--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not our failures that distress us…" description: "\"It is not our failures that distress us so much as our idiocies.\" — Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_distress_it-is-not-our-failures-that-distress-us_631935.jpg" --- # It is not our failures that distress us so much as our… ![“It is not our failures that distress us so much as our idiocies.” quote by Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_distress_it-is-not-our-failures-that-distress-us_631935.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_distress_it-is-not-our-failures-that-distress-us_631935.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_distress_it-is-not-our-failures-that-distress-us_631935.jpg) > “It is not our failures that distress us so much as our idiocies.” [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our own foolish actions cause more distress than external failures. **In simple terms:** Idiocy hurts more than failures. Key Takeaway Avoid self‑inflicted errors. Themes self‑awareness humility personal growth Mood reflective motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - decision making - team leadership - education - personal reflection Key Concepts psychology behavioral science error management Questions to Reflect On - How can we recognize our own idiocies? - What habits reduce self‑sabotage? A Different Perspective Self‑criticism can be paralyzing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Distress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distress/) [Distress Idiocies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distress-idiocies-5091098/) [Embarrassment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embarrassment/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failures/) [Failures Distress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failures-distress-5091099/) [Idiocies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiocies-356462/) [Idiocy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiocy/) ## Related quotes > [Perhaps the universe is nothing but an equilibrium of idiocies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/perhaps-the-universe-is-nothing-but-an-equilibrium-of-idiocies/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [I don't know what idiocies drove me in those days, but they were naive, innocent idiocies in many ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-lee/i-don-t-know-what-idiocies-drove-me-in-those-days-but-they-were-naive/) [Laurie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-lee/) > [“Everywhere one turned, one found idiocies that were commonly accepted as truths only because they were embedded in a theory to which the scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/everywhere-one-turned-one-found-idiocies-that-were-commonly-accepted/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [I might be tweeting a lot of things in the future, some of which will be absolute idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/i-might-be-tweeting-a-lot-of-things-in-the-future-some-of-which-will/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [Death is the welcome cessation of idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-evans/death-is-the-welcome-cessation-of-idiocy/) [Stephen Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-evans/) > [Hollywood is geared toward teenage idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/hollywood-is-geared-toward-teenage-idiocy/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [It takes all the time and all the energy we have to conquer the idiocy in us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/it-takes-all-the-time-and-all-the-energy-we-have-to-conquer-the/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [To take a gloomy view of life is not part of my philosophy; to laugh at the idiocies of my fellow creatures is. However,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/to-take-a-gloomy-view-of-life-is-not-part-of-my-philosophy-to-laugh/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) > [If people buy my books for vanity, I consider it a tax on idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/if-people-buy-my-books-for-vanity-i-consider-it-a-tax-on-idiocy/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [It is such an abundance of idiocy that you lose courage. That you lose hope. I don't want to lose hope. I get through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/it-is-such-an-abundance-of-idiocy-that-you-lose-courage-that-you-lose/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [ “\[W\]e all incline in astonishingly personal ways to idiocy and spite” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/w-e-all-incline-in-astonishingly-personal-ways-to-idiocy-and-spite/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [One can relish the varied idiocy of human action during a panic to the full, for, while it is a time of great tragedy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/one-can-relish-the-varied-idiocy-of-human-action-during-a-panic-to/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [If ignorance is bliss, then more people should be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dtk-smith/if-ignorance-is-bliss-then-more-people-should-be-happy/) [David DtK Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dtk-smith/) > [We are growing up. We are growing up! Out of the idiocies - the ignorances of racism and sexism and ageism and all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/we-are-growing-up-we-are-growing-up-out-of-the-idiocies-the/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Good energy was never meant to be waisted on idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silver-ravenwolf/good-energy-was-never-meant-to-be-waisted-on-idiocy/) [Silver RavenWolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silver-ravenwolf/) ## More by Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay > [Worry is spiritual nearsightedness, a fumbling way of looking at little things, and of magnifying their value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/worry-is-spiritual-nearsightedness-a-fumbling-way-of-looking-at/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [time spent in being interrupted is not time lost. ... How do we know but that the interruption we snarl at is the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/time-spent-in-being-interrupted-is-not-time-lost-how-do-we-know-but/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [Life is large. We cannot possibly grasp the whole of it in the few years that we have to live. What is vital? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/life-is-large-we-cannot-possibly-grasp-the-whole-of-it-in-the-few/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [Every moment of worry weakens the soul for its daily combat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/every-moment-of-worry-weakens-the-soul-for-its-daily-combat/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [It costs to be a friend or to have a friend. There is nothing else in life except motherhood that costs so much. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/it-costs-to-be-a-friend-or-to-have-a-friend-there-is-nothing-else-in/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [Whatever we really are, that let us be, in all fearlessness. Whatever we are not, that let us cease striving to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/whatever-we-really-are-that-let-us-be-in-all-fearlessness-whatever-we/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [Be wise in the use of time. The question in life is not "how much time do we have?" The question is "what shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/be-wise-in-the-use-of-time-the-question-in-life-is-not-how-much-time/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [Value work. But not any kind of work. Ask yourself "Is the work vital, strengthening my own character, or inspiring others, or helping the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/value-work-but-not-any-kind-of-work-ask-yourself-is-the-work-vital/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) > [Let us assume nothing, and we shall not be moritifed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/let-us-assume-nothing-and-we-shall-not-be-moritifed/) [Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) [Explore all 10 Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/) ## More Distress quotes > [That toil of growing up; The ignominy of boyhood; the distress Of boyhood changing into man; The unfinished man and his pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/that-toil-of-growing-up-the-ignominy-of-boyhood-the-distress-of/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [To pray is to open the door unto Jesus and admit Him into your distress. Your helplessness is the very thing which opens wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-hallesby/to-pray-is-to-open-the-door-unto-jesus-and-admit-him-into-your/) [Ole Hallesby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-hallesby/) > [“When children are hurt and in pain psychologically, they don't want to be in distress, so when the situation becomes intolerable, they cease to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-firestone/when-children-are-hurt-and-in-pain-psychologically-they-don-t-want-to/) [Robert W. Firestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-firestone/) > [Soothing touch, whether it be applied to a ruffled cat, a crying infant, or a frightened child, has a universally recognized power to ameliorate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deane-juhan/soothing-touch-whether-it-be-applied-to-a-ruffled-cat-a-crying-infant/) [Deane Juhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deane-juhan/) > [When we are in distress we pray genuinely, seeking forgiveness, promise to quit all sin & beg for mercy & protection. Why do we then forget?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-we-are-in-distress-we-pray-genuinely-seeking-forgiveness-promise/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Want to talk third wave feminism, you could cite Ariel Levy and the idea that women have internalized male oppression. Going to spring break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/want-to-talk-third-wave-feminism-you-could-cite-ariel-levy-and-the/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Being human, we would expel from our lives physical pain and mental anguish and assure ourselves of continual ease and comfort, but if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/being-human-we-would-expel-from-our-lives-physical-pain-and-mental/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [It was right then and there that she'd realized there was no quota on misery for people, no quantifiable threshold that once reached, got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/it-was-right-then-and-there-that-she-d-realized-there-was-no-quota-on/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might also pray in the fullness of your joy and in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/you-pray-in-your-distress-and-in-your-need-would-that-you-might-also/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [This isn't a romance. You're not a damsel in distress and I'm not the handsome prince come to save you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cj-roberts/this-isn-t-a-romance-you-re-not-a-damsel-in-distress-and-i-m-not-the/) [CJ Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cj-roberts/) > [“Ivy waved the wet handkerchief, as much as to say, words cannot possibly articulate my profound distress. Then, because Ivy never settled for meaningful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carriger/ivy-waved-the-wet-handkerchief-as-much-as-to-say-words-cannot/) [Gail Carriger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carriger/) > [They have stolen the public lands. They have grasped all to themselves, and by their unprincipled greed brought a crisis of unparalleled distress on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-kearney/they-have-stolen-the-public-lands-they-have-grasped-all-to-themselves/) [Denis Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-kearney/) > [I believe that what so saddens the reformer is not his sympathy with his fellows in distress, but, though he be the holiest son…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-believe-that-what-so-saddens-the-reformer-is-not-his-sympathy-with/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Patience will benefit you in every hour, every time and every opportunity. It helps you to overcome your opponent, howsoever strong he may be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abd-al-karim-qasim/patience-will-benefit-you-in-every-hour-every-time-and-every/) [Abd al-Karim Qasim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abd-al-karim-qasim/) > [Grief that is dazed and speechless is out of fashion: the modern woman mourns her husband loudly and tells you the whole story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/grief-that-is-dazed-and-speechless-is-out-of-fashion-the-modern-woman/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) [Browse all 686 Distress quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distress/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is not our failures that distress us so much as our idiocies.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/it-is-not-our-failures-that-distress-us-so-much-as-our-idiocies/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Distress" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/it-is-not-our-failures-that-distress-us-so-much-as-our-idiocies/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_distress_it-is-not-our-failures-that-distress-us_631935.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_distress_it-is-not-our-failures-that-distress-us_631935.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay-4_distress_it-is-not-our-failures-that-distress-us_631935.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is not our failures that distress us so much as our idiocies.” — Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay", "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": "Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is not our failures that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/it-is-not-our-failures-that-distress-us-so-much-as-our-idiocies/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-robertson-brown-lindsay/it-is-not-our-failures-that-distress-us-so-much-as-our-idiocies/#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 } } ] } ```