Mistakes can sting, but they teach us life’s most important lessons. Everyone has moments of failure, from small slip-ups to bigger blunders. These mistakes shape us, pushing us to grow and improve.
Reflecting on the wisdom of others can offer comfort and guidance. Here are some quotes that remind us how mistakes aren’t ends, but rather steps toward a better version of ourselves.
Quotes About Overcoming Mistakes
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
“Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.”
“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”
“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”
“When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”
“It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”
“We all make mistakes, but it’s how we come back from them that matters.”
“The road to wisdom? Well, it’s plain and simple to express: Err and err and err again but less and less and less.”
“Mistakes are the stepping stones to wisdom.”
“A mistake should be your teacher, not your attacker. A mistake is a lesson, not a loss. It is a temporary, necessary detour, not a dead end.”
“The only way to learn it is to live it; mistakes and all.”
“Each mistake teaches you something new about yourself. There is no failure, remember, except in no longer trying.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“Your best teacher is your last mistake.”
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
“Mistakes are meant for learning, not repeating.”
“You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”
“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
“People who don’t take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.”
“Learning from mistakes builds resilience, and resilience is the heart of success.”
“Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes.”
“Errors are portals of discovery. Keep making mistakes, just don’t keep making the same ones.”
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, and often that step is a mistake.”
Inspirational Quotes for Learning from Errors
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”
“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
“We all make mistakes, and it is better to make them in the full light of day.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“To err is human – and to learn from those errors is to grow.”
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”
“An error doesn’t become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.”
“The only way to avoid making mistakes is to have no new ideas.”
“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”
“Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes.”
“Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.”
“Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts.”
“We learn from failure, not from success!”
“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”
“There are no mistakes, only opportunities.”
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
“It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”
“Mistakes are the growing pains of wisdom.”
“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.”
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
“Every mistake you make is only increasing your odds of succeeding.”
“From error to error one discovers the entire truth.”
“Mistakes are the usual bridge between inexperience and wisdom.”
“Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it.”
“Our mistakes don’t define us; how we respond to them does.”
“Through error, you come to the truth.”
“Every great mistake has a halfway moment, a split second when it can be recalled and perhaps remedied.”
Powerful Quotes on Accepting and Learning from Mistakes
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
“It’s not our mistakes that define us, but how we recover from them.”
“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.”
“We learn from failure, not from success!”
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
“Your best teacher is your last mistake.”
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
“Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.”
“The secret of life is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”
“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.”
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”
“The road to success is paved with failures.”
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
“Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.”
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it.”
“Making a mistake is not a crime; it’s not learning from it that is.”
“Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes.”
“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”
“A mistake is simply another way of doing things.”
“The greatest teacher, failure is.”
“There are no failures, just experiences and your reactions to them.”
“Failure after long perseverance is much grander than never to have a striving good enough to be called a failure.”
“Even the knowledge of my own fallibility cannot keep me from making mistakes. Only when I fall do I get up again.”
“Each mistake teaches you something new about yourself. There is no failure, remember, except in no longer trying.”
“In a world full of shortcuts, pioneers achieve greatness by learning from their missteps.”
“Every mistake is an invitation to grow, a challenge to embrace resilience, and a step towards wisdom.”
Quotes Highlighting the Lessons of Failure
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.”
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”
“Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.”
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”
“Failure after long perseverance is much grander than never to have a striving good enough to be called a failure.”
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
“A failure is not always a mistake; it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.”
“In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail.”
“The quickest road to success is to possess an attitude toward failure of ‘no fear’.”
“It’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”
“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.”
“Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.”
“When we give ourselves permission to fail, we, at the same time, give ourselves permission to excel.”
“Failure is an event, not a person. Yesterday ended last night.”
“I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right.”
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”
“Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo.”
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
“We are all failures – at least the best of us are.”
“There is no failure except in no longer trying.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”
“Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.”
“Your true success in life begins only when you make the commitment to become excellent at what you do.”
“Every failure is a step to success.”
Empowering Quotes on Mistakes and Growth
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”
“It’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”
“Your best teacher is your last mistake.”
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
“Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.”
“The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.”
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.”
“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”
“When we give ourselves permission to fail, we, at the same time, give ourselves permission to excel.”
“Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.”
“Growth begins when we start to accept our own weakness.”
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
“The only mistakes we regret are the ones we were too afraid to make.”
“Mistakes are proof that you are trying.”
“Each mistake teaches you something new about yourself. There is no failure, remember, except in no longer trying.”
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world.”
“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.”
“The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.”
“Success depends on previous preparation, and without such preparation, there is sure to be failure.”
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.”
“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.”
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
“In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”
“Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.”
Quotes on The Wisdom Gained from Errors
“Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.”
“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
“We learn from failure, not from success!”
“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
“Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.”
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“An error doesn’t become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.”
“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.”
“Failure is the tuition you pay for success.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“There are no mistakes, only opportunities.”
“Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.”
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”
“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it.”
“Learning starts with failure; the first failure is the beginning of education.”
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”
“We don’t learn to walk by following rules. We learn by doing and by falling over.”
“It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”
“Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.”
“Mistakes are the usual bridge between inexperience and wisdom.”
“The greatest teacher, failure is.”
“Your past mistakes are meant to guide you, not define you.”
“I never lose. I either win or learn.”
“The road to wisdom? Well, it’s plain and simple to express: Err and err and err again but less and less and less.”
“One who makes no mistakes makes nothing.”
“Mistakes allow thinking to happen.”
“Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.”
“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”
Motivational Quotes About Bouncing Back from Mistakes
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”
“When we make mistakes, they call it learning.”
“The darkest night is often the bridge to the brightest tomorrow.”
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
“You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”
“It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts.”
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”
“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.”
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”
“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it.”
“The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.”
“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not making decisions.”
“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
“We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.”
“Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.”
“Turn your wounds into wisdom.”
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
“What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better.”
“Failure happens all the time. It happens every day in practice. What makes you better is how you react to it.”
“Each mistake teaches you something new about yourself. There is no failure, remember, except in no longer trying.”
“In every mistake, there’s a potential for growth and open-mindedness.”
“Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.”
“Your past mistakes can guide you or define you. The choice is yours.”
To Wrap It Up
Mistakes are a natural part of learning and growth. They shape us into who we are and help us understand what truly matters. The quotes in this list remind us that errors are not setbacks but opportunities to improve and get better. They inspire us to see the value in our missteps and to keep moving forward despite them.
Reflecting on these quotes can motivate us to face challenges with a positive mindset. They show that even the most successful people have learned valuable lessons from their errors. Let these words encourage you to view mistakes not as failures, but as stepping stones to success.
