A stupid man's report of what a clever man says can never be accurate, because he unconsciously translates what he hears

into something he can understand. Bertrand Russell All movements go too far. Bertrand Russell Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric. Bertrand Russell Everything is vague to a degree you do not realize till you have tried to make it precise. Bertrand Russell Government can easily exist without laws, but law cannot exist without government. Bertrand Russell I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt. I shouldn't wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine. Bertrand Russell I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong. Bertrand Russell If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way. Bertrand Russell ] If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have paradise in a few years. Bertrand Russell In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted. Bertrand Russell In the part of this universe that we know there is great injustice, and often the good suffer, and often the wicked prosper, and one hardly knows which of those is the more annoying. Bertrand Russell It has been said that man is a rational animal. All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this. Bertrand Russell It is a waste of energy to be angry with a man who behaves badly, just as it is to be angry with a car that won't go. Bertrand Russell Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim. Bertrand Russell Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so.

Bertrand Russell Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty - a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture. Bertrand Russell - More quotations on: [Mathematics] Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death.... Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man. Bertrand Russell No one gossips about other people's secret virtues. Bertrand Russell Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man. Bertrand Russell Passive acceptance of the teacher's wisdom is easy to most boys and girls. It involves no effort of independent thought, and seems rational because the teacher knows more than his pupils; it is moreover the way to win the favour of the teacher unless he is a very exceptional man. Yet the habit of passive acceptance is a disastrous one in later life. It causes man to seek and to accept a leader, and to accept as a leader whoever is established in that position. Bertrand Russell - More quotations on: [Teaching] Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons. Bertrand Russell - More quotations on: [Patriotism] Patriots always talk of dying for their country but never of killing for their country. Bertrand Russell Science may set limits to knowledge, but should not set limits to imagination. Bertrand Russell - More quotations on: [Science] So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence. Bertrand Russell - More quotations on: [Intelligence] The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy - I mean that if you are happy you will be good. Bertrand Russell The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.

Bertrand Russell The main things which seem to me important on their own account, and not merely as means to other things, are knowledge, art, instinctive happiness, and relations of friendship or affection. Bertrand Russell The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way. Bertrand Russell The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others. Bertrand Russell - More quotations on: [Morality] The place of the father in the modern suburban family is a very small one, particularly if he plays golf. Bertrand Russell The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. Bertrand Russell The true spirit of delight, the exaltation, the sense of being more than Man, which is the touchstone of the highest excellence, is to be found in mathematics as surely as in poetry. Bertrand Russell The universe may have a purpose, but nothing we know suggests that, if so, this purpose has any similarity to ours. Bertrand Russell The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts. Bertrand Russell - More quotations on: [Wisdom] [Doubt] There are two motives for reading a book: one, that you enjoy it; the other, that you can boast about it. Bertrand Russell There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge. Bertrand Russell - More quotations on: [Knowledge] There is no nonsense so arrant that it cannot be made the creed of the vast majority by adequate governmental action. Bertrand Russell

- More quotations on: [Government] This is one of those views which are so absolutely absurd that only very learned men could possibly adopt them. Bertrand Russell This is patently absurd; but whoever wishes to become a philosopher must learn not to be frightened by absurdities. Bertrand Russell - More quotations on: [Philosophy] To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness. Bertrand Russell Too little liberty brings stagnation and too much brings chaos. Bertrand Russell War does not determine who is right - only who is left. Bertrand Russell What the world needs is not dogma but an attitude of scientific inquiry combined with a belief that the torture of millions is not desirable, whether inflicted by Stalin or by a Deity imagined in the likeness of the believer. Bertrand Russell Not to be absolutely certain is, I think, one of the essential things in rationality. Bertrand Russell, "Am I An Atheist Or An Agnostic?", 1947 - More quotations on: [Uncertainty] When one admits that nothing is certain one must, I think, also admit that some things are much more nearly certain than others. Bertrand Russell, "Am I An Atheist Or An Agnostic?", 1947 - More quotations on: [Uncertainty] When one admits that nothing is certain one must, I think, also admit that some things are much more nearly certain than others. It is much more nearly certain that we are assembled here tonight than it is that this or that political party is in the right. Certainly there are degrees of certainty, and one should be very careful to emphasize that fact, because otherwise one is landed in an utter skepticism, and complete skepticism would, of course, be totally barren and completely useless. Bertrand Russell, "Am I An Atheist Or An Agnostic?", 1947 Men who are unhappy, like men who sleep badly, are always proud of the fact. Bertrand Russell, Conquest of Happiness (1930) ch. 1 A sense of duty is useful in work, but offensive in personal relations. People wish to be liked, not be endured with patient resignation. Bertrand Russell, Conquest of Happiness (1930) ch. 10

- More quotations on: [Duty] Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness. Bertrand Russell, Conquest of Happiness (1930) ch. 12 To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization, and at present very few people have reached this level. Bertrand Russell, Conquest of Happiness (1930) ch. 14 - More quotations on: [Relaxation] One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important. Bertrand Russell, Conquest of Happiness (1930) ch. 5 - More quotations on: [Work] One should as a rule respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to avoid starvation and to keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny, and is likely to interfere with happiness in all kinds of ways. Bertrand Russell, Conquest of Happiness (1930) ch. 9 Aristotle maintained that women have fewer teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to verify this statement by examining his wives' mouths. Bertrand Russell, Impact of Science on Society (1952) ch. 1 To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead. Bertrand Russell, Marriage and Morals (1929) ch. 19 - More quotations on: [Love] The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible. Bertrand Russell, Marriage and Morals (1929) ch. 5 Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true. Bertrand Russell, Mysticism and Logic (1917) ch. 4 - More quotations on: [Mathematics] Every man, wherever he goes, is encompassed by a cloud of comforting convictions, which move with him like flies on a summer day. Bertrand Russell, Sceptical Essays (1928), "Dreams and Facts" We have, in fact, two kinds of morality side by side: one which we preach but do not practice, and another which we practice but seldom preach. Bertrand Russell, Sceptical Essays (1928), "Eastern and Western Ideals of Happiness" - More quotations on: [Morality]

It is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatsoever for supposing it is true. Bertrand Russell, Sceptical Essays (1928), "On the Value of Scepticism" It is obvious that 'obscenity' is not a term capable of exact legal definition; in the practice of the Courts, it means 'anything that shocks the magistrate.' The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the holders lack of rational conviction. Opinions in politics and religion are almost always held passionately. Bertrand Russell, Sceptical Essays, 1961 - More quotations on: [Opinions] The point of philosophy is to start with something so simple as not to seem worth stating, and to end with something so paradoxical that no one will believe it. Bertrand Russell, The Philosophy of Logical Atomism - More quotations on: [Philosophy] Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays (1950), "Outline of Intellectual Rubbish" - More quotations on: [Fear] [Superstition] Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones. When men exercise their reason coolly and freely on a variety of distinct questions, they inevitably fall into different opinions on some of them. When they are governed by a common passion, their opinions, if they are to be called, will be the same. Alexander Hamilton (1755 - 1804) It is not advisable, James, to venture unsolicited opinions. You should spare yourself the embarrassing discovery of their exact value to your listener. Ayn Rand (1905 - 1982), Atlas Shrugged, 1957 Every man has a right to his opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts. Bernard M. Baruch (1870 - 1965) I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt. I shouldn't wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine. Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970) The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the holders lack of rational conviction. Opinions in politics and religion are almost always held passionately. Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970), Sceptical Essays, 1961 I'm not sure I want popular opinion on my side -- I've noticed those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts.

Bethania McKenstry Fight for your opinions, but do not believe that they contain the whole truth, or the only truth. Charles A. Dana (1819 - 1897) The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge. Elbert Hubbard (1856 - 1915) The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls. Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815 - 1902), 1890 There is probably an element of malice in our readiness to overestimate people - we are, as it were, laying up for ourselves the pleasure of later cutting them down to size. Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983), The New York Times Magazine, April 25, 1971 Opinions founded on prejudice are always sustained with the greatest of violence. Francis Jeffrey (1773 - 1850) It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them! Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900) Don't judge a man by his opinions, but what his opinions have made of him. Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 - 1799) Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinions at all. Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 - 1799) I have opinions of my own -- strong opinions -- but I don't always agree with them. George Bush (1924 - ) This imputation of inconsistency is one to which every sound politician and every honest thinker must sooner or later subject himself. The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinion. James Russel Lowell, My Study Windows,1899 Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions; for opinions in good men is but knowledge in the making. John Milton (1608 - 1674) Risk! Risk anything! Care no more for the opinions of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth. Katherine Mansfield (1888 - 1923) Patterning your life around other's opinions is nothing more than slavery.

Lawana Blackwell, The Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark, 1999 I am not one of those who in expressing opinions confine themselves to facts. Mark Twain (1835 - 1910), Wearing White Clothes speech, 1907 Our opinions do not really blossom into fruition until we have expressed them to someone else. Mark Twain (1835 - 1910), quoted in Mark Twain and I, Opie Read, 1940 Sane and intelligent human beings are like all other human beings, and carefully and cautiously and diligently conceal their private real opinions from the world and give out fictitious ones in their stead for general consumption. Mark Twain (1835 - 1910), Mark Twain In Eruption It is much easier to break the rules when one s surrounded by strangers. One does not know any of them, so one cannot really care for their opinion. Monica Fairview, Darcy Cousins, 2010 You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters. Plato (427 BC - 347 BC), Dialogues, Theatetus You get fifteen democrats in a room, and you get twenty opinions. Senator Patrick Leahy (1940 - ), May 1990 There is no greater mistake than the hasty conclusion that opinions are worthless because they are badly argued. Thomas H. Huxley (1825 - 1895) Literature is strewn with the wreckage of men who have minded beyond reason the opinions of others. Virginia Woolf (1882 - 1941), A Room of One's Own (1929) What we have to do is to be forever curiously testing new opinions and courting new impressions. Walter Pater (1839 - 1894), 1873 Seize opportunity by the beard, for it is bald behind. Bulgarian Proverb Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises. Demosthenes (384 BC - 322 BC) You have to recognize when the right place and the right time fuse and take advantage of that opportunity. There are plenty of opportunities out there. You can't sit back and wait. Ellen Metcalf

There is no security on this earth, there is only opportunity. General Douglas MacArthur (1880 - 1964) Trouble is only opportunity in work clothes. Henry J. Kaiser (1882 - 1967) The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity. John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963), Speech in Indianapolis, April 12, 1959 You create your opportunities by asking for them. Patty Hansen, Prevention Magazine, 11-05 While we stop to think, we often miss our opportunity. Publilius Syrus (~100 BC), Maxims A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626) Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931) THERE ARE NO MISTAKES, only opportunities. Tina Fey, Bossypants, 2011 Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing. Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865) If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut. Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955), Observer, Jan. 15, 1950 Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value. Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955) A great secret of success is to go through life as a man who never gets used up. Albert Schweitzer (1875 - 1965) A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi (1893 - 1986) To follow, without halt, one aim: There's the secret of success. Anna Pavlova (1885 - 1931)

If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all. Anna Quindlen (1953 - ) Success is the necessary misfortune of life, but it is only to the very unfortunate that it comes early. Anthony Trollope (1815 - 1882), Orley Farm, chapter 49, 1950 It is possible to fail in many ways...while to succeed is possible only in one way. Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC), Nichomachean Ethics Of course there is no formula for success except perhaps an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings. Arthur Rubinstein (1886 - 1982) Find somebody to be successful for. Raise their hopes. Think of their needs. Barack Obama (1961 - ), Arizona State Commencement Speech, 2009 I've come to embrace the notion that I haven't done enough in my life. I've come to confirm that one's title, even a title like president of the United States, says very little about how well one's life has been led. No matter how much you've done or how successful you've been, there's always more to do, always more to learn, and always more to achieve. Barack Obama (1961 - ), Arizona State Commencement Speech, 2009 That's what building a body of work is all about. It's about the daily labor, the many individual acts, the choices large and small that add up over time, over a lifetime to a lasting legacy. It's about not being satisfied with the latest achievement, the latest gold star, because the one thing I know about a body of work is that it's never finished. It's cumulative. It deepens and expands with each day you give your best. You may have setbacks and you may have failures, but you're not done. You haven't even started. Barack Obama (1961 - ), Arizona State Commencement Speech, 2009 The leaders we revere and the businesses that last are generally not the result of a narrow pursuit of popularity or personal advancement, but of devotion to some bigger purpose. That's the hallmark of real success. The other trapping of success might be the by product of this larger mission, but it can't be the central thing. Barack Obama (1961 - ), Arizona State Commencement Speech, 2009 Why be a man when you can be a success? Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956) I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. Bill Cosby (1937 - ) What's money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.

Bob Dylan (1941 - ) The person who makes a success of living is the one who see his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly. That is dedication. Cecil B. DeMille (1881 - 1959) Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success. Christopher Lasch There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way. Christopher Morley (1890 - 1957) There is only one success... to be able to spend your life in your own way, and not to give others absurd maddening claims upon it. Christopher Morley (1890 - 1957), Where the Blue Begins,1922 The man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration. Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC), The Confucian Analects Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love. David McCullough (1933 - ) Envy was just the tax you paid on success. David Nicholls, One Day, 2010 Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you're not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were. David Rockefeller (1915 - ) Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life. Dr. David M. Burns We succeed only as we identify in life, or in war, or in anything else, a single overriding objective, and make all other considerations bend to that one objective. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 - 1969), speech, April 2, 1957 When I was younger I thought success was something different. I thought, " When I grow up, I want to be famous. I want to be a star. I want to be in movies. When I grow up I want to see the world, drive nice cars. I want to have groupies." But my idea of success is different today. For me, the most important thing in your life is to live your life with integrity and not to give into peer pressure, to try to be something that you're not. To live your life as an honest and compassionate person. To contribute in some way. Ellen DeGeneres, Tulane Commencement Speech, 2009 Success is counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed. Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

Success is really about being ready for the good opportunities that come before you. It's not to have a detailed plan of everything that you're going to do. You can't plan innovation or inspiration, but you can be ready for it, and when you see it, you can jump on it. Eric Schmidt, University of Pennsylvania Commencement Address, 2009 Success didn't spoil me, I've always been insufferable. Fran Lebowitz (1950 - ) Nothing changes your opinion of a friend so surely as success - yours or his. Franklin P. Jones, Saturday Evening Post, November 29, 1953 I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite. G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936) Nothing fails like success. Gerald Nachman To freely bloom - that is my definition of success. Gerry Spence, How to Argue and Win Every Time My mother drew a distinction between achievement and success. She said that 'achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others, and that's nice, too, but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success.' Helen Hayes (1900 - 1993) Men are born to succeed, not fail. Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) Each success only buys an admission ticket to a more difficult problem. Henry Kissinger (1923 - ), Wilson Library Bulletin, March 1979 I can't give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time. Herbert Bayard Swope (1882 - 1958) The toughest thing about success is that you've got to keep on being a success. Talent is only a starting point in this business. You've got to keep on working that talent. Someday I'll reach for it and it won't be there. Irving Berlin (1888 - 1989), 1958 The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.

Jean Giraudoux (1882 - 1944) If you wish success in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother and hope your guardian genius. Joseph Addison (1672 - 1719) Having been here before and lost, to be here and win, I've got to tell you, winning is really a lot better than losing. Really a lot better. Kate Winslet, Oscar Acceptance Speech, 02-22-09 There's no secret about success. Did you ever know a successful man who didn't tell you about it? Kin Hubbard (1868 - 1930) A successful individual typically sets his next goal somewhat but not too much above his last achievement. In this way he steadily raises his level of aspiration. Kurt Lewin (1890 - 1947) Sometimes in life you don't always feel like a winner, but that doesn't mean you're not a winner. Lady Gaga (1986 - ), Ellen Degeneres Show, 09-08-09 You're probably on the right track if you feel like a sidewalk worm during a rainstorm. Larry Page, University of Michigan Commencement Address, 2009 All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure. Mark Twain (1835 - 1910), Letter to Mrs Foote, Dec. 2, 1887 People fail forward to success. Mary Kay Ash If you have been touched by the success fairy, people think you know why. People think success breeds enlightenment and you are duty-bound to spread around like manure. Fertilize those young minds! Meryl Streep (1949 - ), Barnard Commencement Speech, 2010 My success has depended wholly on putting things over on people, so I'm not sure that I'm that great a role model. I am, however, an expert on pretending to be an expert on pretending to be an expert. Meryl Streep (1949 - ), Barnard Commencement Speech, 2010 You don't have to be famous. You just have to make your mother and father proud of you. Meryl Streep (1949 - ), Barnard Commencement Speech, 2010 Whenever I hear, 'It can't be done,' I know I'm close to success. Michael Flatley, (Lord of the Dance) quoted by Eric Celeste You always pass failure on the way to success.

Mickey Rooney (1920 - ) Success isn't permanent, and failure isn't fatal. Mike Ditka (1939 - ) Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture...Do not build up obstacles in your imagination. Norman Vincent Peale (1898 - 1993) Forget about the fast lane. If you really want to fly, harness your power to your passion. Honor your calling. Everybody has one. Trust your heart, and success will come to you. Oprah Winfrey (1954 - ), Stanford Commencement Adress, 2008 How do I define success? Let me tell you, money's pretty nice. But having a lot of money does not automatically make you a successful person. What you want is money and meaning. You want your work to be meaningful, because meaning is what brings the real richness to your life. Oprah Winfrey (1954 - ), Stanford Commencement Adress, 2008 Nobody cleared a path for themselves by giving up. Alacia Bessette, Simply from Scratch, 2010 If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure. Anonymous, often attributed to Dan Quayle It is possible to fail in many ways...while to succeed is possible only in one way. Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC), Nichomachean Ethics You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try. Beverly Sills (1929 - ) I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. Bill Cosby (1937 - ) If at first you don't succeed, find out if the loser gets anything. Bill Lyon Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on their environment and especially on their children than the unlived life of the parent. Carl Jung (1875 - 1961) I think you actually get a kick out of being disappointed and under-achieving, because it's easier, isn't it? Failure and unhappiness is easier because you can make a joke out of it. David Nicholls, One Day, 2010 Act as if it were impossible to fail.

Dorothea Brande If you're willing to fail interestingly, you tend to succeed interestingly. Edward Albee It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail. Gore Vidal (1925 - ) Men are born to succeed, not fail. Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) I can't give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time. Herbert Bayard Swope (1882 - 1958) Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than I was and began diverting all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. J. K. Rowling, Harvard Commencement Address, 2008 It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not lived at all. In which case, you've failed by default. J. K. Rowling, Harvard Commencement Address, 2008 Ultimately, we all have to decide for ourselves what constitutes failure, but the world is quite eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it. J. K. Rowling, Harvard Commencement Address, 2008 Don't be discouraged by a failure. It can be a positive experience. Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterwards carefully avoid. John Keats (1795 - 1821) If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down. Mary Pickford (1893 - 1979) You always pass failure on the way to success. Mickey Rooney (1920 - ) Success isn't permanent, and failure isn't fatal. Mike Ditka (1939 - ) If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style. Quentin Crisp We all have a few failures under our belt. It's what makes us ready for the successes.

Randy K. Milholland, Midnight Macabre, 10-18-05 A minute's success pays the failure of years. Robert Browning (1812 - 1889) Try as hard as we may for perfection, the net result of our labors is an amazing variety of imperfectness. We are surprised at our own versatility in being able to fail in so many different ways. Samuel McChord Crothers Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965) Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931) Have you heard that it was good to gain the day? I also say it is good to fall, battles are lost in the same spirit in which they are won. Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892) Good people are good because they've come to wisdom through failure. William Saroyan (1908 - 1981)