Skip to content

From a very early age, the message is drilled into our…

“From a very early age, the message is drilled into our heads: Failure is bad; failure means you didn’t study or prepare; failure means you slacked off or—worse!—aren’t smart enough to begin with. Thus, failure is something to be ashamed of.” quote by Ed Catmull
Download Open image
““From a very early age, the message is drilled into our heads: Failure is bad; failure means you didn’t study or prepare; failure means you slacked off or—worse!—aren’t smart enough to begin with. Thus, failure is something to be ashamed of.””

Ed Catmull

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Society teaches that failure is a personal flaw, linking it to lack of intelligence or effort, which creates shame and avoidance of risk.

In simple terms: Failure is portrayed as a personal defect.

Key Takeaway

Embrace failure as a learning tool.

Themes

education self‑esteem risk failure shame

Mood

anxious reflective

Type

motivational cautionary

When to use this quote

  • school
  • career
  • creative projects
  • entrepreneurship

Key Concepts

growth mindset psychology culture

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does your upbringing shape your view of failure?
  • What can you learn from a recent setback?
A Different Perspective

Failure can also be demotivating if not framed constructively.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Ed Catmull

Explore all 226 Ed Catmull quotes

More Failure quotes

Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes