Famous quotes
Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,808 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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Success and failure
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“Our goal is to build a broad-based model of key components of the economy: households, firms, banks and government... The failure to embrace things like simulation has inhibited progress in economics.”
J. Doyne Farmer (born 1952) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted by Stephen Foley, "Physicists and the financial markets" Financial Times Magazine (Oct18, 2013) ref: the CRISIS Project.
“To understand the crisis we need to get beyond the blame game. For at the root of the crisis was not failures of character or competence, but a failure of ideas.”
Robert Skidelsky, Baron Skidelsky (1939–2026) said by 2026 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.”
“No system of judicature can be suggested in which occasionally failure to insure complete justice may not arise.”
Henry Hawkins, 1st Baron Brampton (1817–1907) first seen 1890 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Queen v. Miles (1890), L. R. 24 Q. B. 433.
“A perfectly flat roof permits up to 50 percent more heat gain that a pitched roof... This illustrates the failure of the flat-roof construction to get natural, hot air flow out from under the eaves.”
“Great men have foibles for which they can be forgiven; including an occasional failure to see where their greatness lies, or what might diminish it.”
Perry Anderson (born 1938) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Ch. 13. "The Vanquished Left: Eric Hobsbawm" (2002)
“Most striking feature... is the author’s failure to understand the elementary mechanics of the competitive economic organization.”
Frank Knight (1885–1972) said by 1972 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Having failed, do you accept failure, saying only: Well, it is so. I will turn to other things? When night comes, do you accept the blackness of it, saying only: Well, it is so. I will turn and wait for morning? Or do you go on striving to light a candle against that dark however often the wind blows out the flame, however often the night returns?”
Tanith Lee (1947–2015) said by 2015 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Hayek did not believe that the same sort of prediction—and therefore control—that is possible in the natural sciences is attainable in the realm of society. At best, he thought, only a “pattern” of the future can be predicted in social life. He thought that to attempt to formulate laws of societal development akin to the laws of the physical sciences, as Marx attempted, is doomed to failure.”
Alan O. Ebenstein (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Three or four years ago a distinguished Frenchman, M. Hovelacque, published an article on America in the Revue de Paris in which he maintained that the essential weakness of our American civilization lay in the failure of our education to produce any equivalent of the superior man of Confucius or the καλὸς κἀγαθός of the Greeks.”
Irving Babbitt (1865–1933) said by 1933 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Failure to properly conceptualize the nature of knowledge assets condemns firms.”
Max Boisot (1943–2011) said by 2011 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Power is not a pre-existing thing which can be handed out to someone, or wrenched from someone. We have seen again and again the failure of "power" conferred. You could give me dozens of cases. The division of power is not the thing to be considered, but the method of organization which will generate power.”
Mary Parker Follett (1868–1933) said by 1933 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Follett (1942, 110), cited in: Seth Kreisberg (1992). Transforming Power: Domination, Empowerment, and Education. p. 71
“I trembled at the thought of commenting on The Economist. However, I knew I had to take the leap or I would forever see myself as a sissy failure, a scaredy-cat unable to put his stuff out into the world for a shake and bake session with the big boys.”
Michael Scott Gallegos first seen 2014 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Blogging Blurts (Sep 11, 2014)
“Failure to follow this advice, he said, might lead our clan to disappear.”
Chulalongkorn (1853–1910) said by 1910 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Speciesism: "A failure, in attitude or practice, to accord any nonhuman being equal consideration and respect".”
Joan Dunayer (born 1953) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speciesism (Derwood, MD: Ryce Publishing, 2004), p. 5.
“Poetry's only crucial attribute is rhythm. This is its heartbeat.This makes it memorable. If the rhythm falters , then the poem dies of heart failure.”
Michael Longley (1939–2025) first seen 1999 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 'Poetry Ireland Review' Summer 1999
“Recent governments emphasize the merits of a multicultural society and ignore the dangers. And yet the evidence is clear that many multicultural societies have failed and that the human cost of the failure has been high.”
Geoffrey Blainey (born 1930) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“One lesson of history is that every gain has its potential loss. The highest human achievements carry the danger of pride, and pride can lead blindly to disaster, just as failure can fortify the determination and so lead slowly towards triumph.”
Geoffrey Blainey (born 1930) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“THEIR SEX LIFE One failure on top of another”
A. R. Ammons (1926–2001) said by 2001 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If Lincoln had been a failure, he would have lived a longer life.”
James M. McPherson (born 1936) first seen 2008 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: James M. McPherson. Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief (2008) "Epilogue
“White Democrats opposed Reconstruction not because it was a failure, but because it was working. Today almost all historians of Reconstruction hold that view.”
James W. Loewen (1942–2021) said by 2021 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“On my blog I attempt to dispute these notions by pointing out their failure to consider the long-term effects of autism on high-functioning autistics such as myself—let alone what should be done for the low-functioning autistics who cannot speak, or the “headbangers.”
Jonathan Mitchell (born 1955) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“That’s what failure did to: run you out, plucked your bones, sucked you dry. It was revolting. A failed man is a loathsome thing.”
Lisa Mason (1953–2023) said by 2023 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Women fell into that category of fantasies and dreams that worked well when unfulfilled but presented all kinds of problems when brought out into the real world of trial and failure.”
Karen Lord (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Further, [President Clinton's] repeated lies to the American people in this matter compound the case against him as they demonstrate his failure to protect the institution of the presidency as the 'inspiring supreme symbol of all that is highest in our American ideals'. Leaders affect the lives of families far beyond their own 'private life.'”
Mike Pence (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Restructuring is a favorite tactic of antisocials who have reached a senior position in an organization. The chaos that results is an ideal smokescreen for dysfunctional leadership. Failure at the top goes unnoticed, while the process of restructuring creates the illusion of a strong, creative hand on the helm.”
Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“One of the most consistent patterns in business is the failure of leading companies to stay at the top of their industries when technologies or markets change. and entered the radial-tire market quite late. Xerox let Canon create the small-copier market. Bucyrus-Erie allowed Caterpillar and Deere to take over the mechanical excavator market. Sears gave way to .”
Joseph L. Bower (born 1938) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The cult surprised me. I didn't even realise it had been successful. I loved it, I had fun working on it and it was one of the first things I'd ever written. And it wasn't just that it wasn't a hit - it was a huge failure. No one saw it. I don't know how on earth it caught on years later.”
Shane Black (born 1961) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: SHANE BLACK THINKS A MONSTER SQUAD SEQUEL “COULD BE FUN” (August 15 2016)
“Because the two sides of the Taiwan Strait (Taiwan and Mainland China) are not at war at present, we should accept them (People's Liberation Army military aircraft to land in Taiwan due to mechanical failure) out of humanitarian concerns.”
Feng Shih-kuan (born 1945) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Feng Shih-kuan (2016) cited in "Taiwan to accept Chinese military aircraft in distress: MND" on Focus Taiwan, 12 December 2016.
“If failure or disgrace arrives, if one suddenly finds that the faces of men show coldness or contempt instead of the kindliness and deference that he is used to, he will perceive from the shock, the fear, the sense of being outcast and helpless, that he was living in the minds of others without knowing it, just as we daily walk the solid ground without thinking how it bears us up.”
Charles Cooley (1864–1929) said by 1929 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is a great weakness of credomancers, Miss Edwards. They often believe their own press.” ”You’re a credomancer, too,” Emily said. “I’m also a woman. Failure, struggle, and doubt are my constant companions. They are not always pleasant, but they inoculate me against overconfidence. As such, I would not trade them for all the arrogant bravado in the world.”
M. K. Hobson (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The restraints we are seeking to impose are ones which can only be opposed by a failure in empathy towards non-human animals which constitutes an irrational blindness to the fact of the basic sameness of suffering in whatever species of animal it occurs; an irrationality incompatible with clear thought about the issue.”
Timothy Sprigge (1932–2007) said by 2007 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[Failure to agree a deal is] not exactly a nightmare scenario”
Liam Fox (born 1961) first seen 2017 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Brexit: Emily Thornberry predicts no deal with the EU BBC News (22 October 2017)
“The greatest shortcoming of the international community today is its failure to prevent conflict and maintain global security.”
António Guterres (born 1949) first seen 2017 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in 10 Things You Didn't Know About António Guterres, by Deidre McPhillips, U.S. News and World Report, (20 Feb. 2017)
“These demagogic non sequiturs undercut conservative claims to value the truth. And that has policy consequences: the supposedly conservative Pence and company have been pushing the lie for a week now that the free market is a failure and case-by-case economic fascism from above is the solution to lost American jobs. When truth doesn't matter, lies about policy are sure to follow.”
Ben Shapiro (born 1984) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Is Truth Becoming Irrelevant to Conservatives?, (December 5, 2016)
“The old type of capitalist who adheres to the traditional concepts of property rights is doomed to failure under fascism.”
Günter Reimann (1904–2005) said by 2005 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Lack of will power has caused more failure than lack of intelligence or ability.”
Flower A. Newhouse (1909–1994) said by 1994 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A woman at a certain age who is unmarried, our society teaches her to see it as a deep, personal failure. And a man at a certain age who is unmarried, we just think he hasn't come around to making his pick.”
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (born 1977) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: We Should All Be Feminists - April 12, 2013
“Grief is a cruel kind of education. You learn how ungentle mourning can be, how full of anger. You learn how glib condolences can feel. You learn how much grief is about language, the failure of language and the grasping for language.”
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (born 1977) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Bitcoin did have great potential, but it is damaged beyond repair. ... Bitcoin was born with serious flaws. ... it has been compared to a Ponzi scheme. ... It's time to admit that the current Bitcoin needs to be scrapped ... bear in mind what it is that makes some venture capitalists Bitcoin zealots: pure greed. That is the reason clearest to me for Bitcoin's failure.”
Vivek Wadhwa (born 1950) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: R.I.P., Bitcoin. It's time to move on. in The Washington Post (19 January 2016)
“Americans reasoned that the failure of the communist story confirmed the truth of the capitalist one. Americans and Europeans kept telling themselves their tales of inevitability for a quarter century after the end of communism, and so raise a millennial generation without history.”
Timothy D. Snyder (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Dhoni has got ability of rising from ashes. It is his temperament where he has treated those two imposters- fame and failure- in just the same manner.”
“In general, these phenomena are very easy to perceive and understand, but difficult to calculate. The danger of failure increases rapidly with decreasing depth or thickness of the structural member...”
Eduardo Torroja (1899–1961) said by 1961 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I often hear that it's hard to know the right thing to do. No, it's not! You always know what's right, but sometimes it's just very hard to do it. It's hard because you may have to admit failure. It's hard because the right decision may affect your friends and colleagues. It's hard because you may not personally benefit from doing what's right. Yeah, it's hard. That's called leadership.”
William H. McRaven (born 1955) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The word failure is not in my vocabulary. I learn something every day. It's human to make mistakes.”
Helen Reddy (1941–2020) first seen 1987 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the incidents in her career in Las Vegas as quoted in "Reddy: Full Speed Ahead... and Back". Hawn, Jack, L. A. Times, 25 July 1987
“Our only quarrel with Socialism is, that it will not honestly admit that it owes its recent revival to the failure of universal liberty, and is seeking to bring about slavery again in some form.”
George Fitzhugh (1806–1881) said by 1881 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“All concur that free society is a failure. We slaveholders say you must recur to domestic slavery, the oldest, the best and most common form of Socialism. The new schools of Socialism promise something better, but admit, to obtain that something, they must first destroy and eradicate man’s human nature.”
George Fitzhugh (1806–1881) said by 1881 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The failure of laissez-faire, of political economy, is admitted now by its last and lingering votary. Free society stands condemned by the unanimous testimony of all its enlightened members.”
George Fitzhugh (1806–1881) said by 1881 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Demon’s Souls wasn’t doing well,” he says. “The project had problems and the team had been unable to create a compelling prototype. But when I heard it was a fantasy-action role-playing game, I was excited. I figured if I could find a way to take control of the game, I could turn it into anything I wanted. Best of all, if my ideas failed, nobody would care – it was already a failure.”
Hidetaka Miyazaki (born 1974) first seen 2015 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Bloodborne creator Hidetaka Miyazaki: ‘I didn’t have a dream. I wasn’t ambitious' (March 31, 2015)
“I am deeply ashamed at my failure to serve His Majesty.”
Shoichi Yokoi (1915–1997) first seen 1972 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Announcement to journalists at Tokyo airport, 2 February 1972, Dictionary of Quotations, Chambers: Edinburgh, U.K, 2005, p. 935