It is well known that a vital ingredient of success is not knowing that what you're attempting can't be done.

...it is well known that a vital ingredient of success is not knowing that what you're attempting can't be done.

Failure is inevitable. Success is elusive.

People who avoid failure also avoid success.

It is only possible to succeed at second-rate pursuits — like becoming a millionaire or a prime minister, winning a war, seducing beautiful women, flying through the stratosphere or landing on the moon. First-rate pursuits involving, as they must, trying to understand what life is about and trying to convey that understanding — inevitably result in a sense of failure. A Napoleon, a Churchill, a Roosevelt can feel themselves to be successful, but never a Socrates, a Pascal, a Blake. Understanding is for ever unattainable. Therein lies the inevitability of failure in embarking upon its quest, which is none the less the only one worthy of serious attention.

The person who failed often knows how to avoid future failures. The person who knows only success can be more oblivious to all the pitfalls.

Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

A successful person is often one who has failed more than most.

Some things fail and others succeed. Well, then you get quite desperate, and you think: 'I am going to work and work and I'm not going to have any failures.' But then you find out that failures are inevitable; you can't even draw a straight line, you know that.

People who assume failure tend to have the failure.

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.