“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.”
As quoted in The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell (2003) by Oren Harari, p. 164.
2000s
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Colin Powell 63
Former U.S. Secretary of State and retired four-star general 1937Related quotes
“I’ve had a lot of success; I’ve had failures, so I learn from the failure.”
“Nothing fails like success because we don't learn from it. We learn only from failure.”
Kenneth Boulding (1971) "The diminishing returns of science" in: New Scientist. (March 25, 1971) Vol. 49, nr. 744. p. 682
1970s
Context: Perhaps the most difficult ethical problem of the scientific community arises not so much from conflict with other subcultures as from its own success. Nothing fails like success because we don't learn from it. We learn only from failure.
“If one asks for success and prepares for failure, he will get the situation he has prepared for.”
The Game of Life and How to Play It https://archive.org/details/gameoflifehowtop00shin (1925), p. 17.
The Analects, The Doctrine of the Mean
Context: In all things success depends on previous preparation, and without such previous preparation there is sure to be failure. If what is to be spoken be previously determined, there will be no stumbling. If affairs be previously determined, there will be no difficulty with them. If one's actions have been previously determined, there will be no sorrow in connection with them. If principles of conduct have been previously determined, the practice of them will be inexhaustible.