--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To the eye of failure success is an…" description: "\"To the eye of failure success is an accident.\" — Ambrose Bierce" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/ambrose-bierce-140_accident_to-the-eye-of-failure-success-is-an-acci_560539.jpg" --- # To the eye of failure success is an accident. ![“To the eye of failure success is an accident.” quote by Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/ambrose-bierce-140_accident_to-the-eye-of-failure-success-is-an-acci_560539.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/ambrose-bierce-140_accident_to-the-eye-of-failure-success-is-an-acci_560539.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/ambrose-bierce-140_accident_to-the-eye-of-failure-success-is-an-acci_560539.jpg) > “To the eye of failure success is an accident.” [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success often appears accidental when viewed from the perspective of failure. **In simple terms:** Failure makes success seem like luck. Key Takeaway Recognize effort behind apparent luck. Themes success failure perception luck effort Mood cynical thoughtful Type aphoristic critical When to use this quote - career advancement - entrepreneurship - sports competition - academic achievement Key Concepts philosophy psychology cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - What defines true success for you? - How does failure shape your view of achievement? A Different Perspective Success may be the result of privilege, not just effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accident/) [Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [Success is never an accident. It typically starts as imagination, becomes a dream, stimulates a goal, grows into a plan of action - which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-miller/success-is-never-an-accident-it-typically-starts-as-imagination/) [Dan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-miller/) > [Was it always my nature to take a bad time and block out the good times, until any success became an accident and failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/was-it-always-my-nature-to-take-a-bad-time-and-block-out-the-good/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [“Success is an accident...well placed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-shanahan/success-is-an-accident-well-placed/) John M. Shanahan > [It is easier to move from failure to success in from excuses to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/it-is-easier-to-move-from-failure-to-success-in-from-excuses-to/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [I've never been able to contemplate failure. Success is everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-blanc/i-ve-never-been-able-to-contemplate-failure-success-is-everything/) [Raymond Blanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-blanc/) > [Incremental change is better than ambitious failure. . . .Success feeds on itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tal-ben-shahar/incremental-change-is-better-than-ambitious-failure-success-feeds-on/) [Tal Ben-Shahar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tal-ben-shahar/) > [I'm more afraid of success than failure. Success makes us so sure of ourselves that we do not analyze the factors that lead us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-valdano/i-m-more-afraid-of-success-than-failure-success-makes-us-so-sure-of/) [Jorge Valdano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-valdano/) > [I think you often learn from failure. Success just teaches you how great you were, but in fact it's knowing what will fail that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-idle/i-think-you-often-learn-from-failure-success-just-teaches-you-how/) [Eric Idle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-idle/) > [Do you want to succeed? Then, double you rate of failure. Success lies on the far side of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-j-watson/do-you-want-to-succeed-then-double-you-rate-of-failure-success-lies/) [Thomas J. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-j-watson/) > [Success is somebody else's failure. Success is the American Dream we can keep dreaming because most people in most places, including thirty million of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/success-is-somebody-else-s-failure-success-is-the-american-dream-we/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Success is on the same road as failure; success is just a little further down the road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-hyles/success-is-on-the-same-road-as-failure-success-is-just-a-little/) [Jack Hyles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-hyles/) > [The key to success is failure… Success is made of 99 percent failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dyson/the-key-to-success-is-failure-success-is-made-of-99-percent-failure/) [James Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dyson/) > [“Understand that success is not an accident, but a planned event.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-ratna/understand-that-success-is-not-an-accident-but-a-planned-event/) [Abhishek Ratna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-ratna/) > [Success is not an accident. It is the result of your attitude and your attitude is a choice. Hence sucess is a matter of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiv-khera/success-is-not-an-accident-it-is-the-result-of-your-attitude-and-your/) [Shiv Khera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiv-khera/) > [Success Is Not An Accident…or a Miracle... its all about positive visualization of life ...with Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-newberry/success-is-not-an-accident-or-a-miracle-its-all-about-positive/) [Tommy Newberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-newberry/) ## More by Ambrose Bierce > [OBSESSED, p.p. Vexed by an evil spirit, like the Gadarene swine and other critics. Obsession was once more common than it is now. Arasthus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/obsessed-p-p-vexed-by-an-evil-spirit-like-the-gadarene-swine-and/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/decide-v-i-to-succumb-to-the-preponderance-of-one-set-of-influences/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [IMMORAL, adj. Inexpedient. Whatever in the long run and with regard to the greater number of instances men find to be generally inexpedient comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/immoral-adj-inexpedient-whatever-in-the-long-run-and-with-regard-to/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [REVIEW, v.t. To set your wisdom (holding not a doubt of it./ Although in truth there's neither bone nor skin to it)/ At work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/review-v-t-to-set-your-wisdom-holding-not-a-doubt-of-it-although-in/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [CLOCK, n. A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern for the future by reminding him what a lot of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/clock-n-a-machine-of-great-moral-value-to-man-allaying-his-concern/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [RUBBISH, n. Worthless matter, such as the religions, philosophies, literatures, arts and sciences of the tribes infesting the regions lying due south from Boreaplas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/rubbish-n-worthless-matter-such-as-the-religions-philosophies/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [There was never a genius who was not thought a fool until he disclosed himself; whereas he is a fool then only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/there-was-never-a-genius-who-was-not-thought-a-fool-until-he/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/telephone-n-an-invention-of-the-devil-which-abrogates-some-of-the/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/whangdepootenawah-n-in-the-ojibwa-tongue-disaster-an-unexpected/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Jealous, adj. Unduly concerned about the preservation of that which can be lost only if not worth keeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/jealous-adj-unduly-concerned-about-the-preservation-of-that-which-can/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [RIDICULE, n. Words designed to show that the person of whom they are uttered is devoid of the dignity of character distinguishing him who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/ridicule-n-words-designed-to-show-that-the-person-of-whom-they-are/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Think twice before you speak to a friend in need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/think-twice-before-you-speak-to-a-friend-in-need/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [HERMIT, n. A person whose vices and follies are not sociable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/hermit-n-a-person-whose-vices-and-follies-are-not-sociable/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [TARIFF, n. A scale of taxes on imports, designed to protect the domestic producer against the greed of his consumer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/tariff-n-a-scale-of-taxes-on-imports-designed-to-protect-the-domestic/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [A bad marriage is like an electrical thrilling machine: it makes you dance, but you can't let go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/a-bad-marriage-is-like-an-electrical-thrilling-machine-it-makes-you/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) [Explore all 1,157 Ambrose Bierce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) ## More Accident quotes > [Fame, we may understand, is no sure test of merit, but only a probability of such: it is an accident, not a property, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/fame-we-may-understand-is-no-sure-test-of-merit-but-only-a/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [I went to school at night in L.A. to brush up on my engineering while I applied to the astronaut program. I really did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-went-to-school-at-night-in-l-a-to-brush-up-on-my-engineering-while/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [“The accident in your rearview mirror already happened. The one in front of you is still preventable. Pay attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nakia-r-laushaul/the-accident-in-your-rearview-mirror-already-happened-the-one-in/) [Nakia R. Laushaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nakia-r-laushaul/) > [People dont get married by accident and they dont get divorced by accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-hayes/people-dont-get-married-by-accident-and-they-dont-get-divorced-by/) [Darren Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-hayes/) > [My father had Parkinson's, though he actually died following a bicycle accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/my-father-had-parkinson-s-though-he-actually-died-following-a-bicycle/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [A tragic car accident put me in a wheelchair and dashed my hopes and dreams for the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-cawthorn/a-tragic-car-accident-put-me-in-a-wheelchair-and-dashed-my-hopes-and/) [Madison Cawthorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-cawthorn/) > [My musical career was an accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/my-musical-career-was-an-accident/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [The spirit in the body is like wine in a glass; when it spills, it seeps into air and earth and light….It’s a mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-michaels/the-spirit-in-the-body-is-like-wine-in-a-glass-when-it-spills-it/) [Anne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-michaels/) > [accident ruled every corner of the universe except the chambers of the human heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/accident-ruled-every-corner-of-the-universe-except-the-chambers-of/) [David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/) > [There is a French expression that says: to be exposed to an accident, to cross a street without looking at the cars means exposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-virilio/there-is-a-french-expression-that-says-to-be-exposed-to-an-accident/) [Paul Virilio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-virilio/) > [It's no accident that most self-help groups use 'anonymous' in their names; to Americans, the first step toward redemption is a ritual wiping out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/it-s-no-accident-that-most-self-help-groups-use-anonymous-in-their/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [High birth is an accident, not a virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-metastasio/high-birth-is-an-accident-not-a-virtue/) [Pietro Metastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-metastasio/) > [“I just got out of the hospital. I was in a speed reading accident. I hit a book mark and flew across the room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-just-got-out-of-the-hospital-i-was-in-a-speed-reading-accident-i/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [However, I met with a horrible accident while riding my bike in Sangla Valley. The accident was a wakeup call for me stop getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhinav-shukla/however-i-met-with-a-horrible-accident-while-riding-my-bike-in-sangla/) [Abhinav Shukla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhinav-shukla/) > [“Because the core of my personal philosophy is that everything that happens to us benefits us, I was also spared the futility of cursing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-the-core-of-my-personal-philosophy-is-that-everything-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 922 Accident quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accident/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To the eye of failure success is an accident.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ambrose Bierce" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/to-the-eye-of-failure-success-is-an-accident/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accident" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/to-the-eye-of-failure-success-is-an-accident/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/ambrose-bierce-140_accident_to-the-eye-of-failure-success-is-an-acci_560539.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/ambrose-bierce-140_accident_to-the-eye-of-failure-success-is-an-acci_560539.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/ambrose-bierce-140_accident_to-the-eye-of-failure-success-is-an-acci_560539.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To the eye of failure success is an accident.” — Ambrose Bierce", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ambrose Bierce", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To the eye of failure success...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/to-the-eye-of-failure-success-is-an-accident/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/to-the-eye-of-failure-success-is-an-accident/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```