it was, Arrival didn't have it. (Chapter 3) [Dave Barry](https://www.leafyquotes.com/dave-barry.md) · [Tricky Business](https://www.leafyquotes.com/dave-barry/tricky-business.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/dave-barry/tricky-business/despite-countless-hours.md) Topics: [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md), [talent](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/talent.md) > "What is that gun firing for?" said Boxer. > > "To celebrate our victory!" cried Squealer. > > "What victory?" said Boxer. His knees were bleeding, he had lost a shoe and split his hoof, and a dozen pellets had lodged themselves in his hind leg. > > "What victory, comrade? Have we not driven the enemy off our soil—the sacred soil of Animal Farm?" > > "But they have destroyed the windmill. And we had worked on it for two years!" > > "What matter? We will build another windmill. We will build six windmills if we feel like it. You do not appreciate, comrade, the mighty thing that we have done. The enemy was in occupation of this very ground that we stand upon. And now—thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon—we have won every inch of it back again!" > > "Then we have won back what we had before," said Boxer. > > "That is our victory," said Squealer. [George Orwell](https://www.leafyquotes.com/george-orwell.md) · [Animal Farm](https://www.leafyquotes.com/george-orwell/animal-farm.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/george-orwell/animal-farm/what-is-that.md) Topics: [power](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/power.md), [lies](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/lies.md), [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md) > Of course, when you are winning a war almost everything that happens can be claimed to be right and wise. The Second World War: Closing The Ring Topics: [war](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/war.md), [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md) > Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein, we never had a defeat. The Second World War: Closing The Ring Topics: [war](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/war.md), [success and failure](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/success-and-failure.md)